#clayellis

Sunny skies, shady trees, swooping dragonflies, and intriguing art have lured families and friends to Borden Park over the past month. A cluster of five works creates an oasis of calm by the formal fountains located adjacent to the Borden Park band shell. A further six works are nestled in the trees along the path meandering through the park.

Borden Park has a long history in Edmonton as a gathering place. Over the past century it has contained a zoo, an amusement park, and public swimming pools. The inclusion of art is the latest chapter and creates an exciting vibe – Borden Park seems to be a new favourite hangout with visitors taking selfies with the works, creating Vines and picnicking by their favourite sculpture.

What are these works, and where did they come from?

In addition to two permanent installations Willow and (soon-to be installed) Gigi, the remaining  sculptures are part of a new public program – the Borden ArtPark. The “ArtPark” is a transitory, or temporary, program that encourages casual encounters with art in a public setting.

Senior local artists – artists with an established career, and a large body of work – were shortlisted by a selection committee and invited to participate in this sculpture loan program. The committee considered artists with an inventory of completed works suitable for outdoor display.

Each selected artist is an educator and innovator within the Edmonton community in addition to having an international career. The sculptures will be on display throughout Borden Park until June 2016. Each will return to the artist, making way for a new exhibition of works by a new group of sculptors.

Walking through the park and experiencing the work of these sculptors is like walking through a timeline of Edmonton art history.  The four artists featured throughout the park are linked by close connections to some of the most influential modernist sculptors of the 20th century and have, as educators, shaped several generations of Edmonton’s visual artists. However, each imparts a distinct personal style to the modern abstract sculpture genre.

British-born Peter Hide is has distinguished himself as one of the world’s foremost practitioners of modern welded steel sculpture. He works in the “assembled sculpture” tradition of Pablo Picasso and his mentor Sir Anthony Caro.  Following studies at the St. Martin School of Art and numerous exhibitions in London, he accepted a position at the University of Alberta and moved to Edmonton in 1977. As head of the U of A sculpture program, he has been influential the training and development of many Edmonton artists, and his influence can be seen in many of the abstract sculptures around Edmonton. His sculptures are included in numerous collections, including London’s Tate Gallery.

Form and Content (1988)

Mariposa

Gaekwar of Baroda

Royden Mills studied at the University of Alberta under Peter Hide and enjoyed an in-depth assistantship with Sir Anthony Caro. Initially trained as an architect, Mills is deeply influenced by his studies in Eastern and Buddhist philosophy and a three-year stint in Japan. His large, monolithic but peaceful artworks are featured in sculpture parks throughout North America including Franconia Sculpture Park (Shafer, MN), Windsor, ON, and the Grounds for Sculpture – south of New York City. He is especially interested in exploring the relationship between artist and “audience”.

Hope

Blair Introspection

Pregnant Silence 

Like his colleagues Royden Mills and Peter Hide, Edmonton’s Ken Macklin also works in the “assembled sculpture” tradition and studied with Caro. His works are included in several international collections. Macklin strives to evoke timeless emotions and perspectives derived from his “lived experience.” He is inspired by the Alberta landscape, its expanses of forest, vibrant colours, and the unique character of each season. This combination of perspectives results in art that is personal, but has universal appeal. He employs colour and flowing forms juxtaposed with rigid structural elements to create works that are playful and accessible.

Hopping John

Clown Around

Ace of Wands

The smoothness and graceful curves of Clay Ellis’s sculpture can be traced to his early art practice in ceramics and clay. His work encompasses monolith sculpture to colourful mixed media works. He has exhibited and conducted symposiums throughout North America and beyond, and his works can be found in collections that include the Canada Council Art Bank, the National Gallery of Botswana and many private collections.

Wither & Tome