Client: Dan Lawrie International Sculpture Collection

Overview

The Dan Lawrie Sculpture Collection is housed in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Over the past 8 years new works have been added to the grounds, and in 2019 we embarked on anourney to create a work that would commemorate the Year of Indigenous Language. Working alongside Dorset Fine Arts, a soapstone work by Inuit artist Kakkee Negeoseak was selected. The original work was only 12″ tall, so it was 3D scanned to create a digital replica. The digital file was then 3D printed into a large scale wax mould in segments. The segments were dry fitted and then went through the traditional bronze casting process.

Installed in the central pool of the RBGs Hendrie Gardens the work is landmark piece in the collection and landscape, and won the 2019 Investment Casting Institute Award for Fine Art Casting.

Goals

The work needed to capture the RBGs connection to the water and animals, and to integrate into the calm and dignified space of the reflecting pool. Kakkee's clean lines and the remarkable patina work by Artcast captured this intention perfectly.

Process

Working with Dorset Fine Arts, Cobalt Connects selected the School of Fish carving by Kakkee. Through translators we negotiated the rights to the enlarging process and Artcast's incredible team worked diligently to explore this larger-than-life 3D printing process.

Additional Information

Working with Indigenous artists to vital to creating strong public art collections in Canada. Oftentimes their traditional work isn't of the scale desired by public art collections. Working closely with artists we're pleased to assist them in realizing their vision on a scale that lands their work in public spaces like the RBG.