2004, VANCOUVER, CANADA
WOOD FOR THE PEOPLE
MORRIS AND HELEN BELKIN ART GALLERY
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
CAST CONCRETE, 72H x 144L x 19W (182 x 365 x 48 cm)
Installed along the entry staircase to the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Located at the University of British Columbia, Wood for the People features 214 pieces of concrete, cast in the shape of wood and stacked in the form of a woodpile. The work draws on the history of architectural follies typically set in a romantic pastoral landscape and so appears misplaced on the manicured grounds of UBC, thereby inserting a sense of irony. Because of their texture and arrangement, especially after being exposed to the weather, the concrete convincingly resembles firewood stacked and ready for use. Their grey colour also lends the work an appearance of ruins or fossils.
In this light, the piece makes a statement about environmental and economic issues particular to British Columbia. Wood for the People also references a barricade - a reading which transforms it from a benign woodpile to a politically charged piece raising questions about control and access at the University.
Source: Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery website