one to 100: artistic voices

We invited people aged years old to consider five carefully selected pieces of public art

under the auspices of

London’s Cultural office (that means they belong to all us Londoners!) to start a community conversation

with the question, “What do you see?”. People had the opportunity to participate through workshops,

displays in public libraries, posters distributed in neighbourhoods by families, and our

page. Each workshop, where we gathered for 2 hours at each piece, used a simple protocol:

This guided our looking, touching, climbing, imagining,

remembering, hypothesizing, and discussions of the sculptures to

see what meaning they could have for each of us.

In our classrooms children aged 1-5 studied photos of the sculptures, visited them, and

explored their understanding through physical and creative play, reflecting and sharing their discoveries and

theories at their morning meetings. Educators used the children’s understanding as inspiration to create,

using art materials, found objects, photography, and poetry. Once we got past the obvious – “I

see a tank, hands, bells, a bone, people”, and engaged in looking closely, people began to see more. More

often than not, the same themes emerged for each sculpture from children and adults, from artists, teachers,

parents, and engineers. Age, it turns out, has more impact on HOW we acquire

understanding and express it, rather than on WHAT we think. Children take on the

themes of justice, balance, relationships, perspective, mechanics, and self awareness,

motivated by an intrinsic sense of curiosity and a huge array of strategies for learning, arriving at startlingly

clear foundations for future studies in science, engineering, psychology, and the arts . From all this we’ve

curated a selection of quotes, photographs, and drawings, highlighting the continuity of thinking that

accompanies us throughout our lives with the intention of strengthening the fabric of our community by

weaving the voices of children into it. is organized by London Bridge and created by our

Artist-in-Residence to advocate for giving children a meaningful voice in our community.

The Story of “ ”

what do you see?

add your voice to a conversation at facebook.com/LondonBridgeChildCare, and see your words woven into a community-based exhibit about public art & artifact in our city.

“artistic voices: documenting community” is an exhibit featuring the artistic and written responses from Londoners like you, aged 1 to 100: view it at the London Children’s Museum from June 7-30.

Good Hands Tolpuddle Memorial, Peace Garden

People and the CityWellington St.

CarillonVictoria Park

Holy RollerVictoria Park

Approaching a work of art:Describe ItAnalyze itInterpret it

Form an Opinion

“These are the wheels. They need to be connected so they can work” - Mayson, 3yrs

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” - Albert Einstein

“This is

Canada”

Hunter, 3yrs

What do 3-4 yrs olds see when they look at the Holy Roller?- I see a gun- I see TVs- I see letters- There are a lot of wheels- It’s an army truck- It’s a big wheel- There is oil in there- A car, no a train- It’s big- It’s a construction- This looks like a train- Why are there letters and numbers?- I don’t see windows and I don’t see doors- The tank got old and can’t move anymore so it’s in the park- I don’t know how we’re going to build this one; we may need more building material

“The shooter things goes through here, this way”, Mayson, 3 yrs

“It goes fast ‘cause it has long wheels”

Aidan, 4yrs

The Holy Roller is an invitation to think about this big and powerful machine that has such potential to impact lives. Although it was created to enter into conflict using it effectively requires collaboration, just as its’ mechanical parts must work in synchronization in order to function. It is this aspect of how things work together that dominates peoples’ interest in the tank.

How does the tank move? How do the markings on the tank identify its’ unit, its’ country, the people in it so that they can co-ordinate?

The processes to answer these questions involve using materials and our bodies to make models that test our ideas and help us explore how we feel about this machine. Often mechanics mix with metaphor as our investment in understanding the tank deepens.

Below is a curated collection of responses to the question “What do you see?” when you look at the Holy Roller, from people aged 1 to 100.

SCALEGEARS SPEED

DEVELOPINGTHEORIES

IMAGININGDANGER SAFETY

Name: “Holy Roller” M4 Sherman Tank

Location: Victoria Park, the site of the original British garrison in the city

Date: WWII

Material: 64-76 mm steel, 29 tonnes in total

History: The Holy Roller landed at 9AM on the beach in Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, D-Day. It was shepherded by Captain P.C.Neil, commanding officer of 54 Light Aid Detachment, Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, attached to the sixth Canadian Armoured Regiment (First Hussars, Ontario Unit). Captain Neil became known as “The Holy Roller Hero” for his “complete contempt for danger” as he used the Holy Roller to recover 51 tanks that had become stuck in a muddy mine field in an area known for enemy artillery fire and snipers.

The “Holy Roller” is thought to be the only tank of its kind to survive the North-West Europe Campaign from D-day to VE-Day. After the war Neil tracked down the Holy Roller in Europe and was responsible for bringing it back to Canada and helping to make its’ permanent home Victoria Park.

To learn more visit: www.captainpcneil.com

Why we chose it: While the tank is not strictly speaking a sculpture, it is a rich piece of cultural heritage and shows the range of monuments and art managed in the public trust by London’s Cultural Office.

Mayson’s tank

Studio Kuefner

The idea of interconnectedness

as expressed in paper cut-outs

Krista resorted to drawing the tank when it got so cold her camera battery froze. When you draw you become se-lective and must pick and choose what

details are important..

Krista drew the posts around the tank along with the scarves that hung on

them. These were left there for London’s homeless during a cold winter.

An idea of compassion becomes connected with the tank.

“Often soldiers put their initials in the different areas of where they are because they never know if this could be the last place they would be. I put the initials of my family members that proudly served our great country” - Krista

“Self education is I firmly believe the only kind of education there is.” - Issac Asimov

Children’s bodies and minds are so closely connected they “think through their bodies”

Transforming materials helps us to construct meaning and develop theories of how things work

“It looks like my future as I just joined the Armed Forces” - Ray

“I don’t think back. I think of what the next war would look like, here, in London.” - Paula

Krista Children have a strong desire to “leave their mark” and are drawn to the marks of others.

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” - Albert Einstein

With London’s founder, Sir John Graves Simcoe, at the helm of this sculpture, the themes of city building and strong personalities is led with authority!

On the theme of city building the sculpture is designed like a house, or church, and is populated by Londoners who distinguished themselves in their careers and pursuits, arranged according to their disciplines. Organizing the people in peer groups (rather than by date) creates a sort of “league of super heroes” where all of London‘s notables can mingle with their peers with those who have lived on this land over centuries.

Seeing this makes us wonder, “Where do I fit in to the fabric of our city? How do I want to contribute to our city? What do I have to offer London and what does London have to offer me? When in life does this contribution start, and when does it end?”

The larger than life portrait of Sir John Graves Simcoe with its’ jagged cut outs offers dynamic perspectives that change his look from energetic leader who adopted aboriginal dress to chisel featured aristocrat at the helm of the ocean going vessel that brought him to Canada from England. These are only two sides of London’s founder, and like all of us, there are many more versions of himself within him.

Children learn at a very young age to distinguish the different aspects of themselves and when they need to bring each of them forward, such as making the distinction between an “inside voice” and an “outside voice” and the appropriate activities that accompany each.

Below is a curated collection of responses to the question “What do you see?” when you look at People and the City, from people aged 1 to 100.

Title: People and the City

Artists:Doreen Balabanoff and Stuart Reid

Location: Wellington Road median, at Queens Avenue

Date: 1991

Material: Bronze

Why we chose it: Public art must engage the public and the many portraits here make it fun to find historic figures that you recognise because your street, school, award, scholarship, hospital et. al. is named after them.

We’re pretty sure there must be at least one connection to everyone who sees it.

“Change is the essence of life; be willing to surrender who you are for what you could become” - unknown

“Your own self-realization is the greatest service you can render the world.” - Sri Ramana Maharshi

Studio Kuefner

“Asking questions is what brains were born to do, at least when we were young children. For young children, quite literally, seeking explanations is as deeply rooted a drive as seeking food or water.” - Alison Gopnik

"First I started looking through the sculpture and I could see right through it so it looked

like wounds and tattered clothes."

- Andrea

“Public art can be unexpected moments of beauty, amusement, reflection or intrigue. These works of art might serve as monuments or memorials or represent other creative, innovative and exploratory ideas or

expressions for the area.” – Public Art Policy Development Group, City of London

What do you think the artist thought about while building the sculpture?Lena: They worked really hard. Think first then do it. Steps first, then sculpture.Brynn: They had to make it big enough so everybody could see it.Ella: Build steps to climb up to the tippy top. Try to reach the sun.Bradley: They needed a lot of stairs. Have to make it flat. Then the sculpture. First thing, build the toes, then the steps. What did they have to do first?Ethan: Find something to put it on.Cyrus: Get glue and tape.Sydney: The base.Brad: Get dirt, steps, ladder, ramp.

What did they do before they started? Brad: Bring dirt in.Ethan: Make it flat.Ben: Shovel, then feet.

What did they need to know about sculpture before they started?Brad: How to make statues, stairs. Bricks are part of houses/towers.Need to know what materials they need. Mud, dirt. (see how important mud and dirt play is in concept building relating to building.)Ethan: How to carve.Ben: How to make feet, shoes.

What about balance?Sydney: Make sure the dirt flat.Ella: Get something to hold the sculpture up.

What is the very last thing they did? Ethan: The head. They worked from bottom to top.

Children discuss the Intersection of Creative Process and Building Concepts in People and the City

“I worked with wire. I wanted to work with metal, wire; I could bend it and build with it, because I wanted to create people because it was the people that started the city. You need the people to come to the city to build the city to work for the city, so that’s why the people were interesting to me. And then I used a sturdy base structure because you need a sound foundation for everyone else to rise above.” - Stephanie

How do you think Stephanie captured, using wire, her sense of respect for the pioneering spirit?

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” - Albert Einstein

Offering a moment of tongue in cheek whimsy, these sculptures inhabit dog parks across the city, generating curiosity and glee. They are magnets for conversation and play as well as offering places to rest.

The iconic shape of the “bones” is made from the most basic construction technique, post and lintel, where two posts hold up a third member placed across the top. Everyone has recreated this structure at one time or another, throwing a board across a stream to cross without wetting your shoes or balancing a plate on a glass to free a hand to open the door. In the classroom children explore this construction to create challenges that test their balance, define their level of comfort for risk taking, and to build their engineering knowledge through experiential learning.

Below is a curated collection of responses to the question “What do you see?” when you look at Dog Bones, from people aged 1 to 100.

Title: Dog Bones

Artist: Steve Mielczarek

Date: March 2008

Dimensions: 2ft tall 8 ft long

Location: Stoney Creek Off-leash Dog Park

Materials: concrete

Quote: “We've all seen big art before. The Pyramids of Giza. Stonehenge. Easter Island.

I made Big Bones. DogBones.

Elemental art. Primitive. Yet modern in concept. Big, powerful, environmental art“

- Excerpt from Mielczarek

Why we chose it: In a city rife with memorial art this playful sculpture takes an engaging approach, inviting physical interaction and imaginary play. While many may consider Dogbones to be benches, they simply represent a different facet of a broad range of approaches to public art. Art with this playful, inclusive, and approachable character is often considered to be ambassadors for art by giving people of all ages positive memories of their times with it.

Studio Kuefner

“We learn differently as children than adults. For grown-ups, learning a new skill is painful, attention-demanding, and slow. Children learn unconsciously and effortlessly” - Alison Gopnik

“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I

think, is still the secret of great creative

people” - Leo Burnett

“It has a circle and a line that holds the circle apart.” - Bradley, 4 yrs

this line is a verb connecting two nouns

Out of scale and out of place these giant bones create a unique invitation to playfulness in body and mind. In this place where people of all ages gather in the lively company of dogs, there is openness towards spontaneity and u n p r e d i c t a b i l i t y . Sometimes simple forms such as this delight us first and slowly coax us into closer consideration.

We wanted to capture the humour and accessibility of Dog Bones in a way that would invite children into our experience. To engage adults we created five

visual puns in “The Face”.

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” - Albert Einstein

The image of two hands clasped generates very personal reactions from people. We connect easily to this familiar image, that crosses cultural lines, to get at the universal human expression of trust, solidarity, and community. Recognizing the hands in this sculpture can be a challenging process of mentally organizing all its beautiful little shapes, but like all challenges it yields rich conversations, in this case, about perspective and balance.

In our studios, the clasping of the hands initiates discussions about why we might want to join things and what we might like to join. Things that are essential to join include emotional connections, such as mother and child, teacher and student, and friends. Similarly, there are geographic connections where parts of the city divided by the river must be connected. Additionally, there are connections with our environment that we bond with through hands-on exploration and the work we do with our hands.

Below is a curated collection of responses to the question “What do you see?” when you look at Good Hands, from people aged 1 to 100. Title:

The Good Hands

Artists: Leslie Putnam and David Bobier

Location: Peace Garden, York St at Thames St.

Date: unveiled September 15th 2011

Material: 1,653 kg of Galvanized steel

History: Commissioned by the London and District Trade Council to honour the Tolpuddle Martyrs who settled in London. The Tolpuddle Martyrs were a group of 19th century Dorset agricultural labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. The rules of the society show it was clearly structured as a friendly society, but at the time, friendly societies had strong elements of what are now considered to be the predominant role of trade unions.

Quote: “The Tolpuddle Martyrs were persecuted for trying to create a better life for their families and their community. This sculpture symbolizes, through the image of ‘good hands’ the good works, the struggles, the compassion and the tireless commitment of the Tolpuddle Martyrs in bringing about their vision of eliminating poverty and starvation for the working class.” Hector Mclellan, London District Labour Council

Why we chose it: This is an excellent example of a commemorative sculpture that refers to a moment in history but also speaks to universal issues, in this case, of job security, personal belief, and the power of human effort to shape our futures, however we may choose to do so. It is also the first large project initiated with the city’s public art program established in 2009.

Studio Kuefner

The Good in our Hands

When I look through these hands, I can see my community, And I ask myself, what do these hands really mean to me?

To me these hands tell a story of unity, They tell me of a world’s hope for prosperity.

Pieced together to make one unit, one whole, Giving art not to few, not to many, but to all.

No limit to education, freedom or trade, Words that were spoken, a deal that was made.

These hands reach out not to one but a million, just like we do in our work with children.

We reach out our hands to a sister or brother, We reach out making sure to care for each other.

These men, they reached out, they banded together, Just as we will for the children, now and forever.

- Alexander Jonesinspired by the quote, “ I do not want art for a few any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few.” - William Morris

The children were asked how would you help an animal cross a river? Victoria replied: You would use your strong arms to carry them across.

Hands are fine instruments for

research

“I hold my mom’s hand ‘cause cars can hurt me.”

“If we’re friends we can hold hands.”

“We can shake hands with people we have never seen before.”

”I work at a metal manufacturing company in London, and the first time I saw ”Good Hands” was on a computer screen, as a CAD drawing, as our shop was contracted to build the sculpture. I asked my project manager what the sculpture was for and he told me about the Tolpuddle Martyrs.

I didn't give the sculpture much thought until I came across this project and and was asked to describe "what I see".

What I see is a connection to the past. I see a monument constructed with modern technology for a group of 6 British labourers who had protested ongoing wage decreases in the early 19th century. They were tried, prosecuted, and sent to a penal colony as punishment for their dissent. I wonder if they would have been impressed with all of the technology that helped build this monument, or if it would have seemed overwhelming.

I also see the hands of the trade union workers who cut, assembled, welded, and erected the sculpture; hands building hands.”- Eduardo

“If we don’t hold hands I get lost when I walk.”

“You don’t hold hands when you’re mad.”

“We made a circle of hands.”

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” - Albert Einstein

This nesting array of circles towering over a four season garden is a musical instrument dating back 500 years in Holland, Belgium, and France, called a “carillon”. They were originally built to ring out civic announcements with coded arrangements of notes for “fire!” or “advancing army!”

During a prosperous time they were refined to play music that could be heard throughout the town both to inspire people, and sometimes on a schedule marking the quarter hour. It was said that good bells and good schools were the sign of a well-run city.

Designed in an era before audio recording and personal music players, the carillon takes us back to the time when listening to music was a communal experience and often involved watching the musicians and instruments. Looking straight up to see the carillon’s workings we begin to recognise patterns within patterns so that when the music itself emerges it too is seen as a pattern of movement of the bells.

Recognising patterns is a foundational math concept that encourages looking closely, making predictions, and checking in to see if the prediction was accurate. Patterns can offer mental challenges that span the disciplines from math and engineering to art and music, providing opportunities for creation, comprehension, and developing confidence.

Below is a curated collection of responses to the question “What do you see?” when you look at the Canadian War Memorial carillon, from people aged 1 – 100.

Title: Canadian Veterans Memorial

Artist: Gerard Pas

Date: September 22, 2006

Materials: 18 Bronze Bells (full and ½ octaves to allow a range of music to be playable) produced in the Netherlands, Stainless Steel Tower, granite base, and a flower garden

Location: Victoria Park

History: This memorial was given as a gift from the Dutch Community as an expression of thanks to Canada and its Armed Forces, for their role in the liberation of Holland and Belgium during World War II.

Why we choose it: This traditional Dutch structure, called a carillon, incorporates a broad range of music from the eras since WWII played throughout the day, musically linking the past to the present. Music is often considered to be a universal language, and one that is deeply connected to memory. This sculpture has the unique ability to grow and change over time by adding new musical compositions, continuously engaging new generations. We like that.

Studio Kuefner

“Where words fail music speaks.” - Hans Christian Andersen

To understand the carillon these children found a comparable structure in the form of an icicle. Through discussion, exploration, and documentation they develop a method for understanding and sharing:

From their study of the icicle the children were faced with the complexity of how to represent in 2 dimensions, drawing what they understand about an object in 3 dimensions. By looking at the icicle in tact and in cross section they understand that the conical pole of the carillon has both circular and linear elements. This is how Zoe included both perspectives simultaneously in her drawing:

“When decisions are made for how we build our city it is so important to hear the invaluable voices of children, as they will be the ones who live in the future we have shaped for them. As both a mother and a city councillor, I do my best to bring my children to as many civic events as possible so they know that their voice and presence is important to adults.”- Tanya Park, 31 yrs.

“It’s circles. But it ‘s a long line. Hmph.” - Sunper, 4 yrs.