Standing Split

Harder, based in Wells, BC, often juxtaposes elements in his work as a way of provoking thought and examining relationships. In Standing Split he plays with the perceived binaries between the forest and the city; natural and fabricated states. Harder constructed the sculptural-installation using a single fir tree that had been sectioned and sawed in half. The interior of the logs face outward, exposed, while the rounded-bark-covered side faces inward, hidden from initial view. At the center of artwork is a wooden bench that can be accessed through an opening in the circle. From this vantage point it is easy to imagine oneself transported from the urban environment. In contrast, the exterior of Standing Split bears the evidence of the industry that processed it.