Bird/Watching

This piece depicts a bird sitting on an extended branch watching the influx of passengers come and go at Guelph Central Station. The title of this sculptural component is intended to suggest that the gaze is reversed, implying that environmental/agricultural accountability is our (the public’s) responsibility.

Bird/Watching is comprised of a limestone base with a vertical steel pole in the centre. At the top of the pole is a perch where a giant yellow bird is positioned, preparing to take flight or possibly just arriving, supporting the function and purpose of the transit hub where it sits near the Wyndham end of Guelph Central Station. This watchful eye is a reminder of our environmental and agricultural accountability and responsibility as a species.

This is the third sculpture in a series of four throughout Guelph’s Civic Precinct. The placement through Market Square in front of City Hall along Carden Street into the transit hub of Guelph Central Station connects these public spaces in a cohesive, yet playful way. A single, unifying symbolic image of a yellow bird is incorporated within the different sculptures and the placement of each component of the installation establishes a progressive sight line of discovery allowing individuals to engage with the installation as they move through the busy civic gathering places. The bright yellow surfaces of the birds are used symbolically to imply enlightenment, joy and mysticism.

About the artist

Ted Fullerton is an acclaimed artist who works in contemporary painting, printmaking and sculpture. He has achieved numerous awards, such as the Juror’s Award in the CIM Centennial Art Competition, and the Boston Printmakers’ Juried Exhibition award. He has exhibited his work across Canada, England, Australia, Spain, and Yugoslavia. Locally, Fullerton’s work can be seen at the Art Gallery of Guelph’s Sculpture Park, and at the Benton and Charles Street municipal parking garage in Kitchener. Fullerton lives in Tottenham, Ontario, and is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art. To view his work visit www.tedfullerton.net.

Photo credit: Doug Crawford, Georgian College

Location

79 Carden Street, Guelph, Ontario N1H 3A1