Description
Bruce Garner (1934-2012) was a force to be reckoned with; his personality was large, as was his legacy as a mentor and sculptor in the Ottawa region. It was his testament that Art was for the people. Garner’s majestic series of columns in front of the Ontario Court of Justice, his iconic dancing figures, or disproportionate bear on Sparks Street, are one of many of his lasting legacy. The elegant modern bronze forms of this small sculpture references a time of simplified shapes to express a universal world. Abstraction is seen here as an essence of things. The abstract shapes relates to Garner’s ongoing interest in the human form, our interactions, and personal symbolism. Born in Toronto in 1934, Garner graduated from Ontario College of Art (Toronto), and University of Alberta (Edmonton). The City Art Collection has 5 artworks by Garner including the large bronze sculpture on the face the south entrance to City Hall from the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art, a commission for the Old Forge Community Center on Carling Avenue, and donations at Brewer Park (donated by the Rotary Club), and Ottawa Public Library Rockliffe Park branch (donated by the Ambassador of Kuwait). Garner lived in Plantagenet, Ontario until his death in 2012.