Maple syrup is one of Canada’s most iconic sweet treats, loved for its unique flavour and natural origin. However,...
Come discover the wonderful sculpture gardens in Canada
Outdoor art is a common practice in Canada to promote local and international artists. In this practice, sculpture gardens are the most appreciated by the general public.
Sculpture Gardens in Canada: Outdoor Art
In the heart of a sculpture garden, you can see, among other things, huge boots made of steel rods and filled with huge stones made by the artist David Moore. You can also admire a set of concrete columns built by Robert Roussil in homage to René Lévesque. Or “Lunch on the Grass”, a playful sculpture created by Dominique Rolland composed of a plate with bread and cheese, a bottle, a cork, a woman's shoe, but no guest.
Over the years, the René-Lévesque park collection has grown more and more. This enrichment took place in particular during a series of symposia organized at the end of the 1980s, as well as international outdoor sculpture fairs at the beginning of the 1990s. A large majority of the sculptures therefore date from this period.
Outdoor sculptures are very diverse with, for example, the use of various materials such as steel, limestone and granite.
Outdoor art in Mount Royal Park
THE sculptures of Mount Royal Park have been there for so many years that it is now difficult to see them. This is due to the fact that these sculptures are rarely highlighted: there is no sign to explain the presence of these monuments on Mount Royal, between Maison Smith and Beaver Lake. Likewise, we deplore the presence of an individual plaque which makes it possible to identify the work or the artist, or even the date of creation. So many things that make these sculptures almost uninteresting to the public today.
Regardless, with some research, we were finally able to identify these sculptures. These are in fact sculptures created in 1964, on the occasion of the first international sculpture symposium in North America. Between June 23 and August 15, 12 sculptors from 10 countries collaborated to create unique works before the amazed eyes of the public. A practice very representative of this era. Among the works created during this symposium, some have been very well preserved. This is for example the case of the unnamed work of the Indian sculptor Krishna Reddy, which is still deliciously erotic. The same goes for “The Cardinal Sisters” by the Greek artist Yérassimos Sklavos, which is still as elegant and moving as when it was created. Or even “La force” by Quebec sculptor Armant Vaillancourt, which remains just as elusive as when it was created. This last abstract work stands out from the rest because it is a cast iron structure painted black, while the other works mainly use limestone or white marble.
Over time, several works in the park have become more integrated into the landscape. This is particularly the case of the work “Le carrousel sauvage” by the French artist Louis Emmanuel Chavignier.
Outdoor art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The sculpture garden of Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal constitutes a rather urban experience of outdoor art, despite the fact that the place is surrounded by the skyscrapers of the city center. It was particularly by drawing inspiration from this contrast that Saskatchewan artist Joe Fafard created, in 2003, “Claudia”, a bronze cow lying on the grass of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Other works of art have also taken place around the museum buildings, including a 1/6 model of Calder's monumental sculpture, on Sherbrooke Street. This model, called “The Man”, is located on Saint-Hélène Island.
Children would be fascinated by “Fanny Fanny”, a gigantic bronze ostrich wearing roller skates. This ostrich was created by Marseille artist César Baldaccini. There are also two other sculptures which represent the elegance of the region quite well: the "Buspar Column", created by the Nova Scotian sculptor Colleen Wolstenholme, and the "Split Column", created by David Nash from a roasted oak.
Outdoor Art in the Twilight Garden
The place that best represents Mile End is the Twilight Garden, a tiny field of sculptures set up by local artist Glen LeMesurier. Originally from Gaspésie, LeMesurier settled in Mile-End around forty years ago. He then began to install, without much haste, his assemblies of recycled metal parts on a vacant lot at the corner of Van Horne Avenue and Saint-Urbain Street.
LeMesurier worked mainly at night, which inspired the name “Garden of Twilight”. The borough therefore ended up regularizing the sculptor's practice and formalized the small LeMesurier park.
Currently, the park has around fifty sculptures mixing creativity and humor. The garden is filled with a wide selection of playful art. Glen LeMesurier originally began installing sculptures on a tiny patch of land at the other end of the Canadian Pacific Railway. There are now more than twenty of them that can be admired by cyclists and hikers.
This area is easily accessible from the Jardin du Crépuscule by taking the cycle path or the sidewalk which leads to the viaduct at rue Saint-Urbain.
Glen LeMesurier continues to provide the neighborhood with playful sculptures. According to him, when he sees a house whose architecture intrigues him, he knocks on the door and offers the occupants the installation of a sculpture on the land. To admire these works, head to the streets of Mile-End.
Outdoor Art in the Great Sculpture Gardens of the West
The most impressive outdoor collection in Montreal is undoubtedly located in Lachine, spread between the local museum, René-Lévesque Park, and the riverfront. Nearly 50 works await visitors there, in a splendid environment. Pedestrians will particularly appreciate the sculptures surrounding the Lachine Museum, as well as the walk on the peninsula of the magnificent René-Lévesque Park.
To discover the collection along the river, between the Museum and the Dorval border, the bike tour is more appropriate, since the dozen works are further away from each other. This includes, among others, the work illustrated in this text and the one below. For those interested, there are many blogs on the Internet where one can find a one-day itinerary that takes in almost the entire collection.
The Sculpture Garden at the Douglas Institute, in Verdun, is the work of Edward Cohen, a former nurse there and passionate about the arts. He convinced many artists to bequeath one or two works in order to create a peaceful garden for the sick, which resulted in around twenty donations. Since 2011, no works have been added. It seems that the Institute needs a new representative. In any case, the Garden is still very pleasant, in addition to being very close to the shore.
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