Te Paepaetapu o Rākaihautū

Artwork

CreatorBooth, ChrisNameTe Paepaetapu o RākaihautūDate Made1997Medium DescriptionStone and galvanized steelObject NumberLU205Credit LineCommissioned by the Lincoln University Art Committee in 1997, during the artist's term as Artist in Residence with the Department of Landscape Architecture.Further informationNine pillars rise tall, each one constructed of stones stacked upon one another, resisting the damaging intentions of both gravity and the elements. This artwork was created for Lincoln University by environmental sculptor Chris Booth, well known for his sculptures that concern geology, the natural elements, and the history of the land and its peoples.

The stones were collected from areas across Canterbury and are complemented by indigenous planting. The work creates a narrative of the migration of materials as they travel from mountain to sea and the shaping of the landscape over the time of that gradual journey. It starts with a pillar of jagged pieces of limestone from the mountains at Castle Hill, including a solitary piece of jasper from the Torlesse Range, then as pillars of smooth greywacke from the mid and upper points of the Selwyn River (Waikirikiri), the Hororata River, the Kowai River, the Rakaia River before finishing at the sea near the shores of Lake Waihora at Taumutu.

The connection to the campus is reinforced as the soil and land of the site have been built up from a similar journey caused by erosion in the mountains over millions of years.
Artwork CopyrightAll rights reservedArt CollectionLincoln University Art Collection

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Te Paepaetapu o Rākaihautū