A fantasy forest is now open in central Tauranga after Mayor Stuart Crosby cut the ribbon for the TVNZ Urban Transformation at The Strand on Monday morning.
Urban transformers Graham Crow and Megan Wilson at the opening of their fantasy forest at The Strand.
Open to the public until the end of the Garden and Artfest on November 14, Urban Transformation is a red and green fantasy forest in the place of the usual open space at Masonic Park.
Completely changing the character of an inner city park is an ambitious project, but artist Graham Crow joined with landscape designer Megan Wilson to achieve what they believe is a concept that will be the talk of the festival.
Graham is a well known Bay of Plenty artist with a reputation for exploring new dimensions.
Megan is an artist and soft landscaper working under the evocative name of Earth Canvas. They share an interest in life drawing and nature.
Working together, they have come up with a fantasy forest in red and green with 300 metres of red fabric and 84 kauri trees hired from Brian Miller at Nikau Grove nursery. This is combined with complementary placements of red phormium (flax) and Astelia banksii.
Graham and Megan spent several days in the bush with photographer Michael Baker in the planning process.
As well as their design, musician Liam Ryan developed a soundtrack and recorded bird song which plays in the forest.
Baycourt's lighting experts, John Meehan from Arbor Care, Natural Habitat's Jason Muir, and Nyree Sherlock also contributed to the transformation that includes a slideshow merging images from the bush with the fantastic forest, the song of birds never heard in the city and an atmosphere which changes as the forest lights up after dusk.
5 comments
Parking
Posted on 01-11-2010 19:21 | By Countrygirl
This will be a good place to visit when the parking is FREE......Saturdays I believe, in the parking buildings.
Check them out at night
Posted on 02-11-2010 08:33 | By Murray.Guy
Under the lights in the evenings will be when the fantasy forest takes on it's uniqueness and wow factor. Buy a Kauri: the forest includes 84 three metre kauri trees which the owner, Brian Miller of Nikau Grove nursery, has agreed to make available to the organisers as a 'fundraiser' and an opportunity to add 84 kauri trees to our city. These trees are available for tender / purchase. I've a red ribbon around the trunk of my chosen tree!
Wake up people
Posted on 02-11-2010 08:36 | By Tony
Ahhh Its 40 or 50 trees in plastic bags placed neatly in rows with a few lights and some red banners between then What a crock of ....
response to Tony
Posted on 02-11-2010 10:09 | By morepork
Your post made me smile and I like your forthright and honest opinion. However, there is a danger here, Tony. You could equally well say that the Mona Lisa is just some canvas with pigments splotched on it, and Michelangelo's "David" is just some marble that's had a few bits knocked off it,and a blazing sunset over Tauranga harbour is really no different to any other time of day. It's all a crock, if that's how you perceive it. "Art" is a very subjective thing. As such, it isn't everybody's cup of tea, but most of us are moved by SOMETHING. (It's part of what makes us "Human" :-)) I suggest, you take another look at the fantasy forest, maybe at dusk, and see if you can see past the "apparent" crock and derive something more satisfying for yourself. If you can't, well, no harm is done; if you can, you might ponder on the difference between what appears to be so and what your imagination and sensitivity can make from that apparency...
I agree
Posted on 02-11-2010 16:06 | By Tony
Morepork you are so so so right Art is to be tresuared and makes us stand apart from other creatures that wonder the planet. What I meant to say is It isnt art just beacause someone says its art eh
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