This sculpture, commissioned for Hotel Arts Complex, is a part of the now-defunct developer TORODE’s commitment to becoming a leader in promoting art and culture in Calgary. Celebrated local artist Jeff de Boer, with his team, created this corrosion resistant stainless steel and multi-coloured light sculpture. It sits 18 feet (6 metres) high and has 144 overlapping plates that connect to each other. Between each plate is a space that is filled with Plexiglas and 736 LED lights. Sadly, the LED lights have started to fail but that’s understandable as the sculpture was finished in Feb 2009.
Jeff de Boer is a Calgary-based multi-media artist educated at the Alberta College of Art and Design. With an emphasis on metal, he is best known for artwork that includes armour for cats and mice, armour ties and sword-handled briefcases, rocket lamps and pop culture ray guns, to high art and abstract works called exoforms. He is also known for numerous Calgary Public works, including the Rainbow Trout (Stampede Enmax Park), the wiry rodeo cowboys (CrossIron Mills), a barbed wire bucking bronco (Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB), and the giant wind-up tin toy airplanes (Calgary International Airport.)
Jeff creates impressive metal armour for cats and mice based on different historical eras, from ancient samurai armour to Renessaince knight armour suits. He started making these sculptures as a little side project on his sculpting class, since 1986. In the war between cats and mice, artist Jeff de Boer hasn’t picked a side. He’s more of a Nic Cage, Lord of War type.
For protectors of animals, we’re glad to notice that Jeff didn’t experiment with mices, but his attempt to dress a cat in a knightly armour has ended with scratches and scars.
All of his work demonstrate his commitment to creating beautiful, well-made, and meaningful art. “I do not want to make art that people cannot understand.” He also believes that art does not have to be serious. Jeff’s definition of the enlightenment is that things need to lighten up. The wind-up toy named “When Aviation was Young” at the Calgary Airport is one of the best examples of this philosophy. He wants his art to evoke a memory. Watching kids play with the toy while waiting for a flight makes us remember playing when we were kids.
Additional works around the airport include the Tin Trees and the sire framed animals, including Geese, Big Horn Sheep, Elk, Eagle and the Lynx Family.
In order to log this virtual cache, message the CO the answers to the following questions:
1. Look carefully at the bottom of the sphere. What color is the sticker there?
2. Optional but fun - post a photo near GZ.
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.