Sculpture and Ralph Hicks

It’s a cold and overcast day in February and a man sits alone at a park bench, at the Odette Sculpture Park. He watches as the river splashes aggressively about, caused by the strong wind blowing that day. Perched above him on the top of a hill just a few feet from the road, sits a large-scale sculpture called “Salutation”, by Ralph Hicks. Standing only 6 feet tall, it’s original conception called for the sculpture to have a height 30 feet and be placed at five of the major entryways leading into Toronto. They would have welcomed visitors entering the city, if Toronto had won the bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

On the first visit to Salutation, the lack of sun casts a shadow on the face as it bends forward and faces down, displaying a feeling of sadness. Shaped from metal and grey in colour, the sculpture seems to reflect a feeling of submissiveness on this dark winter day. Its block-like smooth texture contrasts to the nature surrounding it, but offers balance with its simplistic lines and movement. The large size does not intimidate, but rather holds a lonely tone, reflected by the day’s weather. The use of block like pieces allows for a childlike appearance and its rounded corners allow the installation to feel friendly. If the structure had contained sharp corners with a combination of grey colour and metal exterior, it would have projected hard lines and been unwelcoming. Though it appears Hick’s motive for its location was to greet people as they drove by, I have to question that decision. Salutation is not only misunderstood but also neglected by motorists who do not have the ability to interpret the meaning of the piece. Neither did it receive much attention from the pedestrians walking below. The riverside path is located at the bottom of the hill and by observing a few walking bye, they did not look up towards the sculpture once. The visitors attention seemed to be directed at either the river, the other sculptures, the skyline or themselves. Thus