NEW public artwork Segmented Landscape was handed over to the people of Pakenham on Saturday.

Cardinia mayor Kate Lempriere, a vocal supporter of the arts, officially opened the sculpture which is located on the western shore of the lake at Pakenham Lakeside.

Cr Lempriere said the artwork by Jennyfer Stratman added a new dimension to the area and she was confident it would be embraced by residents.

“Public artworks have a significant role to play in creating healthy, vibrant and creative communities.

“Artworks such as Toolim — the sculpture recently erected outside the Cardinia Cultural Centre — and Segmented Landscape provide a sense of identity, of belonging to a community that values creative and diverse expression.”

The $49,000 project was jointly funded by Delfin, developers of Lakeside, and the council with Cardinia’s contribution being $15,000.

It is the second in a series of artworks under a joint venture that Cr Lempriere said would deliver a series of “original, charismatic public art designer pieces designed for their location, to be admired and enjoyed”.

Cr Lempriere said Ms Stratman’s proposal was considered to be the most creative design, suitable for the site, highly engaging for the community and compliant with expectations regarding risk and project delivery.

Segmented Landscape draws on ideas of landscape, architecture and human connection.

Ms Stratman said the concept was to “portray the interconnection humans have with the landscape, both how it impacts our sense of identity and how inextricably linked we are to it”.

“I wanted to create a sculpture that would be sympathetic to the site while also creating a dramatic focal point. It is a five-part piece made of fabricated steel and painted cast bronze,” she said.

Ranges Ward councillor Ed Chatwin criticised the work when it was first commissioned by the council, saying he found it “without originality”.

Cr Lempriere said Ms Stratman had an international reputation and felt confident the general public would be “really impressed” with the work on display.

“Artistic worth is up to the individual but there is no doubt Cardinia is getting a first-rate work,” Cr Lempriere said.

“We are privileged to have a Jennyfer Stratman original in our shire.

“Public artworks have a significant role to play in creating healthy, vibrant and creative communities.

“They provide a sense of civic pride which is based firmly in the community to which it belongs but reaches beyond that local community as the wider world comes to visit and acknowledge it.”