Artist gives tree new life
July 3, 2007
Artist gives tree new life; Cecil D. Long pays homage to community with arborial artwork
Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Page: C2
Section: Business
Byline: BY STEPHANIE KUKKONEN TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
Artist Cecil D. Long is commemorating the community with a tree.
Long, also the owner of Cecil D's Studio 134, a clothing store on Church Street in Moncton, isn't planting a new tree, he's turning an old one into a sculpture.
The maple tree in front of the store has been rotting and causing concern. An arborist recommended it be taken down, but Long knew he could think of something to prevent that.
"I wanted to keep the tree," he says. "So I said to leave it there until I could think of something to do with it." It didn't take him long to figure out that, even though he has lived all over the world, he always comes back to Moncton because he loves the sense of community. It's that love that inspired his vision for the tree.
"There are five figures at the top of the tree. I'm going to make them into five heads that all go down into the one base, which is the costume." Long says the sculpture is going to be seen from the road so the heads have to be abstract but not menacing. The five separate parts represent the different parts of the community, in particular Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview. All these parts will be joined at the trunk.
"I don't think that the people ever separated," Long says of the three distinct municipalities, "so this will represent that unity and its history." Long also says the main focus is respecting the integrity of the tree. He acknowledges that the tree has been around a lot longer than the people in this community, so he wants to maintain that historical ideal, while still making a social statement.
"For the most part, as artists, you try to get along," says Long, "but sometimes you have to be a little bit sensational." The base of the tree is strong and Long says that he is going to use biodegradable finishes on his work in order to maintain its strength for as long as possible. He says that he is thinking about adding a little bit of colour to the costume, but for the most part is going to keep the original colouring.
"I've looked at the tree and had it shaped into the design I need to complete the work," he says.
"I might use some colour on the costume because colour makes you young. But I am always respecting the integrity of the tree." Long has not been able to start his design on the tree because of the rain. He says his love of the community and its history of tolerance should be commemorated and he is happy to do it.
"I'm 61 years old and people are going to wonder who the crazy guy hanging from the tree is," he laughs.
© 2007 Times & Transcript (Moncton)
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