Resonant Progression
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Resonant Progression, by Edmonton sculptor Royden Mills, consists of three sculptures placed in conceptually linked sites along the Terwillegar Park path. The sculptural components link the viewer with the site’s history and the sounds of nature, while offering an invitation to slow down and immerse in time and nature’s tempo.
Entitled Potential, Resonant Point, and Beyond Listening, each offers a figurative and literal connection to a resonant progression. Mills’ sculptures are intended to metaphorically respond to the site, but through the inclusion of acoustic properties within each, he has also constructed a literal resonance. Low-tech and rugged, the sculptures marry hand-welded steel with granite boulders sourced and hand-selected by the artist from the Edmonton area. The installation is imbued with the artist’s passion and love for Edmonton, its history, and creative communities.
The artist envisions a site where “generations of families may joyfully play,” that sparks creative interactions and reflections from all Edmontonians.
The individual sculptures are:
Potential – the starting point of Resonant Progression. Park users may pause and reflect on “potential”. Sounds made here can be heard through a parabolic collection listening device at the second sculpture.
Resonant Point –This sculpture is about sonorous contemplation. The largest of the sculptures, it offers two means of enjoying sound. The low dome allows people to bow, enter, and sit at the epicenter while emitting a vocal tone. The second component faces back to site one. Like an old-fashioned hearing aid, it collects sound from the distance and allows a person to hear further than they normally might without assistance.
Beyond Listening – The sculpture recalls early doctors in the area and the shape and form of a stethoscope. Pointed across the river, it allows viewers to listen to the sounds of nature and history through the earpiece