Giant Public Art Sculpture Custom, for Civic Pride in a Town Square
This was specially designed for the Space, by The Remarkable John Atkin
If you have big project and want one of the best brains for this sort of thing you have the right Artist.The Access to Justice theme, based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and enables people from different backgrounds equality before the law. This fairness extends to all ethnic groups, gender and age groups.
The notion of removing barriers is central to the understanding of my artwork, and the proximity of the sculpture adjacent to the offices of the Law Courts of Upper Canada underpins this concept. Access to Justice is made from a combination of polished stainless steel, painted steel, and Corten steel. The polished stainless steel reflects the architectural surroundings as well as the colour and vibrancy of the busy everyday activity characterised by this space. The stainless steel is also a metaphor for renewal and optimism, which was (and is) the driving force for so much migratory footfall to Canada. Stainless steel is a light-reflecting neutral material: it surfaces capture the reflections of all nationalities into the surfaces of the artwork: thereby equal under the law and empowering all nationalities access to the law.
The Corten steel is a sealed rust coloured surface – a metaphor for the past, as well as industry representing notions of human endeavour. Corten steel oxidizing to a bespoke hue of red depending on the atmospheric conditions it is placed in. The conjoining of the two metals creates a bridge between the old and the new. The use of the colour blue in this installation is also important as it has metaphors to the Great Lakes, which punctuate the landscape and are integral to Canadian culture & heritage values.
Normally, these flat plane surfaces would be read as a barrier or obstacle, except this landmark artwork has gateway apertures that allow the viewer to pass through a series of portals: a metaphor for doorways to the Justice system. This physical and conceptual barrier is resonant of a series of rules that intersect at different points, with doorways that facilitate access through the space. The apertures are disability aware to facilitate interaction for all users and are non-discriminatory.
The sculpture is characterised by a series of gateways, at different heights, for all sorts of people. Crucially, from whatever angle you approach the sculpture from, the viewer will have a vista onto the Law Courts: a clear sightline from their own perspective, through the sculpture and onto the buildings that enshrine the justice system.
The use of colour in this concept is also important as it has metaphors to the Great Lakes, which punctuate the landscape and are integral to Canadian culture & heritage values. Stainless steel is a light-reflecting neutral material: it surfaces capture the reflections of all nationalities into the surfaces of the artwork: thereby equal under the law and empowering all nationalities access to the law.