Title: Relocation and Transformation of Memory
Year: 2009
Artist: Allan MacKay
Medium: Stainless steel, ceramic tile, granite
Location: Speaker’s Corner, King and Benton Streets Kitchener, ON
Acquisition Method: Public Art (1%)
This three-part installation uses two images based on photographs of the site as it appeared in May, 2008. The key sculptural component combines these images and mathematical principles to produce a work of perspective called an amorphic art. First popularized in the 16th and 17th centuries, anamorphic art creates visual illusions to entertain and delight viewers. Components of the sculpture are a 13 foot diameter paved circle (ceramic tile) and a central 8 foot pillar of highly polished stainless steel. The photographic images are fired into the tiles for permanence. While the images appear distorted at ground level, when viewed at an angle in the reflecting cylinder, they become recognizable. In addition, granite clad walls at either end of the park are engraved with text and design motifs that echo the central sculpture element.