Heart of Oak
2014
Commissioned:
Sir Miles Warren, Ohinetahi, Governors Bay, Lyttleton Harbour.
The stainless steel sculpture appears as a delicate assemblage; a gleaming disk of branches with its outer edge created from multiple, interconnected 'twigs' radiating from the central hub. The sculpture references bare winter trees as a response to my first visit to Ohinetahi during winter, when strong shadows from Oak branches were cast on the adjacent clipped hedge. Suspended high above the creek between the ancient Oak and Holly in the Wilderness Garden at Ohinetahi, the form reads strongly against the surrounding bush of the valley.
The circular mandala form alludes to the longevity of trees, to changing seasons and the cycle of life and alludes to ancient mythologies about Oak trees in Roman, Greek, Celtic, and Teutonic cultures.
Materials: Marine Grade 316 Stainless Steel, Bead blasted and Electropolished.
Dimensions: Diameter 2800mm x Depth 400mm (at central drum) tapering to the outer edge.
Image: Courtesy of Sir Miles Warren.
