By Noelle Dupret Smith

Published Aug. 14 2018

To paraphrase Shrek “All good thingshave layers.” For these two sculptures both the physical layers andthe layers of techniques play a key role in their identifies.

As you walk by the V&S DepartmentStore on the main street of Haliburton you will notice a large squaresculpture created by Darrell Markewitz.

The many layers of thispiece are what makes it so marvelous.

Hence its name “Layers”Markewitz carefully forged together strips of steel and variousalloys; some polished some rusting some manipulated with differenttextures. It is hard to make a square look dynamic but the range oftechniques materials and layers used by Markewitz showcases histalent and provides an additional sense of depth to the piece.

Layering different techniques is whatmakes “Musical Inspiration” in the Haliburton Sculpture Forestby Zimbabwian sculptor Simon Chidharara so interesting.

Believe itor not Chidharara used only one piece of springstone for the entirepiece. At the back of the piece the surface of the stone is rough andrust coloured. It has been left untouched and exposed to the air.

Part of the woman’s headdress on the front the sculpture is agunmetal grey this is the result of Chidharara scoring the stone.

Finally the part that draws the most attention is the band of blackon the front. Chidharara polished this section heated it andinfused clear polish into the pores of the stone. The effect is aglistening jet black. On this background he scored narrow channelsand filled them with crushed dolomite; creating sinuous white lines.The artist did a fabulous job of using different techniques on onematerial to create a layered effect.

Please wanderdown main street of Haliburton and see the Downtown Sculptureexhibition of six sculptures and visit Haliburton Sculpture Forest.There are free tours of the Sculpture Forest Tuesdays 10 to 11:30a.m. and Wednesdays 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.www.haliburtonsculptureforest.ca