A new, interactive public sculpture called Corvus has been installed at Rey Sargent Park (2151 Lonsdale Avenue) in the City of North Vancouver.
Created by Vancouver-based artists Cheryl Hamilton and Michael Vandermeer, Corvus features 12 black aluminum ravens in various flight positions, from wings up to wings down. When a disk crank at the base of the piece is turned, the birds swirl around the sculpture’s mirrored crown, giving the illusion of a single raven in flight for viewers standing a short distance away from the sculpture. This three-dimensional animation trick is a play on the Praxinoscope, a Victorian novelty that pre-dated motion picture films.
“Public art makes for a dynamic community where residents have opportunities to connect with one another and their surroundings. Today’s unveiling of Corvus, a new sculpture along Lonsdale Ave., our great high street, demonstrates our commitment to animating the City and celebrating our local identity through arts and culture,” says Linda Buchanan, Mayor of the City of North Vancouver.
The piece was commissioned by Adera as a community amenity during the construction of the Crest development at Lonsdale and East 8th Avenue.
“Adera has been building beautiful, sustainable projects across Metro Vancouver for over 50 years. Over that time, we have had a keen interest in building the community around our projects, and a key part of that effort is delivering incredible public amenities,” says Rocky Sethi, Chief Operating Officer for Adera. “Recently, at our Crest project on Lonsdale, we contributed over $1 million in such amenities, including a world-class public dog park, and public art created by talented local artists. One of the art pieces was created by Mike and Cheryl of ie: Creative, with whom we had worked with on previous projects. The Corvus is over five years in the making, and we are proud to have been able to work with the team at ie: Creative and the City of North Vancouver in delivering this creative and interactive art piece to Ray Sargent Park, and the residents of the City.”
North Vancouver Recreation & Culture (NVRC) Commission manages the public art collections for the City of North Vancouver and District of North Vancouver, and is dedicated to preserving and expanding these celebrated collections.
“Public art enriches our community, bringing gathering spaces to life,” notes Lori Phillips, Public Art Officer for NVRC. “It can be visually stimulating, create conversation, educate and inspire. Corvus does all these things and is a wonderful addition to the City of North Vancouver’s vibrant public art collection.”
Cheryl Hamilton and Michael Vandermeer are ie: Creative Artworks. Based on Granville Island, they specialize in large-scale public sculpture primarily using stainless steel, bronze, and hand-blown glass. In addition to Corvus, they have four other works in North Vancouver – Dendrochron can be found in Edgemont Village, Mirare is located in Princess Park, and Coming Home and Arrival & Reflections are installed in the Marine Drive neighborhood.
“We are excited to see Corvus, which represents our fascination with the ravens that inhabit the North Shore, installed in the City of North Vancouver,” says Cheryl Hamilton. “We had been looking for an opportunity to incorporate animation and a kinetic, interactive element into one of our sculptures and have very much enjoyed watching visitors to Rey Sargent Park delight in spinning the sculpture and activating the animation of a raven in flight in the rotating mirrors.”
Contact
Melissa Mueller – Communications Officer, North Vancouver Recreation & Culture
Desk: 604.983.6304 | Mobile: 236.838.1039 | melissa.mueller@nvrc.ca
About North Vancouver Recreation & Culture (NVRC) Commission
NVRC improves the health and well-being of all North Vancouver individuals, families and communities, and inspires residents through quality recreation and arts opportunities. Learn more: www.nvrc.ca
