A public art installation is adding a burst of delight for visitors young and old at a new North Vancouver community centre.
Carson Ting’s Wilderness Within, a three-part public art installation, offers a visually engaging experience at North Van’s new Lynn Creek Community Recreation Centre, which had its grand opening in April. Drawing inspiration from the rich wilderness surrounding Lynn Creek and the adjacent vibrant, diverse community, Ting’s work includes a striking mural located next to the elevator on the first floor and two colorful polyurethane sculptures filled with foam on the recreation centre’s stairwell landings.
“The mural has a dual function,” Ting said. In a creative blend of mindful utility and artistic beauty, the mural was crafted from eight wood-burnt panels, each taking eight hours to create.
Acting as an illustrative map, the mural highlights local parks, trails, businesses, transportation routes, and residential areas, offering a snapshot of the locale.
“It’s just a fun way of letting people know where they are as soon as they come into the building,” Ting said. “The map mural is fairly complex. I have added a lot of detail and depth into it, and have hidden a lot of fun Easter eggs and bunnies as a playful visual-art icon.” The bunny motif is a personal favourite for Ting, who owned two rescue bunnies he picked up in Toronto and brought with him to Vancouver when he moved here in 2007. They were his companions for 14 years.
“I have a natural affinity for bunnies,” he said.
It the stairwell landings of the floors above, two whimsical bunny sculptures that honor the nearby Seylynn Skatepark, one of Canada’s oldest existing skate bowls, welcome viewers.
The first piece, Wilderness Within: Retreat, shows a skateboarding bunny riding a rainbow, while Wilderness Within: Emergence features the bunny’s return.
“The bunny’s body enters the portal and it comes off from the upstairs, so it kind of leads the viewer upstairs,” Ting said.
The vivid colors on the sculptures were chosen to light up the exhibit enclosed by glass frames.
“Oftentimes the newer buildings have concrete that has lots of grays. So, I thought it’d be nice to introduce some colours,” he said.
The creative substance in Ting’s artwork is intentional. He said that when he was awarded the project, he looked through architectural drawings of the rec centre and came up with a plan for the available space.
Ting said that with the clear windows that wrap around the staircase, it’s almost like an exhibition box with two floors, and he played with this setting.
“With the visuals from the outside and how it kind of connects from top and bottom, I want to evoke the inner primal self, and also the kid inside of us to spark joy,” he said.
The art production and installation involved a lot of teamwork, Ting said, adding that several local firms and creatives helped with the design and construction of the pieces.
The call for art proposals for the new Lynn Creek Community Recreation Centre was posted by NVRC in 2020. Of the 38 artists who responded, three were shortlisted to develop concept proposals, and a panel of community representatives ultimately chose Ting to do the work.
North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission public art officer Lori Phillips said she’d love to see people stopping by to check out the new facility and artwork.
“I really encourage people to visit the centre, enjoy what’s going on here, but also come and see the public art, see what amazing artists can do to really make a centre more interesting and have a cultural asset as part of the facility.”
Ting’s three-part public art installation joins a collection of 218 unique works managed by North Vancouver’s public art program that are thoughtfully integrated into parks, roadways, nature trails and greenways, creatively reflecting the city’s distinct culture, heritage, and natural surroundings.
Shobana Shanmugasamy is a student intern reporting for the North Shore News. She can be reached at [email protected].
