Resonant Progression

This public artwork, by Edmonton sculptor Royden Mills, consists of three sculptures placed in conceptually linked sites along the Terwillegar Park path. The sculptural components are intended to link the viewer now with a sense of the pioneers that settled Edmonton; the sounds of nature around them, and an invitation to slow down and simply listen to the pace of nature around them.

The three sculptures entitled Potential, Resonant Point, and Beyond Listening, each offer an opportunity to connect to the awareness of a resonant progression literally and figuratively. The artist intends the resonance to be poetic but has built resonant properties into each component. The construction is low-tech, timeless, and low maintenance to ensure the longevity and relevance of the artwork –a place where families may joyfully play for many generations. 

Potential – is the starting point of Resonant Progression. It offers opportunity for pausing and reflecting on potential: the potential to exert one’s self; ​“potential” to cause nature to be elevated, and the ​“potential” for a place to sit and consider one’s presence as an aid to keeping a balance. Sounds made at this site 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 rises to about shed height and allows people to bow, enter, and sit at the epicenter while emitting a vocal tone. The parabolic dome reflects this reverberating natural tone in a heartwarming and enjoyable way. 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 electronic assistance.

Beyond Listening –This sculpture is sited by the ​“entrance” to the new footbridge. Dr. Oleskiw and Dr. Terwillegar were some of the first settlers in the area and the sculpture recalls the shape and form of a stethoscope. Pointed across the river, toward the archeological site, the viewer can listen to the sounds of nature and history through the earpiece.