Client: Ontario Place Winter Festival

Overview

Winter Fields depicts solar magnetic fields emerging from thirteen sunspots. Area: 12 x 30 ft Materials: black limestone, acrylic, poly carbonate, stainless steel and LEDs

Goals

In designing a sculpture installation for the Ontario Place Winter Festival, I took inspiration from the sun. The presence of sun in winter is always a cherished sight; bringing warm and memories of summer into view. During the Canadian winter the sun is often perceived as low, dim and distant or entirely absence behind forever grey clouds. Many people don’t realize that in fact that the earth’s perihelion, meaning closest to the sun, occurs during winter. The earth’s aphelion (furthest distance from sun) is actually during summer. This year the earth’s perihelion will take place on January 3, 2018 at the same time as Ontario Place Winter Festival. Winter Fields highlights the sun’s proximity to the earth during the winter to become a point of discovery, vitality and brilliance for festival goers.

Process

The project team and I worked together to bring this sculpture installation to life. They offered continuous support and flexibility, even when I made significant changes to the design that made for a stronger piece.

Additional Information

The Ontario Place Winter Festival is held from December to March 2018.