A striking work in the Museum’s summer exhibition, Passions of the Eye, is a forged steel sculpture Puente Canoa 2011 by Chilean artist Francisco Gazitua (b. 1944). Why is it so familiar you ask? Hamilton art collectors David and Karen Mills selected this work from their collection for the exhibition and Karen explains why this work has a special place in their heart (as well as why you know Gazitua’s work):

“The ‘barca’ bridge brings together memories of building public art projects with Francisco. It all began with Barca Volante a sculpture near the Rogers Centre, which draws reference to the Hamilton and the Scourge, two ships that sank in Burlington Bay in 1813, and which culminated in Toronto’s yellow bridge, Puente de Luz. Francisco, Gabriel Leung, engineer Peter Sheffield and I collaborated on the design. This work brings Francisco’s sculptural bridge elements, our design team’s trusses and other vignettes together. It is a diary in a way.”

Come see the work, on view at McMaster now until August 1.

Find out more about the artist on his website, and check out this short film about Francisco Gazitua and the journey of his artwork “Barca Volante” from Chile to Toronto in 2009.
 

 
Francisco Gazitua: The Long Voyage of Barca Volante from inkblot media on Vimeo.