Peter von Tiesenhausen, Bronze, 1997, tree branches, bronze, lost wood casting, 91 x 168 x 84 cm. Collection of the MacLaren Art Centre. Gift of Stephen White, 1998.
Bronze began with a discarded Christmas tree that Alberta-based artist Peter von Tiesenhausen transformed into a boat and cast using a plaster mold. He then burnt out the original wood of the tree and poured molten bronze into the hollow mold. Bronze is based on Floating Form, a larger boat form that was installed high in the trees behind the MacLaren’s previous Maple Hill location on Toronto Street. The artist created Floating Form specifically for that site from fallen branches and other gathered materials.
Peter von Tiesenhausen (b. 1959, New Westminster, British Columbia) makes work that is often site-specific and inspired by a deep concern for the environment. He has exhibited extensively in Canada and internationally and his work is held in collections at institutions across Canada.
