Stamen

Artwork Name: Stamen

Artist Name: Trevor Nathan

Location: Intersection of Ranolf and Haupapa Streets

Medium: Powder coated steel

Artist Trevor Nathan chose to represent the pōhutukawa flower in his sculpture at the entrance to Kuirau Park. The park has many pōhutukawa trees  and he wanted to recognise all the natural flora in an area that used to be a swampy lake foreshore.

Depicting the stamen, the pollen-producing central part of the flower, Nathan has used seven beams of steel (weighing 250kg) to create an abstract rendition.

The pōhutukawa flower was the inspiration for artist Trevor Nathan in this dramatic sculpture. 

Nathan used seven beams of steel (weighing 250kg) to abstractly depict the stamen of the flower. It has been positioned so that viewers can do a 360 degree walk around the artwork and it can be seen by passers-by on Ranolf Street.

Nathan also chose to use seven beams, as gardeners do in arranging groups of plants. The odd numbers help create eye-catching compositions that are visually balanced and harmonious. Nathan likes to use vivid colour in his works. The colour provides a strong design element and harks back to his painting background.

Credit: Trevor Nathan, Stamen, 2016. Commissioned by Rotorua Lakes Council

About the artist: Trevor Nathan started his career as a brush-trained sign-writer.  He followed this career for over 20 years, then at 35, decided to go back to art school.  He graduated with an art and design diploma from Waiariki Institute of Technology. It was there he discovered his love of carving.

Nathan has been sculpting full time since 2003, working primarily with a variety of stone and wood. He now lives and works in Tikitere, Rotorua, on a large property, the grounds of which have evolved into a gallery and sculpture garden.