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The man who made Bendigo's controversial $28,370 seat has called on the community to appreciate the time and effort it took to create it.
Blacksmith and sculptor Andrew Kimpton forges steel with century-old tools at his small workshop in Yandoit, an hour from Bendigo.
"I'm very proud of the job that I did and I hope that the people of Bendigo will enjoy it," Mr Kimpton said.
"I can only imagine some people think this is a product from a company but I can assure you there's nothing else like it.
"I wanted to just show this was made right here in Victoria, it's a unique design and was made by local artisans."
The steel is from Bendigo, the galvanising was done in Melbourne, the timber is sustainably harvested spotted gum from New South Wales and the paint was made in Melbourne.
Mr Kimpton also said he supported Bendigo businesses by purchasing components there.
The blacksmith said the City of Greater Bendigo approached him one day when he was showing his wares at a market and later contacted him about making the seat.
He was thrilled to be given the opportunity to showcase his talents in the public domain.
Mr Kimpton said the council wanted the seat to be S-shaped and he and fellow timber craftsman, Don O'Connor, met with council for lengthy discussions about the design.
"They could have easily bought something from a book but the city council decided they wanted a sculptural, practical seat and they came to me with that brief in mind," he said.
"In the brief I was told that the council had gone through a consultation process with the public and had feedback that they would like a seat with a sculptural component and to be very comfortable.
Mr Kimpton said the finished product was inspired by the classic park bench.
"I wanted to make something that was beautiful and comfortable," he said.
"I didn't want form over function, I wanted form and function.
He said construction of the seat was an "exhaustive process" in which he had to make tools specifically for the job.
He spent four weeks on the metal work alone and then spent weeks sanding 88 pieces of timber with three grades of sandpaper.
"I work the hardest way, but that's the life of the artisan," Mr Kimpton said.
The S-shape of the seat is a key reason for the level of difficulty it took to make it. Each piece of steel and timber had to be painstakingly moulded and bent into shape.
"As soon as you curve something, your labour time is two to three times to make everything," Mr Kimpton said.
"There's virtually not a straight line in the piece."
Timber craftsman Don O'Connor bent the timber on a 19th century machine imported from Sweden. His part in the project was smaller than Mr Kimpton's but his skill is unique.
"We are the only operating timber bending business of this size in Australia," Mr O'Connor said.
He said the Bendigo community should think of quality and longevity, as opposed to "buying a new seat from Bunnings each spring".
"They just have to evaluate how much they're going to pay for a beautiful piece that will last a long time," he said.
Mr O'Connor said it should be important to Bendigonians to add beauty to their urban landscape.
"Bendigo is based on beauty as far as I can see in its architecture," he said.
"If you don't keep going with that in the rest of the town, (the existing buildings) will get alienated."
Mr O'Connor said curved urban designs were often the ones that became iconic.
"There are very few iconic buildings that are 100 per cent straight," Mr O'Connor said.
