Nestled in the corner between Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) at the north Oshawa campus, Garland sits in silent beauty with a spiraling motion that gives the appearance of upward movement.
For Saskatchewan-based artist, Douglas Bentham, this was the intention and to him, Garland represents and embraces movement within the context of time and space.
“In abstract terms, I attempt to coalesce this movement into a singular gesture,” says Bentham. “Here it is manifested through a series of cursive planes and lines that are ground gathering, then visually lifting upward toward an uncertain destination.”
With this idea in mind, Bentham initially conceived Garland as a preliminary design for the ‘Spirit of Youth’ competition in Saskatoon, Sask. Bentham’s intention was to capture the ambitions of youth and the path of learning in the upward lines and planes.
Garland was built in full-scale and took roughly five years from its conception to its arrival at the DC-UOIT campus. Prior to arriving, it was leased to the city of Saskatoon, where it was showcased for a few years in front of TCU Place, a conventions and arts centre in downtown Saskatoon.
The idea of the upward spiral and uncertain destination of this design is what makes it unique. This may be why Bentham was contacted by a Toronto art consultant who, on behalf of UOIT, sought out Bentham to install Garland at the DC-UOIT campus.
According to Bentham’s website, he graduated with a bachelors degree in painting from the University of Saskatchewan in 1869 and a masters of fine arts in sculpture in 1989.
Bentham has not only presented more than 50 solo exhibits across Canada, but is notable internationally, having featured various works around the world and contributed to several international artists’ workshops throughout his forty-five-year career.
“I enter into a kind of prayer with the material with the goal of creating a rhythm that will carry me through many days in the studio. I address several pieces simultaneously, always on the edge of seeing the art in unexpected ways, allowing it to assert itself by my presence,” says Bentham on his website.