RISING STRONG

We've been through a lot. We all need to take a moment, take a breath. We've all lost something:  education, jobs, social contact, certainty. Some of us have lost friends and family. And there hasn't been the time or space to take stock of our losses. Thus this memorial, “Rising Strong”.  A place where we can all pause and remember.  This idea is a place of both remembrance and encouragement, a place to take a breath.

Where did the name Rising Strong come from? 

The piece takes its name from the work of Casandra Brene Brown an American researcher, storyteller, Professor, author and podcast host. Brene says “Rising Strong after a fall is how we cultivate wholeheartedness in our lives. It is the process that teaches us the most about who we are.”

Inspiration for the shape of Rising Strong

As the Rising Strong installation was to be placed in the Ardrossan garden of remembrance the artist drew on the work of The Sculptural Ensemble of Constantin Brancusi at Targu Jiu, an art homage to the fallen of the First World War in Romania. The ensemble is considered to be one of the greatest 20th-century outdoor sculptures.

Constantin Brancusi is often regarded as the most important sculptor of the 20th century. His sculptures are deceptively simple, with their reduced forms aiming to reveal hidden truths.  This insight was the springboard for the creation of the Rising Strong installation. The materials Brancusi used were primarily marble, wood, stone, bronze, and metal which he used to concentrate on highly simplified forms free from ornamentation.  For the Rising Strong installation the artist has chosen to work in wood and like Brancusi concentrated on a highly simplified form free of ornamentation.

Insights into Rising Strong from Lachlan Cameron, the artist.

The reduced forms of each block reveal hidden truths about the impact of  COVID-19 on every generation and hint at how collectively we are able to regain our emotional footing.  Rising Strong as we breathe, grieve and build resilience together.