Time in its Flight

LOCATION: Municipal Hall Sculpture Garden, Rosina Giles Way
TITLE, DATE: Time in its Flight, 2009
ARTISTS: Anna Hanson (with Lex Hanson)
MEDIUM: Cedar and aluminum

Time in its Flight reflects the nature, environment and history of the Sunshine Coast. It combines two mediums: traditional western red cedar and contemporary aluminum. The overall shape of the sculpture is meant to evoke a “copper” – a shield-like sheet of copper that was used as a symbol of wealth in potlatches throughout the northwest Pacific coast. Between the backdrop of mountains and waves of the ocean are motifs symbolic of Coast life. The composition represents an evolution in style and technique from pre-historic times to the present.

The lower portion of the sculpture portrays simple petroglyphs; above this are waves and salmon forms depicted in a Coast Salish style. Atop this are a fishing boat, sailboat and birds in flight. The very top of the sculpture is a stylized bird made of aluminum, flying toward the sky.

Artist Anna Hanson maintained an art studio in Roberts Creek between 1992 - 2018. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at UBC in 1974, and continued her specialization in sculpture at Emily Carr and Capilano College in the late 1970s. Hanson’s artistic inspiration comes from her grandfather, the late Dudley Carter (1891-1992) who was famous for his monumental wood sculptures (two of which are included in this walking tour). Hanson’s material of choice is cedar and she avoided the use of power tools, preferring instead the same tools her grandfather would have used – an axe, adze, and chisel. Her work was always true to the medium, preserving the natural character of the wood.
In 1994, Hanson hand carved two 'Sechelt Welcomes You' signs located at the east and west ends of the District of Sechelt, along the Sunshine Coast Highway.