Old Growth

Seen from a distance, “Old Growth” is a quiet sentinel watching over the land like the ancestors it honors. Monolithic, but natural, this installation describes the majesty of the ancient forest while echoing both the mass of the new Willamette River bridge & remnants of the old bridge. Standing on a 16’ diameter cement circle- outlining the size of a Willamette Valley old growth Douglas Fir felled in 1962- the 4’ square sculpture is the size of old growth in our forests today. Brass “growth rings” in the cement describe the historic to present timeline of this area. Approximately eleven trees per acre are all that remain of this new, old growth size tree within the state. This startling contrast reminds us of what is now history – the passage of time & the changing needs of people in the valley. The river has always carried trees downstream during floods & more recently as logs in booms to the sawmills of the valley.

The timbers used in “Old Growth” are bundled 12” x 12”, heart wood, fir salvaged from the Willamette River bridge construction. Their new use reinforces our values of recycling & sustainability. Twenty-four feet tall, the timbers appear bound as a bundle, held together by a wide metal band. Rust colored & glinting with reflections from images that are etched into its galvanized surface, the band gives further information about these awesome giants & their role in historic & contemporary life.

Additional historic prose, poetry & images of the Kalapuya people, the settlers, the cities of Eugene & Springfield, the Mill Race & the Willamette River illustrate the flow of water & life – the Whilamut Passage. Together these awaken our personal & communal memories, giving an indisputable example of what old growth really is & how important it is to the contemporary environment.

Cut from a tree, these Douglas Fir timbers are re-formed into an abstract sculpture of a tree. Telling the story of change over time, “Old Growth” creates a strong sense of place, providing a point of observation & reflection in one’s travels – a resting place for the body & spirit to breathe, look, listen, remember & perhaps shape the future.