Rodney
Graham:
Weather Vane
Unveiled on May 3, 2004 at 1:00 p.m.
On
Monday, May 3, the Art Centre unveiled the twenty-ninth acquisition for the
Sculpture Park. Weather Vane (2002), by internationally acclaimed
Canadian artist Rodney Graham, is made of black enameled stainless steel sits atop the roof peak on the south side of the building overlooking the
John Greer plaza. The sculpture was
purchased with funds donated by retired art critic Helen Brimmell who is an Art
Centre Volunteer.
Graham
designed the weather vane after a drawing by fellow Vancouver artist Derek Root.
A special edition of 70 weather vanes were produced and made available to
international collections through The Parkett Series with
Contemporary Artists. Graham’s Weather Vane is a witty
accoutrement to the Sculpture Park and it has a fitting relationship to
Diane Maclean’s Weather Station mounted on the north face of the
building.
Weather Vane was the first work by Rodney Graham to enter the collection. Graham is known for his rigorously intellectual art that ranges from photography, film, video, and music to sculpture, painting, and book works. From his famous upside-down photographs of trees to his award-winning film Vexation Island debuted at the 1997 Venice Biennale, Graham is recognised as one of the most original artists of his generation. Drawing from such diverse sources as Lewis Carroll, Alfred Hitchcock, and Kurt Cobain, he explores the relationship between perception and reality. Weather Vane is a perfect example of Graham’s ongoing fascination with optical principles.