Sculptures Redefined

Have you walked past the large, compelling sculpture in downtown Haliburton in front of Wind in the Willows Spa? That is “This Side Up #9 “Shall We Dance” by Michael Truelove. At first glance, this sculpture looks like a many-faceted hexagon. This piece piques my curiosity—demanding a closer look. In reality the sculpture is a deconstructed cube, however the artist has manipulated the flat pieces of steel so that the sculpture looks as if it is jumping towards main street.

A black, steel sculpture in the Sculpture Forest, also requiring a deeper look, is “Terminus” by Marianne Reim. It stands mysteriously on a large boulder; set back from the path. Look closely and you can see hands covering a face; while a winged shape covers the head. I get a lot of interesting reactions to this sculpture from people on tours. For my group last week, it brought to mind “The Flying Nun” from the 1970’s sitcom. For me, a more sombre interpretation resonates. This sculpture was acquired in 2002, the beginning of the war in Afghanistan. Pictures of women in burkas were in the news. For some people, the sculpture evoked this image. Look closer still and you see a barbed-wire ring on a finger—does this allude to an unwanted marriage or losing a partner at war? The longer you think about it, the more poignant the story. That is the great part about sculptures, everyone sees them differently. Sometimes you just need to look a little deeper to find your own story.

Please wander down main street of Haliburton and see the Downtown Sculpture exhibition and visit Haliburton Sculpture Forest. The Sculpture Forest offers free tours, Tuesdays 10:00–11:30am and Wednesdays 12:10–12:50pm.

You can see the Sculpture Forest in motion tonight (August 7) as the contemporary dance company, Throwdown Collective, performs with local artists (5:00pm picnic, 6:00-7:30pm show).

www.haliburtonsculptureforest/re-imagined