To invite creativity and imaginative play at Ardrossan Spray Park and Playground, I created an aluminum sculpture depicting native Albertan animal species, in grand proportion. A large dragonfly, hunting a mosquito above, creates a focal point and meeting location for the park. The piece offers large scale storytelling that is fun, while also educational regarding the importance of maintaining natural ecosystems. Predatory dragonflies are threatened around the world by loss of wetland habitat. Imagine if dragonflies were indeed 5 feet long with a 7-foot wingspan and could pick us up, fly away and eat us! That adventure is just one of the many imaginative ideas that visitors might contemplate while spending a day at the park.
Specific design elements include material and finishes that are durable and weather resistant: lightweight aluminum, stainless steel fasteners, perforated surfaces to reduce wind resistance and appropriate height placement to prevent climbing (approximately 11 feet vertical before branching out).
Continuing the hide and seek theme, 10 additional mosquitoes are hidden throughout the park to allow further interactive play and discovery.
Eyes on the Prize
Completion Date: May 6th, 2020
Dimensions: 20 ft. high x 7 ft. wide
Location: Ardrossan, AB
Public Art Budget: $43,200
Medium: Aluminum, Acrylic, Stainless SteelWeight: 300 lbs
I have added some annotated photos of the creative and fabrication process below: