The Mind, Body and Soul of the Artwork
A great piece of art has three things, a Mind, a Body and a Soul.
The Mind is the artist’s intent to communicate a message to the viewer.
The Body is the way the artwork changes the environment and interacts with the viewer.
The Soul is the feeling the artwork conveys to the viewer.
The Mind
All my memories of Te Puna are great, especially playing (and winning) rugby at the Te Puna
rugby club, rowing on the Wairoa river, viewing the beautiful sunsets from Quarry Park and
watching an asteroid shower from the top of the Minden. There are so many hidden gems in Te
Puna. The mind of the artwork aims to remind people of these gems and the value of the place
they call home.
The Body
My visit to the hall was inviting, gentle oranges leading me under the cover of the rain, lots of
internal glass making the place feel open, but the foyer felt disconnected. An empty void
between the outside and the action in the hall. The body of the artwork is to fill this void, make it
a destination and guide people into the action of the main hall.
The Soul
A Hall is a place for people from a wide array of backgrounds to come together to feel
connected. It’s a sanctuary for the local community. The soul of the artwork aims to make
people feel invited in from the cold and into the warmth of their community.
Design
The design is an abstraction of my fondest memories of Te Puna.
The artwork starts with a misty light green fog depicting the frosty foggy mornings on the rugby
fields, that morphs into the flowing blue water of the harbour and Wairoa river, which straightens
into yellow and orange rays of sun that meet at a point depicting a shooting star.
In its totality the artwork directs you into the hall. The colour pallet is designed to match the
orange and greens of the hall and the blues of the sky surrounding the hall.
The paths created by the fog, water and sun rays converging into one point creates a metaphor
about the multitude of paths people have taken to get to the hall. The colours warm the closer
they get to the main hall. Once people leave the paths direct outwards, mirroring the physical
and metaphorical journey that people take to and from the hall.
Light
Light will have a huge role to play in the finished piece. A role that is not easily replicated by any
other means.
The main direct natural light source is through the roof of the main hall. The Hall is facing north
so I expect that the artwork will have direct sunlight on it between 8am – 11am depending on the
time of year.
This direct sunlight will create the cascade of light onto the ground that will change as time
passes.
Light refracted through glass can cause hotshots that may lead to a fire. Luckily the natural light
coming into the foyer passes through multiple windows before reaching the artwork. This and
the colouring of the stained glass will nullify the intensity and possibility of hot spots. To make
sure of this I will spend a day with the sculpture after its installation to ensure there are no hot
spots.
As an added touch I am experimenting with creating star shaped reflectors to bounce a star
pattern onto the roof outside the main entrance. These experiments are looking promising.
Memorial
To remember the people who served in the world wars and as a message to the universe that
death and destruction of that scale ends with the sacrifices they made I will paint Tuna (eels)
onto the glass in the water sections of the artwork to represent each of the soldiers on the
granite plaques.
Eels at the end of their life cycle travel long distances out to sea never to return. They lay their
eggs and their offspring come home. The eels in this artwork are a metaphor for the fallen’s
souls, memories and lessons returning home.
Construction
Construction process –
Aluminum Frame – Digital design finalised, CNC cut by PAYNES ALUMINIUM, hand polished,
installed with help from a builder, cleaned.
Stained Glass – Design finalised, Fabrication by Leadlight Expressions, hand painted
embellishments by Sam Allen, installed with help from a builder, cleaned.
Materials –
Aluminium frame, stained glass panels, steel fixtures.
I initially thought of creating the artwork out of acrylic sheets which are cost effective and
lightweight, but don’t have the same awe inspiring reflections of stained glass. Stained glass
also has a wider range of colours which will be essential in creating the gradient that I want for
the artwork.
Dimensions –
The Artwork is slightly less than the width of the foyer doors and reaches across the foyer stopping 400mm short of the top windows. The area of the artwork will fill up around 3.5m^2, but the surface area will be around 1m^2 less.
Fixtures –
The Artwork will be suspended from the roof. It will be attached to the 200×45 hyJoist purlins running
perpendicular to the front doors. The fixtures are steel suspension rods, three running down the centre of the artwork and one on either ‘wing’ of the artwork. The Fixtures will be bolted into the Artwork and the
purlins above the ceiling.
Modifications to the building –
Minor holes will need to be drilled into the ceiling tiles for the suspension rods to fit through. Depending on the position of the purlins an additional wooden structure may be attached to the purlins to
make sure the artwork is centred in the foyer.
Weight –
The purlins are designed to hold the weight of a man standing on them. The artwork with multiple fixing points means the weight will be distributed across the ceiling. Estimated weight, under 100kgs including fixings
Maintenance –
Periodic dusting will be needed with an extendable dusting pole. May need cleaning every few years.
The artwork will be designed so that a person on the ground could reach every part of the artwork with an extendable dusting pole. The design will also be slightly angled to prevent dust from accumulating.
Longevity –
The design and messages are timeless and so will be the construction. Timeline – A lot of the timeline is subject to the availability of outside fabrication. Rough estimate is; 3 weeks finalising design and coms with fabricators, 1 – 2 months fabrication, 3 weeks final touches, install 1 day. Total time 3 to 4 months at the most.
Suppliers –
PAYNES ALUMINIUM – Aluminium and CNC
Leadlight Expressions – Stained Glass
Height 4 Hire – MEWP hire
During the installation process
During the installation process