Friends
Everything has a beginning. This maple and ultimately this
concept had its beginning perhaps 300 years ago. A massive sugar maple stood at
the entrance of my neighbour’s sugar bush. This ancient greeted four generations
of Colman’s in silence for more than 100 years until a loud violent summer storm
twisted her down in 2008. Age adds much grace, beauty, texture and wisdom to
wood. Ironically as a woodworker I mourn the falling of these “Ents”. When I
found her she was resting on the forest floor beginning the next stage –her
journey home. I had no choice it seemed not to rescue but to borrow her for a
while.
When I look at this particular part of Her I see a bench. I see
her sitting in a place of comings and goings where the odd soul will stop, sit,
rest and contemplate her purgatory. Her bench I hope will connect you to a
greater whole, converse grace and beauty, and impact some unexpected wisdom. Her
ancient texture will challenge my technical and creative limits. I am hoping she
will be both dramatic, radical, and not at the same time.
This is my interpretation of Her, an ancient bench to sit in a
busy place for an observant soul to stop and rest and listen.
Come visit Her at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto this Saturday night for
the Nuit Blanche festival.
Nuit Blanche (all-nighter, literally white night in french) is an annual
all-night arts festival in Toronto.
http://www.gladstonehotel.com/category/nuit-blanche/
cheers
wayne
