Big canoe will hang over Bastion Square

[amor de cosmos]

Giant canoe will hang over Bastion Square
City chooses Commerce Canoe by Illarion Gallant from 21 entries in art competition

Carolyn Heiman, Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, March 01, 2008

First pop-up toilets and now a canoe sculpture will rise up in Bastion Square.

After a seven-month selection process, a new public art piece -- a nine-metre-long aluminum canoe hanging among 11-metre-high steel green reeds capped with red fibreglass seedpods -- will be installed in the downtown square by September.

The Commerce Canoe by artist Illarion Gallant was chosen by a city of Victoria selection committee from 21 artists who answered a call for submissions.

Gallant has the greatest number of art commissions displayed in public areas throughout the region including the Bouquet of Memories sculpture commissioned by the Victoria International Airport, Bowker Accord at Fort Street and Foul Bay Road and the recycled manhole covers on Douglas Street.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimesc...547bc2&k=25764

[G-Man]

I saw the pic and love it! THough really I like all public art even the clam rock house thing.

[aastra]

So we'll be losing another piece of sky then?

(warning: this post may contain sarcastic and/or ironic sentiment)

[Ms. B. Havin]

^ Does G-Man's comment also "contain sarcastic and/or ironic sentiment"? I sure hope so....

[amor de cosmos]

I saw the sculptor's flowers at the airport a couple days ago & they looked really cool. I like the look of this thing, unlike my first impression of that Pavilion Rock & Shell in front of the arena, which needed some explanation. I don't think it even needs the canoe; it would even look ok without it.

[gumgum]

I think it might look cheap and stupid.

[amor de cosmos]

hmmm... I guess it might look like it's missing something or that it's unfinished...

[G-Man]

Going by his other projects around the city I am sure it will look good. At least I enjoy all of them so far.

[gumgum]

You like the chop stick in the melon slice in front of the Grand Pacific? Looks silly and out of place to me.
Why does Victoria have to use the same artists for street art over and over again. That's boring and repetitive at the best of times; but when so many people think their work sucks, and the city still chooses to commission them, it boggles my mind.

[G-Man]

^ I do like all the art in front of the Grand Pacific. I think the fact that you think it looks "out of place" is part of the purpose of art. I would hardly like all the art to be so "in place" that you don't notice it.