Skydam (2016)

Nathan Lee

6340 No. 3 Road

Area: City Centre
Location: Located on terminus column of the Canada Line at Brighouse Station

This Artwork is no longer on display

Materials: Steel, reinforced polystyrene, polyurethane coating, paint

Program: Unique Programs
Ownership: Civic
Sponsored By: City of Richmond Public Art Program

Description of Work

The dam structure is fabricated from steel, and finished with white, zinc-primed epoxy paint. 6" wide "planks" have been welded to a steel rod framework to create a refined and layered interpretation of a beaver dam. A family of beavers is located at the base of the dam and supported by two steel brackets. The three beavers have been carved from dense EPS foam and individually reinforced with a steel frame. Each beaver has been treated with a polyurethane polyurea hard coating and finished with a zinc-primed epoxy paint. The entire sculpture is bolted to an existing stainless steel frame on top of the concrete pier.

Artist Statement

It seems appropriate that the beaver, an emblem of Canada, should find its way to the terminus of the Canada Line. The cultural and economic importance of the North American beaver is well known, but this animal has particular relevance for Richmond. Castor Canadenisis is a keystone species, meaning that it has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. When beavers dam a river or stream, they modify the water table of the surrounding area, creating lakes and pods that provide habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife. In fact, humans may be the only species that rivals their ability to shape their landscape. Like the beaver, the people of Richmond have created a home by altering their surrounding hydrology, creating arable land by redirecting the Fraser River and Pacific Ocean.