House of Roots (2003)
Jeanette G. Lee
Paulik Neighbourhood Park, 7620 Heather St.
Area:
City Centre
Location:
In the northwest side of the park. (Formerly known as McLennan South Park).
photo by Andrea Sirois
Materials:
Welded, powder-coated steel.
Program: Private
Ownership: Civic
Sponsored By: The Perla Development Partnership
Description of Work
‘House of Roots’ is a freestanding, contemporary steel sculpture integrated in the grounds of Paulik Neighbourhood Park.
Artist Statement
The green growth of the original nursery on the site inspired the metaphoric organic forms that line the roof of this sculpture. The walls are filled with "root-like" forms, symbolic of the past and present history of the land. This sculpture stands as the entrance of a small inside world and offers a historically inspired view of an outside world.
The piece pays homage to the original shelter that sat on this land. Its panels speak of a nurturing place where nature, with its lush green growth, forests, and plants create a space of peace and contemplation. This sculpture embodies the idea of "home", with its frame silhouetting both the form of a "house" where people live, and of a "greenhouse," where plants grow. As the surrounding neighbourhood grows and develops, a community sets down new roots and a new layer of history grows over the old roots of this land.
