Ron Bolt's large work "Cobourg Light" was commissioned by the town of Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, through a juried process organized by the Art Gallery of Northumberland and is scheduled for installation from the 4th April. It is part of a public art project funded through a $150,000 donation by an anonymous local citizen.
The piece was installed recently in the entrance hall of the new community centre. It measures 106 x 88.5 in (270 x 225 cm) and is oil on canvas stretched over 3 separate plywood panels. Bolt describes the work as follows.
"Lands and communities such as Cobourg that border on large bodies of water are bathed in a particular quality of light, a light made more brilliant when it is reflected off lakes and oceans. Subtle changes in light caused by shifting clouds are also more evident.
" 'Cobourg Light' can also be interpreted as 'Cobourg light-hearted." During the hot days of summer the young people claim the Cobourg light as their own. They congregate at its base, climb it and use it as a jumping tower.
"Cobourg, a small community, exists on the edge of a huge space that is lake and sky. The small central panel is inserted between water and sky. Figures within the panel are even smaller and more insignificant against the immensity of raw nature."
Bolt's past commissions include numerous private and corporate installations in Canada, the US and the UK plus pieces for the Canadian Provincial and Federal governments including a large work for the Canadian consulate in Sydney, Australia.