Martha Varcoe Sturdy is standing amidst the towering, blackened cedar logs that will greet visitors to the VanDusen Botanical Garden until September 30.
Theres a look of love and awe on her face. Her hand reaches out to caress the logs, to marvel anew at their beauty.
This installation part of the new Touch Wood exhibit is not about death. Its about life. Its about the trees that took nourishment from the ground and energy from the sun to grow and thrive on her property near Pemberton. The trees weathered storms and droughts. Their branches were nibbled on by deer and provided protection to birds.
Sturdy could not imagine taking a chainsaw to them. I want to use the wood as it is, to let it talk to me rather than superimpose the new world on it, she says in an interview on the exhibits opening night. Im looking and thinking and playing with wood to make it be what it is. Its important to reflect on what the trees been to you. On my farm, the trees fall down, theyre dead. It takes a long time to rot.
Instead, she burnt the logs to expose their grain and texture so that the trees could tell their story of a life well and fully lived.
At 71, Sturdy is adamant that she too will live life fully, taking everything it gives her and turning it into creative inspiration. She graduated from Emily Carr college as a sculptor but rose to fame as a designer of jewelry and home decor. Four years ago she decided to return to sculpting (and added her maiden name as a sculptor) but didnt think about working with wood until she had a conversation with Brent Comber, who also contributes to the Touch Wood exhibit.
Life is your adventure, she says. I am not, at 71, to go, Oh, I should slow down. Instead, its Oh, another page. Lets go!
The exhibit was curated by Celia Duthie and Nicholas Hunt of the Duthie Gallery on Salt Spring Island (and, formerly, Duthies Bookstores.)
We wanted pieces that would grace a gracious garden and yet have enough oomph to make people notice them, Duthie told WE Vancouver. Well aware that people can have strong opinions on public art, and that the gardens main focus is, well, the gardens, they carefully sought pieces that complemented the space.
People can be really antagonized or irritated or baffled by public art, Duthie says. Even though many artists feel theres an imperative to put things out that are edgy, the artists in this show are more consumed by expressions of beauty. We want people to like the art.
Sturdy agrees. A lot of art is Up you, Im pissed off, Im angry. Slow down and look at this little microcosm of wood. You get a sense of peace and resolve.
Another major concern was making sure the pieces didnt interfere with the gardens maintenance. We were really careful to keep the head gardener happy, Duthie says with a smile.
Participating artists are Michael Dennis, Martha Varcoe Sturdy, Judson Beaumont, Marie Khouri, Richard Tetrault, Brent Comber, Peter Pierobon, Nathan Lee and Trevor Coghill, Steve Paterson, Paul Burke, Alistair Heseltine, Urs-P Twellmann, Janice Woode, Chris Booth and Michael Robb.
Each piece is for sale and Duthie says theres also a hope that a donor or donors would buy pieces to stay at the VanDusen.
For details go to VanDusenGarden.org.
