The Eagle Has Landed...At YXS

Tuesday, August 11, 2009 11:51 AM

On the left, one side of the Airport Eagle, while the photo on the right is the underside of the same scupture

Prince George, BC

- The Prince George Airport is teaming up with the BC Lions Society to help raise funds and awareness for children with disabilities. Through the societies “Eagles in the City” public art project, 135 Eagle sculptures will be placed in prominent public locations around BC. Leading and upcoming BC artists have been turning each of the seven-foot fiberglass sculptures into unique art pieces on behalf of their patrons.

“We are thrilled with the response of the Prince George Airport Authority to allow this beautiful sculpture painted by Lyle Campbell to be displayed during this time period. This sculpture was sponsored by Bandstra Transport and Moving Services. We believe through their sponsorship we will help drive tourism as well as put smiles on thousands of kids faces that come to see the Eagle,” said Stephen Miller, President & CEO of Easter Seals and the BC Lions Society.

“This is a great opportunity to help raise awareness for a tremendous cause. We are very proud to play a part in this initiative”, says Mike Davis, Manager of Communications and Business Development for the PGAA.

Eagles in the City is the third endeavor in the Lions Society’s trilogy of public art projects representing water (Orcas), the land (Spirit Bears) and the sky (Eagles). Proceeds from Eagles in the City will fund the Lions Society’s services offered to families and children in BC which include Easter Seals Camps, Easter Seals Houses, Easter Seals Buses and Patient Care Grants.

All of the Eagles will be on public display throughout 2009 and for the first months of 2010. They will then be sold at auction in the Spring of 2010.

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Posted on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 11:51 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: MrPG on August 11 2009 1:24 PM

You had me going there for a minute. I thought a cargo plane had actually landed.

Posted by: Big-Wayne on August 11 2009 1:42 PM

That's what I was sort of hoping for too

Posted by: gamblor on August 11 2009 1:55 PM

Since no planes were landing, the decision was made to quietly convert the airport to an art gallery.

Posted by: foxtrapper on August 11 2009 2:15 PM

There is a flaw in the wording of the post. They used the word sculpture when in fact it is a fibreglass mold of a sculpture. The actual sculpture was most likely done in a different media. I find them boring and repetitive, like the bears.

Posted by: frankgeorgeson on August 11 2009 3:00 PM

Annerose Georgeson's beautiful bear is at the casino.

What is your address Foxtrapper? There are lots of bears in the Nechako Valley that would like to address your comment. How is your honey and fish supply?

I have a very nice male black bear hanging out in my oat field, He could stop by and discuss this issue.

Frank

Posted by: gus on August 11 2009 3:24 PM

I think foxtrapper meant that the sculptures of the bears are boring. Then again, I suppose someone could think that real bears, as opposed to sculptures of bears, are boring as well.

Now, a talking bear, especially one that could discuss the issue of whether she and her fellow bears could be boring, would probably not be boring.

I think we all know at least one human being we would consider to be boring. I am sure that if some humans can be boring, or all humans could be boring at some time, then animals, such as bears, could be boring too.

For instance, I think I would quickly get bored watching a bear hibernate.

Posted by: gus on August 11 2009 3:50 PM

As for a fibreglass copy of an original being a sculpture as well ......

Could a three dimensional object not be a sculpture? Is a car that drives down the road a sculpture? Is a table a piece of sculpture or a piece of furniture? Could a three dimensional object be both?

Does a sculpture have to be sculpted using hand tools from a piece of stone, wood, metal? Is a three dimensional piece of art that is composed of welded metal a sculpture?

How do we know that the original of the eagle or bear was actually a sculpture in the truest sense of having been sculpted from a material such as wood or stone rather than formed of built up clay?

Finally, is a sculpture that has only form but no colour, and then gets colour added to it, still a sculpture or is it a painting? Or is it both?

Do we care?

Posted by: getajob on August 11 2009 4:03 PM

They call this art? IMO looks like something you buy at the buck or two!

Posted by: foxtrapper on August 11 2009 7:40 PM

No kidding--as bad as that 'thing'they erected at Patricia and Queensway. What an eyesore that is! I really did mean that the so called sculptures are boring. I find bears exciting and hunt them every year.

I did a human sculpture (lifesize) when I attended UBC. I did it in clay over chicken wire. I made a plaster mold of it and then laid fibreglass inside for the finished product. Had I kept the mold, as they did with the eagles and bears, I could still be producing the same thing. BORING Besides,my sculpture sucked.

Posted by: Chester on August 11 2009 7:57 PM

The first thing I thought of was Payday. "The Eagle Has Landed."

Posted by: Eagleone on August 12 2009 5:17 AM

I like it. Lots of real ones around this year too I've noticed.

Posted by: RRrabbitt on August 12 2009 7:40 AM

We are kinda disappointed that they didn't commission sculptures of giant Rabbits.... you know... like the ones that used to roam free across the fields and meadows where the airport is now... :-)

V.

Posted by: Rockin on August 12 2009 9:41 AM

Walking into the the Vancouver Airport from the USA and International arrivals section going towards the customs booths is very impressive with the native and inuit art that is display and I believe it is a great way to set the stage for welcoming visitors to Vancouver and our province/country. The eagles.....eeeeaaa whatever! They in my opinion are becoming common place in our community.

Posted by: gus on August 12 2009 10:00 AM

As far as a piece of artwork, I think the shape of it is extremely structured to the practical use to which it is put.

It is forced into the vertical too much for my liking. It is constrained into an absence of detail of the wingtip feathers, a reduction of the size of the tail feathers and a virtual hiding of the legs. Probably worst of all is the total disregard of the proportion of the wings. With wingtip feathers outstretched, the proportion should be about 1:2.5 at least. The scultpure looks like a 1:1.5 in one case and a 1:2 in another. The body looks too wide and the neck has completely disappeared.

The artist has taken a lot of license with the shape of a very graceful an powerful animal to crate a canvass for other artists to do their painting on.

I wonder if any painter has ignored the shape presented and added a more realistically proportioned image of an eagle onto it.

This is a sculpture of an eagle!!!
http://www.americaneaglesculpture.com/AmericanEagleSculpture.jpg

If I was to do one in a more contemporary style, then I would at least respect the gracefullness of the bird and not make it look like the bird had a nest on the roof of a McDonalds.

Posted by: gus on August 12 2009 11:19 AM

This is what I call capturing the spirit of an eagle!!!!!

http://iceimpre.accountsupport.com/ccwwfeagler.jpg

There is absolutely no reason why the base sculpture could not have been characterized in this fashion much more.

Isn't public art fun? One of its purposes is to draw out discussion.