Dreaming Stones

Work created by Kevin Lockau in 2001.

When the first settlers in Ontario tried to develop farms and agriculture they were struck with the major obstacle of the Canadian Shield. To successfully grow their food they had to remove large amounts of rock from the ground so that the soil would be deep enough. Lockau used these boulders leftover from the first settlers for the piece “Dreaming Stones.” The piece is a 2.75 meter tall totem made of 6 granite boulders from Ontario. At the bottom of the totem is a sleeping wolf or coyote, which shows the preservation of nature. Going up the totem you can see leaves representing regeneration, the faces of the first pioneers, deep grooves of glacial erosion and plowing of the land, concentric circles representing the passing of time, and lastly the owl representing the modern day and the wisdom that comes with it. The piece reflects the struggles of the first settlers as well as the changing relationship between mankind and nature.

The Sculpture Forest offers free guided tours each Tuesday from 10-11:30 am and a shorter “Curator Selection” tour on Wednesday from 12:10 – 12:50. Meet at the kiosk in the Fleming College parking lot.