(L) Katie Ohe, “Three Tree,” steel, detail, part of “Sculpture Prayer” series (photo courtesy of Herringer Kiss Gallery)
(R) Artist Ron Moppett in front of his sculpture, “BIRDHAT/STARTREE,” stainless steel, 15-colour polychrome (photo courtesy of TrepanierBaer Gallery)
Two major new public artworks — one by Ron Moppett and one by Katie Ohe — have been unveiled in downtown Calgary.
Katie Ohe’s Three Tree is an 11-foot (3.4 metre) kinetic steel sculpture from Ohe’s Sculpture Prayer series. Viewers are invited to gently push the work, which then rocks back and forth.
Moppett’s BIRDHAT/STARTREE is a 15-colour polychrome and stainless steel sculpture that stands 11.5 feet (3.5 metres) high. Fabricated by Reggin Industries, it represents a typical city boulevard tree, with star, bird, hat and leaf symbols.
“The hat signals a person; the moon or sun suggest a different time of day. A bird passes by …not an actual reference but signals to conjure one’s imagination. Some more abstract-coloured shapes moving horizontally as weather. A place rather than an illustration. A dream rather than an event. To some the top hat might reference last century’s Parisien flâneur, but it could have been left by last winter’s snowman or even Mickey Mouse,” Moppett said about the new work.
Both artworks are located at Two Park Central, 1111 Fourth Street S.W. They can be seen alongside public art by Blake Senini, Brad Harms and Alexander Caldwell (who fabricated the Ohe work.)
Ohe is represented by Herringer Kiss Gallery; Moppett is represented by TrepanierBaer Gallery.
Source: Herringer Kiss Gallery, TrepanierBaer Gallery
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