Recently we had a new outdoor art installation in Sir Sandford Fleming Park. When I was told about the project I was really excited as I love to have public art in our well used historic park and I love trees. Many years ago I brought the concept of having an Urban Forest Master Plan to Council which is now being implemented in HRM. This 103 acre park has beautiful walkways where residents can take in this wonderful forest.
The artist has an opening in the park and I had the pleasure of meeting her, Frankie Macaulay. She is a professional photographer who recently graduated from NSCAD University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Major in Photography. Frankie’s art project is an outdoor multi-site installation entitled Tree Versus. There are eight photographs affixed externally to old growth trees in the park. The photographs will be there for about one year and they are mounted in a manner that does not affect tree health.
At the open house, Frankie took participants around to see some of the photographs and describe the rationale behind the theme. She described how she spent time wandering the forest to ensure that the trees chosen for the installation were mature heritage type trees. Frankie also described the paradox of her photographs. For example one photograph is of an old growth tree with a medal stop sign affixed to it.
How do residents get to the photographs? There are many access points to Sir Sandford Fleming Park, including off Purcell’s Cove Road in front of the Frog Pond portion of the park and the path entrance on the Dingle Road. The easiest access to the art is behind the Adventure Earth Centre (old stone former church), which is located in the park at the base of Parkhill Road. Travel down the Dingle Road to the main parking lot/washroom look to your right up the hill and this is where the centre is located. Behind the centre is a trail that leads you to the photographs. There are some plastic coloured ties affixed to trees near the next piece to guide you along the way.
The photographs are along the trail, but hidden from the main path. It is designed to be akin to a scavenger hunt to find all the photos. According to Frankie they consist of “black and white aluminum photographs that portray urban trees intersecting with human-made objects. In contrast to the freely growing park trees, these photographs act as metaphors to illustrate how nature endures, adapts, reacts and falls to human-made impositions; from fences to full scale urban development.”
For more information please visit www.frankiemacaulay.ca where there is a map and GPS coordinates to the photographs. Frankie is an excellent photographer and this would be a great way to enjoy a spring walk and take in her art work. You won’t be disappointed!