Lord Mayor unveils ‘Bushy’ by Corban Walker in Bushy Park

(Pictured from left Sculpture Dublin Programme Manager Karen Downey; The Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland; with artist Corban Walker in front of his piece ‘Bushy’ which is the fourth of six new sculptures as a part of the Sculpture Dublin initiative. Pic:Naoise Culhane.)

Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland today formally unveiled ‘Bushy’ by artist Corban Walker, in Bushy Park, Terenure.

‘Bushy’ is the fourth of six new sculptures commissioned as part of Dublin City Council’s Sculpture Dublin initiative.

The unveiling of ‘Bushy’ follows similar new commissions for City Hall in central Dublin, Smithfield Square Lower in Dublin 7, and Kildonan Park in Finglas.

The final two new sculptures as part of the series will be unveiled in the year ahead.

‘Bushy’ is an elegant, large-scale work comprising many configurations of a stacked, cellular grid.

The interplay between projecting, recessed, and off-set sections of the sculpture creates a lively, elegant vision that belies the complexity of its making and echoes the ripples on the surface of the adjacent water.

Standing at over 7 metres high, the minimalist work enhances the reflective and meditative environment of the adjacent pond and is a new and distinctive feature for Bushy Park.

Speaking today at the unveiling, Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland said, “I am very proud to officially unveil ‘Bushy’, the latest in Dublin City Council’s Sculpture Dublin series.

“I want to congratulate Corban Walker on creating a piece that is so fitting for its location here in the wonderful Bushy Park.

“We are extremely fortunate to have an artist of the calibre of Corban Walker participating in Dublin City Council’s Sculpture Dublin commissioning programme that is really making an impact on our city.

“I welcome the significant amount of public engagement that is happening around all of the Sculpture Dublin commissions and hope that those living nearby, visitors to the park, and those with an interest in sculpture and public art will come and enjoy Corban’s work.”

Artist Corban Walker (pictured above) said: “I am honoured to have been invited to create this sculpture for Bushy Park as a part of the Sculpture Dublin programme.

“I had wanted to create an artwork in a public park for a long time and Bushy Park provided me with the perfect opportunity to explore and reflect the rich beauty of its natural environment.

“The surface of the metal structure will alter over the course of the day, reflecting the ever-changing light while offering itself as an object of meditation alongside the pixelated glimpses of the leaves and branches of the mature oak trees that form its natural backdrop.

“I hope its presence is welcomed and enjoyed by local people and visitors to the park”

Programme Director of Sculpture Dublin, Karen Downey, commented: “It has been a pleasure to work with Corban Walker to support the realisation of his bold artistic vision for Bushy Park; a large suburban park that currently has little in the way of public sculpture.

“Sculpture Dublin has run a number of creative projects around this commission and has encountered great interest and appetite for public art among local people.

“The sculpture, while static and complex in its linear form and design, is subtly and sensitively attuned to its surroundings.

“We hope that it will be appreciated and enjoyed by locals and will attract new visitors to this beautiful park.

“It is also very exciting that we can launch this new artwork only a few days before International Sculpture Day this Saturday.

“We are planning a series of events, tours, launches and lectures to encourage people to engage with the many new and existing sculptures in central Dublin and throughout the city.

“I hope anyone interested will participate.”