Bourgeoning

Bourgeoning

North Vancouver BC, 2016

Reflecting the important community values of growth and prosperity, the imagery and narrative of “Burgeoning” is a leafed vine which exhibits the tenacity to flourish in the urban fabric. This tenacity for survival and prosperity is what makes communities great.

The definition of the word bourgeoning is a verb which means 1. Begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish. Synonyms: flourish, thrive, prosper, improve, and develop.

Visually the texture of the stainless steel ivy against the architecture of the recreated historic urban fabric is familiar. This texture creates an inherent plausibility with the viewer, but the magnified scale of the proposed sculpture intensifies the visual experience of the uninitiated.

My first impulse was to splay a bundle of electrical wire across the walled surface of the building and through the Mews. This gesture was meant to highlight the importance and significance of the introduction of electricity to this mill town.

The concept of “Bourgeoning” remains true to this original gesture but the visual delivery of form has experienced an evolutionary transformation. The sculpture was informed by the phototrophic tendency of plants to orient themselves to seek the full available energy of the sun. This available energy creates a photosynthetic process in plants enabling them to grow, flourish and colonize.