| Communications and Development |  |
Published by Communications and Development
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| Annie Mackenzie with her colourful art work. |
A living art work is blossoming on campus.
The “random” white picket fence opposite Okeover House was installed four months ago in the middle of winter.
“It intially looked very much like a grave”, said Annie Mackenzie, a third-year fine arts sculpture student.
“The soil was fresh as it had been dug up to plant daffodil, tulip and bluebell bulbs that are flowering. Now it is a beautiful spring sight."
Installed as a site specific work, Annie had to learn some carpentry skills. She constructed the picket fence off site and moved it in place. She liked the idea that it represented something that turned up overnight, “like it was a random act”.
“It was something spooky and somewhat dark, now it's a lovely, innocent flowering sculpture.”
The inspiration came from an old architectural drawing of the original Okeover House. Fine arts and engineering were the first schools to move from the old town campus to the new Ilam campus and the School of Fine Arts was housed in Okeover House.
“The sculpture represents what was here – the architecture mimics that of the period of Okeover House and this is where the original sculpture prefab building was before it was burnt down in the 1970s,” she said.
The University can expect to see more student art work on campus as the School of Fine Arts plans to have a continuous display of exhibitions to show to the UC community. The SFA Campus Gallery has run a programme of exhibitions regularly for years and is now consolidating a strong and consistent programme of exhibitions.
Sculpture lecturer Louise Palmer (Fine Arts) said that it was a great opportunity to show the work of students as they developed over the year.
“Once students build up a portfolio of work they will have an opportunity to exhibit that work and that is a good experience for them.”
The SFA Open Day will be held on 13 November.
For further information please contact:
Jane Lucas
Communications Officer
University of Canterbury
Tel: +64 3 364 2072
Fax: +64 3 364 2679
jane.lucas@canterbury.ac.nz