A creation by Figtree’s ‘‘string woman’’ has beaten a giant metal bird, a 90kg chandelier and a collection of 1500 ceramic flowers to a $20,000 sculpture prize. Greer Taylor’s wool and steel creation, Distant Time, is a beacon of fire engine red against the ancient green rainforest of Katoomba.The striking combination helped Taylor win her first monetary art prize, the inaugural Sculpture at Scenic World Acquisitive Award.‘‘I knew that red would work particularly well in the deep, dark green of the forest,’’ Taylor said.‘‘Look at the waratah - it just stands out.’’Taylor, a former textile artist, has long incorporated string into her sculptures, but usually uses a durable kind of plastic.She chose wool for her entry in the Scenic World competition because it could be absorbed into the rainforest over time.Taylor said she would regularly return to Katoomba to watch the wool fade and eventually drop from the metal frame.‘‘It will be a bit like a skeleton after the flesh has fallen off,’’ she said. The prize was decided by University of Western Sydney curator Monica McMahon and Macquarie University Sculpture Park curator Leonard Janiszewski, who said the winning sculpture had a ‘‘sense of fragility’’ but also a ‘‘solid presence’’. Taylor will deliver an artist’s talk at Scenic World on March 10, at 11am. Hers is one of 26 sculptures on display until March 11. More information is available at www.scenicworld.com.au/sculpture.Taylor was commended and a finalist at several national sculpture competitions last year.Victoria’s Lorne Sculpture and Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi were two in which she she was awarded special mentions.