About the Artwork
“Welcome to the Zoo examines the bizarre history of Queen’s Park’s first zoo. It references the interesting relationship that early settlers had with their environment, and explores the idea that then, as now, nature surrounds us. The ability to see it is often a matter of perspective. When you begin to look at your environment through this lens, you realize that nature is often looking back.
This artwork is comprised of deconstructed sculptures of the zoo’s first inhabitants. The folded plate metal animals are segmented, much like the bars of a cage. Viewed from an angle the pieces are abstracted, but as the viewer moves around the work, the complete image comes into focus.” - Nathan Lee
About the artist
Nathan Lee was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. With over a decade and a half of design and fabrication experience, he is sensitive to the unique qualities of site and materials to create refined and richly laden projects with local meaning. As a craftsman he has shaped wood, molded concrete, and engineered paper. His work emphasizes simple, elegant, and sustainable design, and is often inspired by materials and place with historical, or environmental significance. He has received public art commissions from numerous municipalities including Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver and Port Moody and has also exhibited work at nationally recognized venues such as the Royal Ontario Museum, The Museum of Vancouver, and the Design Exchange.
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Welcome to Zoo_DIY_Maquette.pdf
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