Artist brings stone to life

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On the Sept 4, Syncrude Canada Ltd., unveiled the largest environment artpiece in the world. The Bison Gateway is an awe-inspiring structure doubtless to become a major landmark in Canada.

The Gateway is the entrance to the Wood Bison Trail. The Trail is the newly named stretch of Highway 63 running past the Syncrude leases. The Matcheetowin Discovery Trails and the Bison Viewpoint (opening in 1996) are also parts of the Trail.

The Gateway's seven gigantic sculptures flanking each side of the southern entrance to the Wood Bison Trail measure up to four metres in height. The sculptures are images of a bison herd crossing the Trail.

Carved by nationally renowned Metis artist Brian Clark, the entrance will symbolize the strength and majesty of the wood bison and the Aboriginal people of the area.

Clark is a self-taught sculptor whose work reflects a profound respect for the purity of nature and a remarkable understanding of the human character. His works are in the collections of art collectors from Asia, Europe and all over North America.

Prior to this project his largest was 40 individual sculptors for the 1989 Stanley Cup champions, the Calgary Flames. As well, in 1992 Syncrude commissioned a bison sculpture weighing over 200 kg of Chipewyan alabaster. The Gateway is by far the largest project Clark had worked on in his years as an artist. Fort that reason he enlisted the help of several apprentice sculptors from Fort Mckay and Fort Chipewyan. During the project's construction he remained confident the work would be finished by the Labour Day unveiling.

"It was the most difficult art piece I've done, it's probably the biggest art project on the go in Canada right now," said Brian. "But I think it will send a message to other big corporations that there is nothing wrong with identifying yourself beyond hanging a sign on a fence."

The sculpture was made up of 150-million-year-old silt stone. The gigantic stones were taken from Syncrude's overburden project. No one has ever touched these unique stones with a carving tool before. It had to be sculpted using air chisels, rock drills, electric hammer drills, sandblasters and a high pressure washer. The sculptures are held in place with steel rods and cement.

The Gateway will no doubt increase Clark's profile across the country and open many doors in the artistic world. He said that will just be a fringe benefit.