PROJECT 2007
KIWI SCULPTURE GARDEN PROJECT
June, July, August, 2007
Opening Reception: Sunday July 1st, 12 - 5 pm
2007 marks the sixth anniversary of the Kiwi Sculpture Garden Project. As with many projects, the concept was initiated in an informal setting and discussion in 2000. That discussion occurred close to the area of the installations in Kiwi Gardens.
Kiwi Gardens is imbedded in the heart of the Canadian shield. A working business, marketing perennial foliage and landscaping, it also contains acres of cultivated and undisturbed areas, wood lots, copses, and streams.
Each summer, the Edward Day Gallery in Toronto - with curator Mary Sue Rankin - generously brings the work of a selection of contemporary Canadian sculptors to Kiwi Gardens. The owner of Kiwi Gardens, Paul Loiselle, makes exemplary and generous efforts to accommodate each artist’s specific needs. This has included moving rocks, trees, employing a backhoe to deepen streams and constructing a small hill. Ultimately, he then plants suitable vegetation around each sculpture.
The works are then documented throughout the summer, recording the changes in the physical environment. Throughout the six years, the project has involved many artists of note, both established and emerging.
The nine selected artists of 2007 include:
Tom Dean
Pile of Pigs, 2006
bronze
36" x 36" x 10"
Shayne Dark
Angel, 2006
ironwood, pigment
approx. 10ft high, 6ft wide
Mark Thompson
Untitled, 2007
glass, lead
approx. 52" tall
Wojtek Biczysko
Untitled, 2007
stainless steel
approx. 10ft high, 6ft wide
Francis Muscat
Untitled, 2007
glass
approx. 40" across
David Pickering
Implant, 2005
cast lead
30" x 18" x 18"
The heart is a universal symbol which evokes and speaks of a myriad of emotional connotations and diverse references. In biological terms it is a recycling pump similar to plants which also have a recycling function.
The heart is therefore a fascinating object with layers of meaning. I have “implanted” the lead heart in this natural setting to suggest a harmony between itself as a sculpture and the natural environment
Helena Ogorzelec
Untitled, 2007
steel wire
approx. 15ft high
Orest Tataryn
Mother Nature, 2007
80"L X 22"W X 18"H
rescue basket, mirror, neon, blown glass,
metal rod and wire, electronics
Mainstream global consciousness is primarily focussed on the anxiety of a deteriorating environmental collapse and war. Both of these conditions seem to be based on the arrogance of human activity that somehow places itself above nature. This is suicide. We are merely a part of nature.
When one enters this garden from the parking lot they come across a subway rescue/suicide basket painted a very rich green (the colour of life) suspended from a branch of a magnificent pine tree. This is humanity. Cradled within the basket is a high tech, two way mirrored, infinite light effect neon box that represents the relationship between humanity and nature. As you look beyond into the garden you see the words “MOTHER NURTURE” stencil cut into the box, which describes the flourishing stewardship of the garden. When you look at the piece from the garden back into the parking lot the words “MURDER NATURE” are noticed and pondered.
My intent is to allow a consideration towards a change in human consciousness that permits a somewhat noble recognition and subservience to the source from which we all emanate.
The 2007 Kiwi Sculpture Garden artists offer a range of material including bronze, steel, concrete, found objects, photo and textile based pieces, and land art. The Kiwi Sculpture Project is a testament to the willingness of artists to place their work in an alternative setting, and a testament to the proprietor who enthusiastically assists in that process.
The Sculpture Project runs from June to August, 2007
For more information, contact Mary Sue Rankin or Mr. Kelly McCray
at 416 921-6540 or eddaygal.toronto@sympatico.ca
The Kiwi Gardens are located at
687 Harper Road
Perth ON K7H 3C9
613 267-7384