Passing of true Gentle man

A 5m-high high ant greets visitors as they enter the foyer of the University of Wollongong Library. The sculpture stretches up the wall of the two-storey high foyer and is fittingly called Whispering Ant. This is, after all, a library, and even ants are expected to be quiet.Inside, Salivating Croc stretches out along a feature wall opposite the main desk, providing a vibrant, animated and quirky contrast to the serious work conducted in a university library.These two spectacular and highly original sculptures made from eucalypt sticks cleverly moulded into single forms are much loved artistic icons of the university, as is Ian Gentle, the sculptor who created them.Sadly, Ian died suddenly last week, aged 65, in his East Nowra home. He will be greatly missed by his family and his many friends (of which I am proud to be one), colleagues and former students.Australia has lost one of its greatest contemporary artists, although this quiet, humble man - Gentle by name and gentle by nature - eschewed fame and fortune. Respect from his great friends and fellow artists Guy Warren and Bert Flugelman was much more important.Ian didn't seek the financial rewards that his great talent deserved, and was happy to lead a simple life worlds away from trendy inner-city art galleries and art dealers. The spring 2009 edition of World Sculpture News carried a four-page special feature on Ian, written by the magazine's Asian contributing editor Gina Fairley. The writer praised Ian's work, and asked: "Why is this visionary sculptor and masterly technician not more widely acclaimed in Australia despite his work being held in collections in places as widespread as Dallas, Taiwan and Beijing?"Why indeed? Ms Fairley concluded that Ian's decision to lead a "less than conventional life, positioning himself outside the urban art centres" had "arguably denied him the mainstream celebration his work deserved".Ian was chuffed by the international recognition that article gave him, and had no argument with the writer's conclusions. He was also chuffed in July 2008 when UOW, where he had taught sculpture for many years, made him a fellow of the university.His citation stated: "As the Faculty of Creative Arts' Head of Sculpture in the 1990s, Ian was an inspirational teacher and developed supportive and enduring relationships with his students. As a person of great integrity and generosity, he has been a genuine friend and mentor to aspiring artists. His community spirit is evident in his passionate support for the preservation of the Clifton School of Arts where he lived and worked for 13 years. During his artist-in-residency at Long Bay's Remand Centre, his rapport with prisoners earned him the sobriquet of 'honorary lifer'."Ian had one last ambition: to take an exhibition of his work back to his birthplace, the Victorian town of Healesville. Sadly, that won't happen now.Fortunately, there are many Ian Gentle works in the Illawarra where the artist spent more than 30 years of his life - in the UOW art collection and at the Wollongong City Gallery, as well as in private collections. It really would be something if the gallery or UOW could organise an exhibition to honour this special man.Nick Hartgerink is a former Mercury editor who now runs his own media consultancy. UOW is one of his clients.