I enjoyed going exploring the art trail with my friend, and comparing her thoughts, opinions, and interpretations of the art works we saw. For me, our differing perspectives led me to reflect on the proverbial saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and the further implications of that statement about how people's interpretation of art is inherently subjective; our own experiences inform how we perceive art.
'Biomechanical Pelicans' and 'Fish Fossil' are were both created by Christopher Trotter in 1995. I was curious about what they were made out of - I thought perhaps recycled materials. This was confirmed when I looked up the art works online; they are made from 'found metal'. I was intrigued by the process the artist must have gone through to find and manipulate scrap metal in order to achieve his vision - I imagine it would take a great deal of patience. To me, these two sculptures seemed to be a nod to the creatures who reside around the river - both past (in the case of the fossil) and present.
This is 'Venus Rising' by Wolfgang Buttress. When I read the name on the art trail website I had no idea what to expect, although I admit the famous Botticelli painting sprang to mind. I was impressed by this sculpture, which soars into the sky (to an impressive 23 meters), reflecting the sunlight and stands out against the clear blue sky. The description on the artist's website made more sense than my Botticelli intuition - it is a reference to the planet Venus, as seen burning brightly before sunrise. This is a recent installation - 2012 - and I think it reflects the contemporary trend of sleek, minimalist design.