Homeowner Newsletter No. 1 for 7430-7488 Granville is out and one of the articles inside covers 5 public artworks in Marpole. Which of the below have you already discovered?
1.Simon Fraser
A bronze sculpture (based on Augustus Rodin’s famous “The Thinker” statue commemorates the earliest British colonial explorers mere metres from the swift-flowing river that bears his name. Created by internationally acclaimed Vancouver artist Ken Lum in 2015, this thought-provoking statue is located in the Marine Drive/Canada Line transit stop at Marine Gateway. Lum’s artist statement says: “I wanted a work of art that asks the viewer to reflect on the changes that have taken place in the Vancouver area since the days of Simon Fraser.” Viewers are asked to subject themselves into the position of Simon Fraser by thinking what he may be thinking about, by pondering the question of what he would think of the present that has been constructed. There are no answers as the aim is to think and reflect on the identity of the Vancouver region.
2. & 3. Tools of the Fraser + Fraser River Stories
The Canada Line Skytrain is as important to 21st century Vancouver as the Fraser River was to the 19th century. The entrance to the Marine Gateway station pays homage to the river’s past with two creative works of art celebrating our shared heritage with the First Nations. Tools of the Fraser “examines the evolution of industry along the Fraser River,” while Fraser River Stores is a “written timeline of the Fraser River structured poetically and organized by the river’s geography.” Both works were created by Geoffrey Farmer, one of Canada’s foremost artists in utilizing history as a tool of engagement within a public space.
4. The Golden Tree
It’s impossible to miss Douglas Coupland’s newest public art piece, The Golden Tree. Located at the intersection of Marine and Cambie, the Golden Tree is an exact replica and mirror image of the Hollow Tree in Stanley Park. The background is a 25×40 ft. image depicting the lush Stanley Park forest, an element that provides visual context for the piece.
5. Garland
Located at the northwest entrance of Oak Park (59th & Oak), this five metre high steel archway is, in the words of artist Douglas Senft, “intended as a lyrical work creating a memorable image of arrival, passage and place. The imagery for this gateway sculpture is derived from two sources. First is the image of the oak leaf, in reference to Oak Park. The image or form of the arch reflects the arc lines and shapes of the concrete forms that are part of the walkway itself.” The archway is made of six-inch rolled steel pipe adorned with cut and forged steel leaves.