“Tree beside water” ark gates

1997

COMMISSIONED FOR TEMPLE SHALOM • WATERLOO ONTARIO

The text from Jeremiah states that those who believe in God are resilient, even in tough times. Because the site is close to the Grand River, a tree of life (within which is a menorah) beside a river seemed an appropriate public ecumenical image for this sanctuary, which shares its building with a church.

God’s spirit (represented by 12 rays) and 18 stars fill the sky and are reflected in the river.

The metal work was drafted in Adobe Illustrator, and then programmed in autoCAD to drive water-jet cutting machinery. It took almost 30 hours to cut the design. The metal was painted with aniline dyes and fastened to acrylic panels overlaid with a collage of handmade Japanese paper.

The ginkgo is my favourite tree because of its beauty, hardiness and antiquity. The leaves around the parochet border are stylized, while those within the tree shape are scans of actual leaves from the gingko in my front yard.