ARMED detectives bailed up East Fremantle sculptor Tony Jones as he transported a giant hybrid creature to Bathers Beach for Sculpture @ Bathers this week.

The voluptuous sculpture, by Sue Flavell is an imposing sight in a gallery but jaw-dropping on the back of a vehicle travelling down the highway.

“[Tony] put his hands up, but the young guys were just intrigued and wanted to establish what was happening,” Sculpture @ Bathers’ Liz Cartell says.

Two years ago the first Bathers Beach event was a huge hit, drawing crowds of around 50,000.

And while it’s a cheeky “ride on the coat tails” of the juggernaut that is Cottesloe’s Sculptures by the Sea it’s a fantastic boost for local sculptors, Ms Cartell says: “It’s exclusively West Australian artists.”

With the same number of exhibitions as the Cottesloe gig, in a much smaller space, it’s more intimate—but a big point of difference is the price of the artworks, which are “much more affordable”, Ms Cartell says.

Bathers Beach was a hive of activity this week as the who’s who of WA sculptors, and a swag of newbies swarmed to install their works.

Renowned Japanese/Australian artist Akio Makigawa’s widow donated one of his pieces as a much-needed fund raiser, as did Tony Jones.

Sculpture at Bathers is on Saturday March 14, to Sunday March 29.

by JENNY D’ANGER