J. Steward Johnson, 'Lunchbreak'

Artist Info: J. Steward Johnson is a painter and sculptor born in New Jersey in 1930. In his early life he worked at the well-known company Johnson&Johnson, founded by his grandfather Robert Wood Johnson. He began focusing on his art career in 1962 when he was fired from his job at Johnson&Johnson by his uncle. His earliest artworks were paintings but he began to work almost entirely in sculpture by 1968. He has since become well known for his sculptures of every-day people. His works are largely public commissions and can be found in cities in the US, Canada, France, Italy and Hong Kong. He is recognized for the life-like poses and realistic-looking fabrics on his figures. To create his works, Johnson usually begins with a small clay sketch. He would then make a larger sculpture to form the mould. To create his realistic fabrics, Johnson would occasionally include real clothing items to shape the mould, thus creating the folds and textures in the final metal sculpture.

'Lunchbreak' was given to the City of Edmonton in 1983 as a gift by the Devonian Group of Charitable Foundations. The sculpture has remained a part of Churchill Square as the Square has developed from a grassy field to the concrete centre it is today. This is not the only 'Lunchbreak' sculpture to be created by Johnson. There are at least 3 other identical sculptures in the US. Interestingly, in doing some research on this sculpture I noticed that the lunch kit sitting on the bench occasionally changes. Sometimes he is only sitting with a lunch box while at other times he also has a thermos. I do not know if this was the intent of the artist or if the other items in the lunch kit have been stolen or damaged over time.


My Thoughts:
So far with this blog I have usually been trying to stay away from these figurative sculptures because I often find them too closely connected with monuments. Still, I know how beloved the 'Lunchbreak' sculpture is within the city so I wanted to include it in a feature on the blog. Johnson's sculptures have been criticized for being too kitsch and I definitely can agree with this statement. There is nothing challenging or thought-prevoking about this sculpture. Still, it is hard to dislike something that is so well recognized as a symbol of the city. Although the piece is 30 years old, I still often see people taking photos or posing with the figure. I also sometimes see it featured on the news or in advertisements about Edmonton. It has become one of the iconic symbols of the city and helps people to instantly recognize Churchill Square. Kitsch or not, I think it is definitely a key sculpture in Edmonton and will continue to live in the city centre for many years.

This will be the last blog posting for this year. Thank you joining me in 2013 as I wandered through Edmonton public art. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I'll see you in 2014!

Inges Idee, 'Running Track'

Artist Info: This bright red sculpture is a creation from the artist collective Inges Idee. The piece was a Percent for Art commission for the new Terwillegar Rec centre and was installed in 2010. Inges Idee is a group based out of Berlin consisting of four artists - Hans Hemmert, Axel Lieber, Thomas A. Schmidt and Georg Zey. Each member of the group has his own art practice but they also work as a team to create public works of art. The artists mention that they like creating work for public spaces because it is constantly evolving as the neighbourhoods develop over time. They prefer these works in public spaces to the white cube of museums because they can become a part of the community and grow with the city itself. 

'Running Track' is a huge foam sculpture measuring 5 metres high and 8 metres long. The work was created by Inges Idee in Calgary and shipped to Edmonton in two pieces. The work is coated with a strong, polyurethane paint. Not surprisingly, running track is supposed to represent two running legs. The artists took a sculpture of a running figure and broke the movements down into a more abstract essence of movement to create this piece. The piece is supposed to reflect the activities within the rec centre as well as the colour palate of the building.

My Thoughts: I am embarrassed to say how long it took me to figure out that these were legs! It was only until I saw a front view of this sculpture and it looked like a runner at the starting line that I realised the connection. I think the piece is fun and quirky and a nice accent to the Terwillegar community. I think the very contemporary shape of the piece accents the new-looking building well. Also, the colour and size of the piece make it an easy landmark to spot when you are trying to find the rec centre. 

Tony Bloom, 'Convergence'

Artist info: Tony Bloom is a Canmore-based sculptor who has been working as an artist for almost 40 years. While his original sculptures were done in clay, he has been working in metal since the 80s when he discovered the versatility and durability of the medium. He has since created a number of artworks both as public art commissions and for sale in his commercial gallery in Canmore. Not all of his works are solely for display. Bloom is also known for creating functional works for the home including tables, doors and large cauldrons. 
'Convergence' was a commission from the city of Edmonton for the Victoria Promenade at 117 Street and 100 Avenue. The work sits at the top of the river valley and is visible from many different pathways and roads. The piece consists of 3 posts and 1 fountain spaced along the walkway. The posts stand along the sliver of green space marking the path while the fountain (depending on the time of year) can have a stream of water running down the pipes creating both a visual and auditory effect. The steel structures are connected by a trail of shrubbery native to Alberta. Bloom was interested in this central point as the convergence of many elements - water and land, land and sky and city and nature. It can also be seen as a place where residents converge while taking in the view of the river valley. Due to the nature of the piece as a fountain, the work was in need of conservation a few years ago. Bloom worked closely with the conservator at the Edmonton Arts Council to re-paint and maintain the work to ensure it did not rust or fall into disrepair. This is not the only water-related work on Bloom's resume. A number of his public art pieces feature moving water, including a large kinetic water sculpture for the BC Hydro Authority. 

My thoughts: I have always been drawn to water-related sculptures, largely because of the inclusion of sound in the piece. Unfortunately, I don't think I have ever been to the Victoria Promenade while the fountain is on, making it hard for me to fully evaluate the work. I like the combination of the fountains with the posts to help in making the pathway more welcoming. It feels as though the posts that do not shut down for the winter allow the sculpture to appear more inviting year-round as opposed to only having the fountain which can seem unwelcoming when it is not running. 
Has anyone ever seen the fountain on? Do it ever get turned on? Maybe I have just missed it.

Peter Hide, 'Full House'

Artist Info: Peter Hide is an English-born artist who gained experience at Saint Martin's School of Art in London where he studied under the modernist sculptor Anthony Caro. Hide is well known for his large abstract sculptures made of welded steel. Early in his career Hide found employment teaching at the Saint Martin's from 1971-78. By 1978 he had accepted a position to teach at the University of Alberta and came to Edmonton to further his career. The budding art scene in Edmonton gave him the flexibility to experiment and really settle on his own artistic style. Hide continues to teach at the U of A and create sculpture that he says has a focus on architecture.

Unfortunately, there is minimal information about 'Full House'. The piece is made of welded steel was commissioned in '97 for the opening of the Winspear building. The title 'Full House' likely is making a reference to selling out of tickets at a concert.


My Thoughts: To be honest, since the day I began this blog I have been dying to do this piece and am upset that there is not more information on it. 'Full House' is one of the first sculptures I really noticed when I moved to Edmonton and I instantly fell in love with the whimsical shape of the doorway and the idea of what I might find inside. I can definitely see Hide's interest in architecture for this piece. The shape of the sculpture echoes the strong lines of the Winspear, making me think that this could be a miniature concert hall. The rusted colouring seems warm and inviting. Often when I pass the work I find myself hoping that I have missed a detail and can actually enter the tiny doorway and sit inside the piece. Finally, I enjoy its proximity to the L'Espresso patio, making me feel that the sculpture is not just for Winspear patrons but for anyone on the square who is taking a moment to sit down and take a break.

Let me know if you have any comments or more information about this sculpture! I'd love to learn more about this great piece.

PS: Can you tell I took this picture a few months ago? It looks so summery!

Will Truchon, 'Valley Wall'

Artist Info: 'Valley Wall' was created in 2009 by Will Truchon as part of the Icon Tower mural project. The work is on the side of the southern Icon building and faces the 104th Street pathway to the Beaver Hills House Park. The piece was commissioned through The Works and consists of four painted panels adhered to the side of the condominium. 

Will Truchon has a background art and architecture from his three degrees acquired at the University of Manitoba, Ohio State University and the University of Calgary. He works in many mediums, often creating pieces in ceramics, painting, photography and sculpture. Truchon has held various roles in the art field including positions as a ceramics technician, arts instructor and gallery technician. He is probably best known for his role in The Works festival where he was Artistic Director from 2001-2007.  He mentions that he is passionate about public art and looks to create opportunities where citizens can appreciate art. 

My Thoughts: I chose to feature this mural because we had a great amount of discussion on this piece at the art walk two weeks ago. I thought it was appropriate that Truchon would be involved as an artist on a public work of art when he has had so much of a role in public art commissions as the Artistic Director at The Works. Furthermore, Truchon is known for his knowledge of architecture and has commented on his experience in planning and designing buildings. Therefore, I can see the desire to have him on a project to include art on one of Edmonton's major downtown streets. 

In terms of the work itself, I am undecided on my feelings towards it. While I like the colour palate and the positioning of the work as an entryway to the park, I do not like the impressionistic style of the artwork. I felt the artist was trying to mimic a Group of Seven painting, making the piece seem outdated on the contemporary condo. Furthermore, after some thought, I decided that I do not like the extension of the mural onto the electrical box beside the building. While I understand the desire to hide the unsightly unit, the paint does not camouflage the box but draws attention to it instead. Electrical boxes are so common in downtown Edmonton people do not notice them. Painted electrical boxes are much more rare and thus more obvious. 

What do you think about this piece? Do you like the electrical box? Let me know your thoughts!

Dawn Detarando and Brian McArthur, 'Immense Mode'

Before I get into this artwork I just wanted to thank everyone who came out to the PrairieSeen x YEGallery art walk last night! We had a lot of fun and a ton of good discussion. PrairieSeen did a great job of organising the walk and we hope to do it again sometime in the future.

Artist Info: 'Immense Mode' was completed in 2009 in the SouthGate Transit Centre as part of the Percent for Art initiative. The work is a collaboration by the artist pair Dawn Detrando and Brian McArthur from Red Deer. The partners own and run Voyager Art and Tile, a ceramics and sculpture studio in Red Deer where they create their own pieces for sale.
Dawn hails from Massachusetts where she attended the Massachusetts College of Art and Ohio State University. She mentions that she is interested in the concept of travel and migration, particularly within the prairies. This concept often comes across in her artwork.
Brian is originally from Red Deer and went to school at the University of Regina and Ohio State University where he met up with Dawn. His main artistic focus is in Canadian folklore and history. The two founded Voyager Art and Tile in 1999 and have made a successful business out of selling their art tiles for private display or obtaining public art commissions for works around the country. Both artists are interested in the whimsical and humorous in their artworks.
'Immense Mode' is a 2 storey high sculpture made of bricks and glass. The bricks came to them wet and they were able to carve and shape the bricks themselves to create this sculpture. In an open letter about the artwork Brian mentioned that they received a lot of help on the project. The steel frames, concrete and installation labour were all donated by various construction companies within the city.
In his letter Brian mentions that the intention around the piece is to liven up the transit centre. The artists wanted the work to be a communal space where people felt comfortable standing next to or sitting on the artwork. Brian wrote that if the work brightened someone's day they had been successful.


My Thoughts: I always thought Immense Mode looked a little silly so I was happy to read Brian's goal of making people smile or laugh through the artwork. The piece always reminded me of Jack and the Beanstock or the legs of the Wicked Witch of the East when she has the house fall on her in the Wizard of Oz.
I think the placement of the work at Southgate mall is appropriate because of the connections one can easily make to shoes and shopping. Furthermore, I was interested to find out about Dawn's passion for travel and migration in her artwork. I think the obvious link between feet and migration as well as the artwork's home in a transit terminal make a nice connection between her artistic focus and 'Immense Mode'.

PS: Sorry about the terrible photo quality for this image! I only had my cell phone on me this time.

PrairieSeen x YEGallery Public Art Walk

Happy Friday everyone!

For those of you who may have missed the Facebook posting, YEGallery has teamed up with PrairieSeen to host a public art walk. I will be leading the walk through the downtown core and stopping at a number of public works, most of which have been featured already on this blog. This is a great opportunity to get out and see some of these works in real life. You'll also get the chance meet some fellow art enthusiasts! We'll be meeting at 6pm in front of Isla Burns' 'Caraval' (At the Northern side of City Hall) 

Here is a link on the PrairieSeen with any extra details. Hope to see you all there!

http://prairieseen.tumblr.com/post/61800647016/prairieseen-x-yegallery-public-art-walk 

Lionel Thomas, 'Migrants'

Artist Info: Lionel Thomas was a British Columbia-based artist who was best known for his public art sculptures and murals. Thomas was present in the Canadian art field for the better part of the 20th Century, graduating from the John Russell School of Fine Arts and the Ontario College of Art and Design in the 1930s and moving to Vancouver by 1940 to teach at the Vancouver School of Art. He had a number of group and solo exhibitions over his career and worked as an artist well into the 1970s. He died in BC in 2005 at the age of 90.

'Migrants' was created by Thomas in 1957 for the previous Edmonton City Hall. The bronze sculpture work was originally part of a fountain that sat outside the building and shot a stream of water into the air. The work was inspired by Thomas' visits to Stanley Park in Vancouver where he would spend time watching the geese. The sculpture consists of 9 geese - 5 sitting and 4 flying - and is supposed to represent progress. Apparently, the sculpture was not well liked when it was revealed. Many Edmontonians did not see the representation of the Canada Goose and instead began calling the work the 'spaghetti tree'. Over the years the public warmed to the fountain and demanded that it be incorporated into the current city hall building constructed in the 90s. While the piece is no longer a fountain, the geese sit as a sculpture on a bed of rock on the West side of the building.


My Thoughts: I have been wanting to discuss this sculpture for a while because I had been asked about it a number of times. Upon telling a few older Edmontonians about YEGallery I was asked if I have written about the spaghetti tree. It took be a little while to figure out exactly what they were talking about because I have never seen anything other than geese in the sculpture. I thought it was interesting how the name 'spaghetti tree' was originally a term of confusion but has now become the affectionate nickname for this sculpture.

While I haven't been living in Edmonton for long enough to know what the original fountain looked like, I like the way the sculpture is situated in the glass alcove of the current city hall. I think the angles of the window panes work well to contrast the curves of the geese as they take flight.

I have included a link at the bottom of what it originally looked like as a fountain. (You might be interested in knowing that the only search term that brought up what I was looking for was 'Spaghetti Tree')

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5EN4Ptd2a4bEQdAT5qQStQXkh0pCAnjaM8-Xq6CIVzkmhyphenhyphenZ2sYClPJx4fUmvxr-GT6aJc3d0YoBC5Rl0rE-emj-f0drbFSYCNjMjM4n51ujvjaeCAzTs593EQsLvtiZpkFzBSGKhrk-Z/s1600/003.jpg

Lynn Malin and Elizabeth Bowering Beauchamp, 'Recycles'

Artist Background:'Recycles' is a work created in 2001 by artists Lynn Malin and Elizabeth Bowering Beauchamp. The piece is situated in Beaver Hills House Park at Jasper Ave and 105 St and was commissioned as part of The Places initiative through The Works.

Lynn Malin has been working as an artist in Alberta for over 30 years. She has obtained a number of arts-related degrees including schooling at the Banff School of Fine Art and the University of Alberta. Her usual medium is paint – creating site-specific landscape works and focusing on nature. She often hikes or skis into remote locations to create inspiration for her upcoming works.

Elizabeth Bowering Beauchamp is currently an art history professor at Grant MacEwan University. While there is minimal information on her as an artist, she has been working in the Edmonton arts community since the 80s when she was an arts writer for the Edmonton Journal. Malin and Beauchamp often work together creating artworks that focus on nature, topography and human effect on the Albertan environment.

‘Recycles’ consists of bicycle-like structures below moving whirligigs that can apparently be activated by pedaling the bikes. The sculptures are created from a mix of new and reused metal objects. In a statement on The Works website the artists state that the hoped ‘Recycles’ would be an “interactive, kinetic sculpture celebrating a lively and festive downtown.”

My Thoughts: I am interested in the idea of recycling and wish there was more information about the intent of the piece and its comment on reused objects. I am not surprised that the work has to do with recycling as so many of the pieces by Malin and Beauchamp deal with nature and the environment. I wonder why they chose such a colourful and lively work to discuss the idea of environmental awareness. While I could easily pick up on the concept of a lively and bustling downtown, I would not have guessed the piece had an emphasis on the idea of reuse had I not already been familiar with the name. I wonder if this was not the primary purpose of the piece and the main comment the artists wanted to make was simply about the energy of the city.

Furthermore, I am absolutely blown away that these sculptures move. I pass this park every day on my way to work and I have never seen anyone pedaling the bikes or moving the whirligigs. In my own interaction with this work, it never occurred to me to try and sit on the bike and pedal. I assumed I would look silly – something I definitely wouldn’t want in such a busy park. I might try now that I know the sculptures are supposed to be interactive!

Have you ever tried to pedal the Recycle bikes?

Ball Nogues Studio, 'Talus Dome'

Artist Background: Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues explore the nexus of art, architecture, and industrial design. Their work has been exhibited at major institutions throughout the world; they have also received numerous honors. Recently, their work became part of the permanent collection of MoMA, and has appeared in a variety of publications worldwide. The partners have taught in the graduate architecture programs at multiple schools.

Composed of nearly 1,000 hand crafted stainless steel spheres that together assume the shape of an abstracted pile or mound, 'Talus Dome' reflects the sky, the weather and the river of cars that pass by it. 'Talus Dome' is both a sculpture in the landscape and a mirror to the landscape. Before the Quesnell bridge was constructed, talus forms of earth occurred naturally along the river valley. The artwork is reminiscent of the landscape that has been altered by the bridge, a rigid, controlled construction that meets our need to traverse the obstacle of the river. It references the coexistence of the man-made and the natural. At the same time, the surface of 'Talus Dome' will take on different colors with the changing seasons and hours of the day. Its visual quality is not static, and therefore creates a balance between its permanence, and its changeable appearance that suggests the mutability of nature.

My Thoughts: Currently the most contentious piece of public art in Edmonton, I, for one, am a big fan of 'Talus Dome'. The best place to see this work is not from the road, where most people have interacted with it, but from the the stairs leading up to the bike trail crossing the Quesnell/ down to Fort Edmonton Park - and the best way to see it is on foot (or just not in a vehicle). I took this posting opportunity to get up close to the work, which from below takes on an entirely different air. From the road you only see the tip of the 'iceberg,' per se. The work appears poised on the edge of the hill - rather than appearing heavy and static, much like you might expect a large amount of stainless steel balls to look, the work appears light, airy, and dynamic. From up close, you can also see the reflection of the landscape in the mirrored surface of the work, which really connects the piece to both the manmade intervention in the landscape through its use of industrial materials, as well as the natural parkland of the river valley through its reflection of it.

Bio courtesy of the City of Edmonton Public Art Collection website

Guest blogger!!

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to announce that we have found a guest blogger for the YEGallery posting! Tori McNish will be writing about a new work of art next week. You are all in good hands as Tori is already an arts  professional and one of the co-bloggers for Edmonton's Prairie Seen. (Check it out! The link is on the right of this page). Please give Tori as warm a welcome as you have given me!

I can't wait to see her posting!

Brendan McGillicuddy, 'Overflow'

Artist Background: Brendan McGillicuddy is an Alberta-born artist who has artist experience both in Canada and the United States. He received his BFA at ACAD but chose to go abroad for his Masters program, which he completed at the Parsons New School for Design in New York City. In his artist statement, McGillicuddy mentions that he places a lot of emphasis on the materials and techniques used in creating an artwork and how these tools relate to the location of the piece. He also considers the viewer and often tries to make his works inclusive and participatory. Many of his pieces discuss technology, nature, and the effect they often have on one another.

 ‘Overflow’ was created in 2009 for the Callingwood Recreational Centre. The piece consists of frosted polycarbonate that has been cut into dozens of icicle-like shapes and hangs off of the eves of the rec centre. In the evenings, lights inside the work create a multicoloured, glowing effect. McGillicuddy said he chose the icicle theme to celebrate the cold Edmonton climate. This is not the first time he has created public artworks. Along with his in-gallery pieces, McGillicuddy has created 13 site-specific works in New York City.

My Thoughts: The work reminds me of 'Anthropocene', another McGillicuddy work I saw last year at the Art Gallery of Alberta. In this piece, the artist sculpted white foam into an iceberg-like shape. The work is supposed to be a comment on our changing arctic and the effect humans have had on the melting of the North. On the artist’s website, he mentions that 'Overflow' can, at different times, represent icicles, rain or light breaking through the clouds. I wonder if the changing state of his work might also be a comment on global warming.

I was unfortunately not able to visit the piece while it was lit so I have included a link to the artist’s webpage where he has shown the illuminated work. I love the appearance of the lit icicles and did not want to leave this perspective out!

http://www.brendanmcgillicuddy.com/overflow-2009

I am going to be on vacation so there will NOT be a blog posting from me during the week of August 19^th. If there is anyone who wants to be a guest blogger, please email me at yegallery@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!! 

Tim Antoniuk, Colin Birnie and Adrien Cho, 'From Here'

Artist Background: ‘From Here’ is a 12-part aluminium sculpture hanging from the ceiling in the University LRT station. The work was designed by Tim Antoniuk, Colin Birnie and Adrien Cho, all students of the university’s Art and Design program at the time of its creation. The piece was a commission from the City of Edmonton through The Works Society Art and Design in Public Places Program that sent out a call to Art and Design students at the U of A for a public work to hang in the University station. I have featured a number of works on this blog funded through the Art and Design in Public Places Program, which has been in place since 1998. The program, an offshoot of The Works, was created with the intention to improve and re-energize downtown Edmonton through the commission of publicly and privately funded artworks to be places throughout the city. The mission of The Places is to ‘[raise] the profile and liveability of Downtown and is used as a model for other areas of the City, increasing attractiveness for business, residents, and tourists alike.’ If you are further interested in this initiative I have included the link to The Places website at the bottom of this post.

Of the three artists who created the work, the only individual who seems to have continued in art and design is Tim Antoniuk who currently works as an Associate Professor at the U of A’s department of Design Studies. At the university he focuses on industrial design and social and sustainable design. The other two artists, Colin Birnie and Adrien Cho do not appear to have continued in the art field as there is no current information about them as artists.

My  Thoughts: I have always been fascinated by art in public transit stations because I am interested with the design and placement of pieces in such busy, functional spaces. As a life-long user of public transit I appreciate the effort that goes into making stations more warm and welcoming. Your daily commute is something you often want to bypass but inviting art makes the experience a little more tolerable. This is why I was excited to learn about the initiative The Places has made towards livening up public transit stations.

In regards to the work, I enjoy the relaxing wave of the steel ribbons, which appear to float above the staircase. Unfortunately, I am not sure if I like the placement of the piece within the lower level of the University LRT terminal. The aluminium appears grey and dull in the artificial light of the underground pathway. It is easy for the work to go unnoticed because the colours do not change or alter the space in any way. The work definitely doesn’t help warm up the atmosphere of the harsh LRT tunnel. I think it would have been better if the piece had been situated above ground where the natural light could provide a shine to the metal.  

The Places webpage: http://www.theworks.ab.ca/placesfolder/vision/vision.html  

Isla Burns, 'Caravel'

Artist Background: Isla Burns was born in Calcutta, India and was raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. She moved to Canada in 1970 and studied at the ACAD and the University of Alberta. She connected with steel works early in her career as she took up welding to help pay her bills as she waited for her career to take off as an artist. She moved to Vancouver where she became the first female welder in her shop. The work required her to be very precise and to put great amounts of care into what she was creating. Burns fell in love with steel as a medium and decided to focus her artistic career on creating welded steel sculptures. She eventually moved back to Edmonton where she continues to live and work creating these welded pieces.

Caraval is an earlier work of Burns’ and appears much more simplistic than her later pieces. It was commissioned in 1991 as one of the first Percent for Art projects and its acquisition occurred at the same time as the opening of the new City Hall building. It has had to be restored over the years as water and dirt have damaged the surface of the piece. I believe the city now has a regular maintenance schedule where the work is cleaned to prevent any further erosion.  

My Thoughts: I love the delicacy of Burns’ current works so I do find this piece is missing some of the magic that I have come to recognize from her sculptures. That being said, I like the simplicity and shine of the stainless steel, especially in comparison to many of the darker, patina works around the city. The placement of the work is a little strange and I visited Churchill Square numerous times before realising there was an artwork hidden behind City Hall.

What do you think? Am I the only person who didn’t notice this artwork?

Ian Mulder, Untitled

Artist Background: Ian Mulder was born in Ottawa in 1978 and has studied art, design and architecture at a number of universities including the University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, the Middle Eastern Technical University and the University of Toronto. He currently operates Mulder Design Studios in Toronto where he focuses on public art and design projects. Mulder uses the experiences he has gained abroad to influence his philosophy about living spaces and urban architecture. He believes buildings in Edmonton area created on a ‘need basis’ with little thought to the community or architectural design. Having lived in Australia and Europe, Mulder feels Edmontonians live separated from their communities and only come outside of their social circle during Festival time. He hopes community art projects will enhance this feeling of togetherness within Edmonton.

The Varscona Theatre is one of Edmonton’s major live theatres and the central hub for the city’s Fringe Festival. The structure used by Mulder for his mural is a 60 foot tower that was historically used for drying firehoses. The mural began in 2004 and was finished in 2009. During the daytime people can see the multicoloured painted boxes adorning the tower and at night Mulder has installed an LED light curtain to provide a completely different artwork while in the dark.

My Thoughts: I strongly agree with Mulder that Edmonton doesn’t have a good community vibe outside of Festival season. Other than on Whyte Ave, many of the neighbourhoods within the city just feel like spaces people occupy while trying to get to their destination, instead of communities with their own unique experiences to offer. While I am not particularly drawn to the mod-style colour blocking of the mural, I think it matches the mid-20^th Century feel of Whyte Ave very well. I have yet to see the LED lights but I will have to go and check it out when it is dark. (Darkness? What is that? I love these long summer days!!)

Have you seen the LED light design? What do you think of this mural or Mulder’s philosophy about Edmonton? Post your comments below or on the facebook page! This Mural is on 83 Ave between Calgary Trail and Gateway Blvd. 

Catherine Burgess, 'Return'

Artist Background: Catherine Burgess was born in Ponoka, Alberta in 1953 and obtained her BFA from the University of Alberta where she worked closely with Peter Hide, a modernist sculpture veteran. For the past 30 years her primary focus as an artist has been working with steel and mixed media sculptures. She currently lives and maintains a studio in Edmonton and has been a part of over 25 solo shows and over 60 group shows during her career. She isn’t a stranger to public art and has created 4 public works, 2 of which are in Edmonton, including ‘Return’.

This commission was added to Jasper Avenue in 2001 and falls in-line with Burgess’ sculptural themes of geometric, simplified shapes. The work is 20 feet tall and the 390 aluminum rings are individually cast and arranged into the three twisted columns.

My thoughts: The dark, twisted metal reminds me of old, industrial machinery so I find it compliments rather than clashes with the historic façade of the Union Bank Inn. The symmetry of the piece gives the work a quiet and stoic feeling – something that is often present in Burgess’ sculpture. I think this works well with the busy and ever-changing Jasper Ave.

Let me know what you think of this work! It stands by the Telus building at Jasper Avenue and 101 Street, right by the Central LRT station.

Cezary and Danielle Gajewski, 'Continuum'

Artist Background: Cezary Gajewski is currently an Art and Design Professor and an Industrial Design Associate Professor at the University of Alberta. He holds a MFA in sculpture and MDes in Industrial Design both from the U of A. His primary interest is in using Computer Aided Design programs combined with human creativity to design spaces and create art. His CV outlines past experiences in designing private spaces such as rooms and apartments as well as way-finding kiosks for use in more public venues.

Danielle Gajewski has a history as a Collections Assistant with the U of A Art Collection. She also holds an industrial and interior design background and sometimes works together with Cezary on design projects.

As you can see, ‘Continuum’ consists of two large balls of maple leaves suspended in the Century Park LRT station. The leaves do not completely enclose the circle but allow light to pass through them from the large windows in the station. The blue and red works hang separately on either side of the train tracks. The work was introduced in 2009 through the city’s Percent for Art acquisition program, an initiative of the City of Edmonton where 1% of funding from qualifying construction projects are directed towards the purchase of civic art to be displayed on an accessible municipal property. 

My Thoughts: I enjoy the different angles one can view these works within the transit station. From the top of the stairs they appear to be right at eye level, forcing the viewer to take notice. As you make your way down and are standing at ground-level, the works float above your head, providing an interesting angle to view the art. The details and symmetry in the work make me assume the artists used some sort of computer design program to create the template for the leaf sculpture.

 I am not surprised that Cezary Gajewski has a history of making public spaces more comfortable and useful to the everyday passerby. The creation of this artwork to warm up a industrial-looking transit station seems in line with his current interest and focus in his art and design practice. 

Check out the work at the Century Park LRT station and tell me what you think!

Clay Ellis, 'Lodge'

Artist background: Clay Ellis works in the Edmonton area as both an artist and a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta. He was born in Medicine Hat and studied at both Medicine Hat College and the Banff School of Fine Arts. Much of his early sculptural works were in ceramics and concrete but he has been creating pieces in steel since the 1980s. While the early steel works have a limited colour and texture, Ellis has begun playing with light, colour range and surface texture in his more recent pieces. Much of this can be seen in ‘Lodge’.

The work ‘Lodge’ was installed in Churchill Square in 2005 and commissioned for the city’s 100^th anniversary. It stands at the South-West corner of the Square and is easily visible to individuals entering the Square from the library or mall walkways. The work consists of a tall tent-like sculpture made of stainless steel and a polyurethane painted post standing beside the steel structure.

My thoughts: The title implies somewhere people can gather, visit and feel welcome - an appropriate connection to Churchill Square as a central meeting place in the city. I like the shine of this work because it stands out from the other patina steel sculptures dotting the city. While I walked by the work many times without noticing the painted pole, on closer inspection I enjoyed the subtle inclusion of colour to stand out against the abundant dark and monochromatic sculptures in the city.

Let me know what you think about this work! If you haven’t seen it before but would like to, hop on any bus that stops at City Centre Mall or get off at the Churchill Square LRT station.