DEAN DREVER, BEAR WITH SALMON, 2014
Location: 10423 101 ST, EPCOR BUILDING, LOBBY
Bear with Salmon is a 7,200 pound, massive steel sculpture cultivated from the mind of local Edmonton sculptor Dean Drever. In his process, Drever describes: “It’s important to me when I make a bear that it’s a happy bear… she’s not an aggressive bear. I think bears have a bad rap”. This extraordinary sculpture was cast in New York, and fit into EPCOR tower by crane through a 9 meter hole in the wall.
She was cast at a foundry in Rock Tavern, N.Y., the only place in North America that can do such a job, according to Drever. The sculpture started as 17 pieces of metal, each poured two to five centimetres thick and welded together once solidified.
Bronze would have been easier, cheaper, the artist explains, but it didn’t feel right. “My work has always been concerned with white metal, shiny things, pristine things.”
Qualico, the developer that owns the building, had reserved a portion of the lobby for some sort of artwork but hadn’t yet decided what to install. Then, Drever sent them a largescale pencil sketch of the bear.
Anyone who walks into the Epcor Tower can see but they won’t hear her. Drever decided against a real waterfall. “I hate noisy waterfalls. You’re standing there looking at the bear and can’t even hear the person talking to you.”
Biography: Dean Drever, an Edmonton-born sculptor, created the work as part of his creative explorations of violence, power and anger. The 41-year old often works with ready-made objects such as guns, baseball bats and wrenches, modifying them with paint and engraved words. He also creates sculptures from new materials; a recent work is a Ku Klux Klan member in regalia built of stacked paper, the ideology and costume that defines him ironically flammable.
Sponsors: ECPOR
Sources: https://www.pressreader.com/canada/edmonton-journal/20111119/textview
Photo Credit: DEAN DREVER STUDIOS