Oeuvre Coburn
It’s a peaceful, bucolic panorama- heavy, muscled work horses heaving a load of logs over rolling pasture hills, a sleepy barn nestled into the trees beyond. It is a scene that invites the viewer to take a step back, enjoy. The interactive nature of the framework and sculptural horses serves to draw the visitor into direct contact, to play and partake in the peaceful vision of a time long passed.
This public artwork by Mr. Jean-Marc Tetro aims to highlight the 50th anniversary of the death of notable artist Frederick Simpson Coburn. A native of Melbourne Quebec, Coburn is one of the few internationally recognized Quebec artists to have achieved success in his own lifetime. He helped raise awareness of rural life in Quebec, first by his illustrations, then by his winter paintings.
The galvanized steel of the permanent art installation was donated with respect for the pastoral lifework of Frederick Simpson Coburn. Tetro was very familiar with the dependable durability and appealing, natural aesthetic of hot-dip galvanized steel. He felt the strong abrasion-resistance created by the metallurgical bonding of zinc to steel would serve the sculpture well, as it is intended to be a tactile, interactive work of art. Not only will the tough barrier protection of the zinc coating stand as a first line of defense against corrosion, the cathodic protection created during the galvanizing process will also sacrificially protect the piece from nicks and scratches.
This sculpture will serve as both a lovely tribute to Coburn and a beacon of the aesthetics and durability of galvanized steel. This cultural project is sure to become a popular tourist attraction, and a symbolic ‘postcard’ for the town of Val Saint-Francois. Residents of the region and tourists alike will enjoy paying tribute to this influential artist for decades to come.
