Running free

Hello, winter - again! Our forecast is "Temperature deep dive, snow on the horizon for Alberta." This morning, 15 November 2016, it is -1C (windchill -4C) and it has just started snowing at 10:00 am. Looks like we should have this kind of temperature for the next two weeks. I'm so glad I went on a birding walk yesterday and did some grocery shopping.

"Helios. A solar-powered, interactive, kinetic sculptural installation consisting of eight large scale repurposed vintage mechanical horses running wild across the breathtaking prairie landscape at Leighton Art Centre.

The horses were released (note: until 13 November 2016) onto the 80 acre property in celebration of Alberta Culture Days." From Lisa Brawn's website.

www.lisabrawn.com/

"In 2013 I purchased a herd of broken down coin-operated horses as the core components of a giant sculptural installation. These are the mechanical horses that stood outside Woodwards, Woolworths, Kresge’s, and so on, in Calgary and small towns in Southern Alberta from the 1950s through the 1980s. I believe these horses are a touchstone of that era, holding a place of local historical value in our collective cultural imagination, and that compelled me to reimagine and reactivate them in a contemporary context.

I have been presenting the horses in different configurations and environments, and emphasizing distinct elements as the project unfolds. The first iteration consisted of dynamic mechanical multiples in the 150’ public art spectacle, Spacepony for Beakerhead, 2014. The horses emerged from a UFO and invaded Fort Calgary in a historical reenactment of questionable veracity.

I then collaborated with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks on a multidisciplinary performance emphasizing movement, rhythm, and desire; Year of the Horse, at Theatre Junction Grand. For this production eight horses were further altered to battery power and remote activation, with heavy duty swivel casters and clear plexiglass base panels to reveal the mechanical workings.

The current installation at Leighton Art Centre references the herds of free-roaming horses called "Wildies" in Alberta. This stage of transformation consisted of installing solar panels, application of silver leaf (to reflect the sky and surroundings), and changing the activation to motion sensors. The reflective surfaces have a confounding effect in this prairie landscape environment, making the extremely substantial installation somewhat illusory or ephemeral."

www.lisabrawn.com/index.php/blog/item/helios

This photo was taken five days ago, on 10 November 2016, when I decided on the spur of the moment to do a short drive SW of the city. I haven't been taking much in the way of photos the last couple of weeks and have been feeling less and less motivated to go out.

However, on this particular day, I wanted to go to the Leighton Art Centre to see Lisa's artistic display. The last day for the exhibit, before the eight horses were removed, was 13 November 2016, so I only just made it in time. By mistake, it took me much longer to get there than it should have done, despite following their map, and I arrived there five minutes after they closed. I asked if I could still wander part way down the hill to take a few photos. As the lady said, it was 'magic hour', with a wonderful sunset. At one point, the valley below and the distant mountains almost disappeared in an orange haze. It did, indeed, feel magical.

This wasn't my first visit, as I had been decades ago with my youngest daughter's Kindergarten class. In more recent years, I had been a couple of times with botany friends, to list all the plant species that we could find.

Check out Lisa's Flickr stream to see the hundreds/thousands of beautiful painted woodcuts that she has created.

www.flickr.com/photos/lisabrawn

leightoncentre.org/