Art
Vertical Boldness: Transforming Access Doors Into Works of Art
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Vertical Boldness: Transforming Access Doors Into Works of Art
Verticality in architecture conveys aesthetic, symbolic and cultural meanings, representing concepts such as elegance, sophistication, modernity, progress and technological advancement. In religious buildings, for example, it symbolizes greatness and a connection with the divine. These strategies are very common in Gothic architecture, as well as Art déco buildings or even the skyscrapers of Mies van der Rohe. But these elements need not be restricted to grandiose constructions. Even in single-family homes, working with elements that refer to verticality can be just as useful, playing with volumes and facades or working with openings, such as windows and doors.
In contemporary houses, with large halls and high ceilings, oversized doors are especially on-trend. They make a bold statement, drawing attention and accentuating the height of a building. Oikos, a manufacturer of high-performance entry doors, has launched the Skydoors aluminum coating line, which adopts a unique approach focusing on verticality to create designs that seem to reach the sky. They create elegant entrance architecture with special attention to technical details that improve the aesthetics and design of doors, without compromising functionality.
The Skydoors line includes two main products, with similar yet distinct features: Direttrice and Orizzonte. The first focuses on the vertical features by reducing the space between the slats that make up the door, which have different widths (from 75 to 210 mm) held at the same distance from each other through a precise fixation insertion. This design gives movement and elegance to the general appearance of the door, creating thin and rigorous lines that evoke verticality, emphasizing the height of this constructive element.
On the other hand, the Orizzonte model highlights horizontal features that contrast with the predominant verticality of the product line. These horizontal features symbolize the line between heaven and earth, that is, the horizon, which becomes the main focal point of the design. A unique feature of the Orizzonte model is the aluminum groove, which adds a decorative element either in harmony with the finish of the covering, or can create a sharp contrast through the use of a different color, adding a touch of originality.
Handles were also carefully selected by Oikos, becoming an integral part of the door design. Fitting perfectly within the vertical slats, the handle houses all the opening accessories of the door, including integrated glass supports that further improve the high technology elements. In addition, the aluminum finishes available on the Skydoors line are diverse, and can vary from light to dark tones, including the colors of the brand palette and metal tones such as bronze and copper. This enables a wide range of options that allows the door to adapt to contemporary architecture and become an element of surprise with its visual and tactile effects. Thus, the doors are more than just a functional element in a construction, becoming prominent points in the design, and transforming the entrance of a building into an expression of style and sophistication.
As he stood in the Art Gallery of Peterborough looking at the large portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, Alex Bierk says he can “hear my dad painting on it, being excited about working on it.”
The city councillor spoke passionately about his father David Bierk as the portrait went on public display Wednesday evening for the first time since it was removed from the Peterborough Memorial Centre last fall where it hung over the ice for nearly five decades.
“So intuitively and immediately I’m connected to my dad’s big presence and his energy when I view this work,” Bierk told the audience.
READ MORE: Art Galley of Peterborough acquires Queen Elizabeth II portrait from Memorial Centre
In February, the gallery acquired the eight f0ot-by-12-foot portrait, which was first installed at the arena in January 1980 and remained there until the State Funeral of the Queen on Sept. 19, 2022.
Original commissioning documents, held at Trent Valley Archives in Peterborough, state that if the painting ever needed to be removed, it should be donated to the Art Gallery of Peterborough, or the Peterborough Public Library, whichever was preferred.
Briefly in 2003, the painting was removed from its original location due to arena renovations. However, public protest saw the portrait rehung.
Peterborough city councillor Alex Bierk talks about his father David’s Queen Elizabeth II portrait during a reception at the Art Gallery of Peterborough on June 7, 2023.
Harrison Perkins/Special to Global New Peterborough
Bierk follows in his father’s footsteps as an oil painter and says the portrait is a labour of love. He recalled running around the Memorial Centre as a kid looking up at the painting. Bierk’s brother Zac is a former Peterborough Petes player. David died in 2002 at the age of 58.
“The painting intersects my dad’s love of sports and his life as an artist and how it hung over Zac’s head all those years he played for the Petes,” Alex said.
The portrait was launched as part of the gallery’s Special Project: Tea with the Queens exhibition, a short-run project to showcase David Bierk’s painting, Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II before it goes into collection storage joining the Permanent Collection.
The portrait will hang in the gallery until June 29 alongside works by artists who are Indigenous, queer, and living with disabilities.
“We’ve got a lot of works by David Bierk so it’s pretty exciting to have this joining a number of his other pieces,” curator Fynn Leitch said.
There will also be a series of afternoon tea sittings or “Tea with the Queens,” hosted by local drag performers Betty Baker and Sahira Q. Seatings will take place on June 11 and June 14 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and June 22 at 4 p.m. Tickets are available to purchase in person at the gallery or by calling 705-743-9179 during regular business hours.
David Bierk and members of the Major Bennett Chapter of the IODE as his portrait of “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II” was installed at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Jan. 9, 1980.
Photo provided by Trent Valley Archives from the Major Bennett IODE Fonds.
The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II hung over the Memorial Centre from 1980 to 2022.
Peterborough Petes photo
Mayor Jeff Leal recalled he and others taking classes under David Bierk who was seen as an “artistic genius” and helped many to “develop a unique love of the arts.”
Bierk says his family is appreciative of the gallery for accepting the painting.
“The amount of calls I got asking if I was going to take the painting — no!” he quipped as he waved his hands. “We’re really glad it’s here. It’s safe and being a part of the collection at the Art Gallery of Peterborough will ensure it will live on in our community in really beautiful ways — ways like I felt when I walked into this room tonight.”
Also launched Wednesday was Wayfinding: Works from the Youth Art Mentorship Program, a collection of works by youth artists Amber Rose, A. Carabine, Charley Pesonen, Kellan Mackenzie, Lauren Armstrong, and Mujgan Hussein Zada who spent the last three months working with artist-mentor Spencer J. Harrison. The goal was to explore the professional practice of being an artist and produce an exhibition of their work. The youth were selected by a jury of arts professionals earlier this year.
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Winnipeg Art Gallery sells four QEII prints to purchase Indigenous art CityNews Winnipeg
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Four Andy Warhol paintings that were part of the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s collection have sold at auction, with the money being used to help increase the Indigenous art collection at the gallery.
Four colour silkscreens of Queen Elizabeth II created in 1985 were on the auction block Thursday at Cowley Abbott Auctioneers, where the realized price when the auction ended was $936,000.
A spokesperson for the gallery says the money from the sale will go towards an endowment that will sit for at least one year. The gallery will use the accumulated interest to begin purchasing artwork by Indigenous artists to add to its permanent collection.
While the Winnipeg Art Gallery contains the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art, only around one per cent of its collection is from First Nations and Metis artists.
The artwork by the famed pop artist was estimated to sell for between $700,000 and $900,000. It was donated to the WAG in 1999 by a collector.
-With files from CTV’s Taylor Brock
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