Vancouver writer and artist Douglas Coupland received a warm response during the unveiling of his 13-metre bright gold sculpture of Stanley Park’s iconic Hollow Tree on Saturday.
Vancouver officials and fans of the Generation X author gathered to celebrate the finished piece, called the Golden Tree, at a reception at the front entrance to Intracorp’s MC² condo development at Cambie Street and Southeast Marine Drive.
“It’s always a relief to get a project done, and it’s a joy to see that it worked well, but the amount of time that these things take you feel like you are a different person years later and I’m just very happy that that younger version of me had this idea and we got it done,” said Coupland.
Many residents who wandered by said they loved the artwork, posing for selfies with copies of Coupland’s novels, while others were undecided. Some critiqued Coupland’s colour choice for the steel-reinforced resin and fibreglass sculpture, which was commissioned by Intracorp.
“I don’t like the bright gold colour… It looks pretty gaudy,” said Justin Walk, who lives in an apartment building adjacent to the sculpture. Nearby residents Greg and Bobbie Smith said they were pleased to see more public art erected in the developing residential area.
“I would have gone with a more natural colour,” said Greg. “But I like the sculpture itself. It is very smart.”
Added Bobbie: “It’s beautiful. I have spent a lot of time in Stanley Park and so I love it.”
Coupland said he decided to go with gold “to make it magic.” He said it represents feelings of happiness from childhood when he would visit the Hollow Tree in Stanley Park.
“It doesn’t look real, which is to say it is unreal, so there you go,” he said.
“What goes into it is 32,000 pounds of steel reinforcement, Styrofoam, a very thick fibreglass coating, and lots of coats of paint and anti-graffiti coating … this is probably my favourite piece,” he said. Coupland has designed several other iconic statues around the city, including the Digital Orca at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Terry Fox Memorial at B.C. Place, and the Infinite Tires sculpture in South Vancouver.
“It’s everything I expected from Douglas Coupland,” said Wendy MacKinnon, of Surrey. “At first, from a distance, I wasn’t sure but up close it’s wonderful. It catches the light so you see the texture of the wood and the growth rings of the tree.”
As a backdrop to the Golden Tree sculpture, Coupland created a 12-metre image depicting the Stanley Park forest applied to the glass facade behind the artwork.
According to the city, installation took several days and involved an intricate crew of riggers and crane operators to carry out a “technical” lift and to fit the tree sections in position.
Vancouver’s deputy mayor Heather Deal thanked Coupland for “this amazing piece of public art” and said what she loves most about the statue is that it can be seen from all modes of transport including the SkyTrain and along cycling routes.
Stanley Park’s Hollow Tree is 800 to 1,000 years old. When the iconic stump was severely damaged in the December 2006 windstorm, the park board planned to remove it, but a public outcry resulted and a fundraising campaign saved enough money to stabilize it.
With a file from Kevin Griffin
