Five new sculptures are set to be installed in downtown Nelson, replacing the ones that were on display over the past year. Once again, the public art will be on loan to the city for 12 months, after which point individuals or businesses can choose to lease or purchase a piece they've enjoyed to keep it here longer. The new sculptures include the following:
Seed
Created by Nelson metal designer and sculptor Nathan Smith of Sunsmith Design Studios, Seed is a simple and elegant steel sculpture. It features a sphere made up of multiple-sized circles mounted on a short, elaborately detailed stem complete with delicate roots. The stem flowers upright from gradually lengthening curved metal rods; on one side the metal rod is a continuum of the shortest piece, arcing gracefully over the sphere and forming the longest length on the other side. The metal lengths are rockered and wave like, representing the opened pod. It is a gorgeous design that is incredibly symmetrical, balanced and clean.
To See and to Say
An aluminum sculpture by Coquitlam's Serge Mozhnevsky, To See and to Say is a powerful and profound piece of art. It is almost cubist in its form and composition. What seems to be a head profile in curving, slashing lines is heightened by open space. The upper opening is penetrated by a rod with a sphere attached at the back while the space below features staggered half globes in two distinct sizes, the larger halves squeezing the smaller two flush. Is the lower space a mouth? Are the globes a microphone or are they words? Is the triangle hinting at a nose above fronting the brain receiving input? The viewer is left to interpret and absorb the intent.
To Love is to Be
Portland, Oregon artist Martin Eichinger created the stunning five-foot tall bronze sculpture To Love is to Be. Rising from its granite beginning in a swirl of flourishes, the initial abstraction of this piece merges into the clean, exact anatomy of a young goddess looking and raising her arms heavenward. Clad in gauzy fabric, her wavy hair tied in a full bun behind her head, she stretches her fingers imploringly. This is one of four sculptures in the artist's "Meditation" series.
Rhythm of Being
Regine Neumann of Canton de Hatley, Quebec, is the artist behind the beautifully wrought, complex sculpture called Rhythm of Being, which is composed in winterstone, a modern material that is similar to cement. With water added, it lends itself to sculpting and Neumann’s piece displays the versatility and flexibility of the material. She makes good use of open spaces in her undulating, fluid work, all curving lines connecting together seamlessly. The finished result looks and ages like sandstone but is stronger and more durable.
Fir One (1)
The nearly three-and-a-half-foot high Fir One (1) is the work of Kootenay Studio Arts blacksmithing instructor Kevin Kratz, who lives in the Slocan Valley. Fir One (1) is angled to best show off the detailed, overlapping parts that make up the whole. Tapering as expected to a nearly enclosed top, the scales of the cone are interspersed with mature pointed bracts throughout in an irregular but visually pleasing manner, allowing the viewer to marvel at the complexity and intricacy of the work while appreciating the overall beauty of it.
