Art installation unveiled at Heartland Forest
The wooden sculpture strikes a formidable pose along a pathway at Heartland Forest.
The sculpture stands 4.2 metres tall and consists of a group of pillars supporting beams, all created from discarded ash tree logs from trees destroyed by the emerald ash borer.
“It came from nature and it’s back in nature,” said local artist Adam Buller, of Brainkite Artistic Solutions, who created the piece titled The Interference and
Reconciliation of Man with Katie Webb and Wayne Corliss.
“The theme is that of man’s interference with the world around him and how he then rationalizes these mistakes and the resulting changes that have occurred … whether those changes be good or bad,” Buller said.
The work is based on a concept by William German, a furniture maker and a member of the faculty at Willowbank School of Restoration Arts.
Brainkite wanted to use materials that were “inexpensive, recycled and plentiful.”
“My technician had planned to go to the far reaches of Ontario to find certain different types of logs for this project but I stumbled across Vanderweydens Greenhouse in Niagara Falls and was happy to recycle their product,” Buller said.
Work began on the project last September. It was officially unveiled June 19 and is already a hit with visitors.
“The general consensus is people think it’s really lovely,” Buller said.
The Ontario Power Generation Winter Festival of Lights commissioned Buller to create the art installation for the project which was made possible with a grant from the Niagara Investment in Culture program through Niagara Region.
“Investing in arts and culture encourages citizens to be creative, innovative and imaginative,” said Tina Myers, executive director of the annual festival.
“Adam’s art is inspired by utilitarianism. He was motivated by his environment and used this inspiration as a springboard to develop a truly unique piece of art.”
The NIC program promotes culture through a range of innovative and collaborative projects.