Traveller's Return
Andy Davies
Droplet cluster 19' (5.79m) h x 7.5' (2.28m) w; single droplet 18' (5.48m) h x 4.5' (1.37m) w
Aluminum
October 2011
Prince Arthur's landing - Front of Mariner's Hall, Pier 3
The site of the droplet-shaped sculptures by Andy Davies is located on a central path that serves as a visual gateway to Pier 3. The site has a 5,000-year history as a place of interface between the Great Lakes, the world’s oceans and western Canada.
As such, the art competition theme ‘Watching over/Awaiting the Return’ (of the mariner, soldier, railroad worker, traveller) was developed to give expression to the place that has shaped innumerable lives - a place steeped in memories of farewell, reunion, loss and heroism.
Artist Statement
The design and form of the sculpture is based on a water droplet, a reference to the commanding waters of Lake Superior. Taken as a whole, the sculpture functions as a dialogue between the two pieces within it, the group and the single. The sculpture activates the space of the Mariner's Hall plaza and engages the public to walk through and interact with it. The mirror finished surface of the sculptures invites young and old alike to get up close and see themselves in the work.
The title carries a double meaning. Written with the apostrophe it speaks to the return of a traveller — to home, family and community. This speaks to the travellers, tourists and migrant workers that Thunder Bay has welcomed over the centuries. Spoken without the apostrophe, it is a call or beckon to Thunder Bayers who have gone away to return home again and see their city with new eyes. - Andy Davies
