Together (2019)

David Jacob Harder

7191 Granville Ave

Area: City Centre
Location: The artwork is located in front of East entrance of the Minoru Centre for Active Living in Minoru Park.

Materials: Powder coated steel.

Program: Civic
Ownership: Civic
Sponsored By: City of Richmond

Description of Work

The work consists of over three hundred steel silhouettes powder coated white steel to compose two figures, an adult and child, moving hand-in-hand toward the entrance of the Minoru Centre for Active Living. The overall measurements of the piece is 18' tall x 15' long x 7' deep. The figures are two separate pieces bolted to concrete footings, attached together with stainless hardware at the hands and is lit with four separate intelligent LED architectural lights in each foot.

Artist Statement

From a distance, you can see a larger-than-life adult and child walking hand in hand up to the entrance of the Minoru Centre for Active Living. As you get closer you see a swimmer, a tree, a group of walkers, a heron, a dancer, and hundreds of other shapes that compose the two immense figures. But one thing that may not be that apparent is that this public piece of art is not only a symbol of the community, it is the community. Composed of more than 300 silhouettes of Richmond residents as well as local ecology, the work seeks to embody this place and reflect the active and vibrant lifestyle of Richmond.

The artwork was conceptualized by artist David Jacob Harder. Together with his team, Aaron Harder (head of fabrication) Karl Mattson, Jon Matthies, Derek Degagne, Mary Matheson and their advisor, Joseph Sanchez, the building of this ambitious artwork was truly a group effort.