BY RYAN MC ALEER
The installation of the sculpture 'TreeLines' took another step in Omagh District Council's arts project for Omagh's town centre yesterday morning.
Onlookers on Bridge Street gaped in amazement at the sight of a glistening two and a half ton stainless steel tree soaring up over the River Strule as it took its place at the entrance concourse of the new Strule Arts Centre.
Ranging seven metres in height and three metres wide at the top the tree sculpture, made from marine grade stainless steel, took artist Chris Wilson under six months to create.
He was commissioned for the piece after being selected from a competition run by Omagh District Council last May.
A professional artist since 1982 and native of Belfast Chris now resides on the North Coast. He described the inspiration behind 'TreeLines' as being the connections of family trees and history with places and pathways. The piece is hand inscribed with a map of 270 townlands and place-names across the Omagh area with the dark and light patterns echoing those of a birch tree.
Chris described the "child-like" nature of the inscriptions reflecting the sentimentality people have with places and how "the patterns lead up to the branches, which are themselves like roadways".
Chairman of Omagh District Council Sean Begley said he was delighted at the installation. "It's another important feature in the regeneration and revitalisation of Omagh and it reflects the positive, modern image which is being created in the town."
The £63,000 sculpture is part of the £9 million arts centre project, which is funded jointly by the Arts Council for Northern Ireland, the Department of Social Development, and Omagh District Council.
'TreeLines' is among one of the largest works Chris Wilson has produced. It continues the theme of landscape and maps
which he has been incorporating into his work since 1985. Other recent projects have included "River Lines", an 8 metre steel column on display on the Toome Bypass and "Global Journeys" a 2 metre in diameter bronze sphere in Newcastle Promenade, county Down.
The scale of the sculpture proved a logistical challenge for the on site teams. A 180 ton crane hoisted the piece from the back of a lorry on Bridge Street, dramatically swinging it up and over the River Strule to be put in place a the top of the steps by the front of the new arts centre. The sculpture will be visible from both the High Street and Bridge Street.
Ground level lighting of the tree will be connected in the next few weeks to further enhance the modern sculpture's visual impact at night. The new Arts Centre is due to open early this summer.
