The first signs of the echo Art Fair have begun to take hold in the Larkin District. Hamilton Ontario artists David Hind, Simon Frank, Ivan Jurakic and Tor Lukasik-Foss (TH&B) have been busy carving out a silhouette of the Great Lakes on a temporary facade of the Swan Lounge building at 716 Swan Street.
The work is part of a series of site-responsive art installations that are meant to go hand-in-hand with the art fair. The theme of the Great Lake was chosen to signify the shared natural resources between Hamilton and Buffalo. It’s also nice to see shared cultural resources coming together to strengthen the cultural ties between the neighboring cities.
All total there will be eleven temporary installations in and around the Larkin District.
While the crux of the art fair is to showcase (and sell) the artwork of established artists and up-and-comers (see site map below), a spin off of the event is to draw attention to the need for art and the importance that the artists have in creating cultural awareness.
More about the site specific TH&B instillation:
Working directly into the 32 x 8 foot black hoarding delineating the facade of 716 Swan Street, TH&B developed a site-responsive art installation alluding to the industrial geography of the region. They carved a silhouette of the Great Lakes into the temporary black plywood facade. The artists created a template and then used angle grinders to carve out the shape. Once the Great Lakes shape was carved out, the template was removed and the sawdust swept away with a broom. Their process recalls Ancient Egyptian sunken relief where forms are carved into stone. The resulting shadows created by the sun emphasize the outline of the forms. The subject matter of the Great Lakes is a nod to the shared natural resource of Hamilton, Ontario and Buffalo, NY, and to the historical significance of the Great Lakes to the industry and economy of the Hydraulics neighborhood now known as Larkinville. The artwork will remain on view throughout the weekend of the echo Art Fair and until the Swan Lounge renovation is complete.
Photos: Joanna Gillespie – echo Facebook
The Larkin Center of Commerce (701 Seneca St.) opens its doors at 9:30am this Saturday to welcome echo Art Fair visitors. Come inside. Enjoy 40+ exhibitors displaying their finest artworks. Food, wine, beer and soft drinks available. Free admission. Check out the floor map.
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