"Takaya Larger than Life" by Tanya Bub
Artist Statement
This piece was created in collaboration with Cheryl Alexander who had the idea of making a sculpture of Takaya from driftwood collected on Discovery Island. What better way to celebrate the life of this unique animal, who has captured the hearts, and imagination of so many!
Discussing the project we fantasized that Takaya paws, or even his nose, may have touched upon some of the wood we'd soon collect to create his likeness. Cheryl and I spent a delightful day visiting Takaya's favorite places, gathering the material for the sculpture. All the while Cheryl told me stories about the wolf she loved so well, recounting the pleasure he took in hunting, his seeming appreciation of sunrises and sunsets, describing ears haloed in red fur so soft, she yearned to touch them.
As we left to return home, Cheryl's little boat loaded to the gills with driftwood, my mind abuzz with Takaya, I grabbed a final piece, too pretty not to take, but also clearly far too large for the sculpture. Or so I thought. That piece, almost seven feet long was to become the backbone of Takaya's larger-than-life portrait. And it is a portrait. In most of my work I am satisfied if the sculpture has life and is identifiable as the type of animal I'm attempting to represent. This one was different. I was to spend many hours staring into the eyes of Takaya, captured in various photographs and videos, trying to glean not only his unique appearance but also his character. As I got to know his face, the tragedy of his death shifted into ever sharper focus. This animal was truly a unique individual: intelligent, resourceful, curious, and independent. Along with his distinctive coloring and appearance, I sought to capture something of his personality. As I worked, and reworked the face, driftwood Takaya, originally envisioned by Cheryl and me as life-sized, got bigger and bigger, until he eventually grew into the 7-foot-long driftwood backbone I couldn't leave behind.
While I never saw Takaya in person, he was clearly a complex, and enigmatic creature, with many facets. You may notice, if you look at this sculpture from different angles, that his expression changes quite dramatically. From below (the angle at which a child will see him) this Takaya is gentle, humorous, almost smiling. Stand directly in front of him and he will look into your eyes, his expression yearning, questioning, even accusing. From the side he is curious and alert, his attention seemingly captivated by some distant sight or sound, maybe a bird in a tree. His face, highly detailed, made up of hundreds of pieces of driftwood, kelp and shell specifically selected for form, color, texture and shape, represents my attempt to do the impossible, to recreate something irretrievable. By contrast his body, wild and untamed, is a celebration of the nature's easy and sometimes harsh beauty. Takaya, was special. To all of us who hear his story he is, and ever will be, larger than life.
Artist Bio
Sculptor Tanya Bub seeks to discover the spirit of living things in driftwood. She lives and works in Victoria, BC, Canada.
Tanya has an upcoming art show at the Gage Gallery in Oak Bay from Oct 20-Nov 8, called 'Creatures Great and Small', which will feature a miniature driftwood sculpture of Takaya and Cheryl.
Artist Email: tanyabub@gmail.com
Artist Statement
This piece was created in collaboration with Cheryl Alexander who had the idea of making a sculpture of Takaya from driftwood collected on Discovery Island. What better way to celebrate the life of this unique animal, who has captured the hearts, and imagination of so many!
Discussing the project we fantasized that Takaya paws, or even his nose, may have touched upon some of the wood we'd soon collect to create his likeness. Cheryl and I spent a delightful day visiting Takaya's favorite places, gathering the material for the sculpture. All the while Cheryl told me stories about the wolf she loved so well, recounting the pleasure he took in hunting, his seeming appreciation of sunrises and sunsets, describing ears haloed in red fur so soft, she yearned to touch them.
As we left to return home, Cheryl's little boat loaded to the gills with driftwood, my mind abuzz with Takaya, I grabbed a final piece, too pretty not to take, but also clearly far too large for the sculpture. Or so I thought. That piece, almost seven feet long was to become the backbone of Takaya's larger-than-life portrait. And it is a portrait. In most of my work I am satisfied if the sculpture has life and is identifiable as the type of animal I'm attempting to represent. This one was different. I was to spend many hours staring into the eyes of Takaya, captured in various photographs and videos, trying to glean not only his unique appearance but also his character. As I got to know his face, the tragedy of his death shifted into ever sharper focus. This animal was truly a unique individual: intelligent, resourceful, curious, and independent. Along with his distinctive coloring and appearance, I sought to capture something of his personality. As I worked, and reworked the face, driftwood Takaya, originally envisioned by Cheryl and me as life-sized, got bigger and bigger, until he eventually grew into the 7-foot-long driftwood backbone I couldn't leave behind.
While I never saw Takaya in person, he was clearly a complex, and enigmatic creature, with many facets. You may notice, if you look at this sculpture from different angles, that his expression changes quite dramatically. From below (the angle at which a child will see him) this Takaya is gentle, humorous, almost smiling. Stand directly in front of him and he will look into your eyes, his expression yearning, questioning, even accusing. From the side he is curious and alert, his attention seemingly captivated by some distant sight or sound, maybe a bird in a tree. His face, highly detailed, made up of hundreds of pieces of driftwood, kelp and shell specifically selected for form, color, texture and shape, represents my attempt to do the impossible, to recreate something irretrievable. By contrast his body, wild and untamed, is a celebration of the nature's easy and sometimes harsh beauty. Takaya, was special. To all of us who hear his story he is, and ever will be, larger than life.
Artist Bio
Sculptor Tanya Bub seeks to discover the spirit of living things in driftwood. She lives and works in Victoria, BC, Canada.
Tanya has an upcoming art show at the Gage Gallery in Oak Bay from Oct 20-Nov 8, called 'Creatures Great and Small', which will feature a miniature driftwood sculpture of Takaya and Cheryl.
Artist Email: tanyabub@gmail.com
Artist Statement
This piece was created in collaboration with Cheryl Alexander who had the idea of making a sculpture of Takaya from driftwood collected on Discovery Island. What better way to celebrate the life of this unique animal, who has captured the hearts, and imagination of so many!
Discussing the project we fantasized that Takaya paws, or even his nose, may have touched upon some of the wood we'd soon collect to create his likeness. Cheryl and I spent a delightful day visiting Takaya's favorite places, gathering the material for the sculpture. All the while Cheryl told me stories about the wolf she loved so well, recounting the pleasure he took in hunting, his seeming appreciation of sunrises and sunsets, describing ears haloed in red fur so soft, she yearned to touch them.
As we left to return home, Cheryl's little boat loaded to the gills with driftwood, my mind abuzz with Takaya, I grabbed a final piece, too pretty not to take, but also clearly far too large for the sculpture. Or so I thought. That piece, almost seven feet long was to become the backbone of Takaya's larger-than-life portrait. And it is a portrait. In most of my work I am satisfied if the sculpture has life and is identifiable as the type of animal I'm attempting to represent. This one was different. I was to spend many hours staring into the eyes of Takaya, captured in various photographs and videos, trying to glean not only his unique appearance but also his character. As I got to know his face, the tragedy of his death shifted into ever sharper focus. This animal was truly a unique individual: intelligent, resourceful, curious, and independent. Along with his distinctive coloring and appearance, I sought to capture something of his personality. As I worked, and reworked the face, driftwood Takaya, originally envisioned by Cheryl and me as life-sized, got bigger and bigger, until he eventually grew into the 7-foot-long driftwood backbone I couldn't leave behind.
While I never saw Takaya in person, he was clearly a complex, and enigmatic creature, with many facets. You may notice, if you look at this sculpture from different angles, that his expression changes quite dramatically. From below (the angle at which a child will see him) this Takaya is gentle, humorous, almost smiling. Stand directly in front of him and he will look into your eyes, his expression yearning, questioning, even accusing. From the side he is curious and alert, his attention seemingly captivated by some distant sight or sound, maybe a bird in a tree. His face, highly detailed, made up of hundreds of pieces of driftwood, kelp and shell specifically selected for form, color, texture and shape, represents my attempt to do the impossible, to recreate something irretrievable. By contrast his body, wild and untamed, is a celebration of the nature's easy and sometimes harsh beauty. Takaya, was special. To all of us who hear his story he is, and ever will be, larger than life.
Artist Bio
Sculptor Tanya Bub seeks to discover the spirit of living things in driftwood. She lives and works in Victoria, BC, Canada.
Tanya has an upcoming art show at the Gage Gallery in Oak Bay from Oct 20-Nov 8, called 'Creatures Great and Small', which will feature a miniature driftwood sculpture of Takaya and Cheryl.
Artist Email: tanyabub@gmail.com