Rising Tide, 1999, ceramic mural, 12.6% 3
metres, Cosmo Plaza, 8788 McKim Way, Rich-
mane, right: above: detail.

[twas a year ago this July when I received
the terms of reference for the Cosmo Plaza
public art project in Richmond, Having ne
background in public art, 1 thought at first
it would be futile to compete but then
decided that not trying would be the only
sure way not to get the commission. So |
decided to throw in my bat, and attended
the information session at the site in early
August. Tt was more than a itt over
whelming to stand below the towering
three-storey elevator shaft identified as
the site for the artwork. Whar could |
possibly propose?

Shortly after that mecting, I went to our
cabin on a remote island in Barkley Sound
for a vacation and inspiration arrived. I
was sitting in my favourite spot revelling
in the beauty and thriving sea life of the
intertidal zone and the idea came to me to
representa vertical slice of the seashore on
the elevator shaft in relief ceramic tile,
with particular emphasis on the intertidal
zone, which I have gained an appreciation
for and fascination with over the past few
years. The coastline of the island is a
rocky, protected shore where the intertidal
zone is a fascinating study in biodiversity,
complexity, adaptation and beauty. [hope
the mural portrays some of these things. |
decided to represent the seashore from
about [2°underwater, through the inter-
tidal sone, beach, rocky sleore, forest, dis-
tant mountains and sky, I drew up my first
sketch in about an hour. A week or two
later, | was pleased and excited to learn
that [ had been shortlisted with three or
four other artists, We were required to

September 1999

CONNIE GLOVER
prepare au more detailed propesal and [
produced two sumple tile pieces, cach
measuring approximately 18" x 30", to
Hlustrate my idea of relief ceramic tle
depicting starfish, anemones and other
creatures of the intertidal zone and pre-
sented these along with a larger, more
detailed sketch, a budget and a rationale. [t
was the end of September last year when [
learned that my proposal had been ac-
cepled, [ was elated but also somewhat
daunted by the enormity of the task before
me. What if | made this huge thing and
notxxty liked it? Whatafit fell off the wall?

Before beginning the work inclay, [worked

Potters Guild af British Columbia

out the design by doing 4 full-size sketch
on paper, This was laped to the elevator
shaft and some minor modifications were
made to the design at this point. Later, the
sketch was used to Wace forms ante the
clay and as a reference. | began the clay
work in mid-November.

The tiles were made by rolling out 1/2"
thick slabs of clay oo my slab roller and
covering my studia lable, which had been
extended to be the width of the elevator
shaft plus 10% for shrinkage of the clay
during drying ars firing. I pounded and

Pizate see GLOVER Page o