Gallery 1974-1985

Rudi Struik 1974 - 1985

This was my first bronze sculpture, which was commissioned by accident. We went on a summer holiday from Vancouver to Regina, and camped on a farm were they rented horses just north of Regina Saskatchewan, a province in the middle of Canada. The year was around 1974 and the Volkswagen bus we were travelling in experienced transmission problems, money for a new one was not available for it was the last week of the vacation, and had just enough money to get back home. In the newspaper there was a transmission for sale, but how to get the money, I walk around with this thought in mind while looking at the barn a typical red barn that furnished the landscape of the prairies. My thoughts were it could use paint. I went to the owners of the farm, they invited me in, and I explained my dilemma plus the proposal to paint the barn in able to pay for the transmission. In middles I was offered coffee and felt quit at home while scanning the environment, I did notice that they had quit an art collection, which is unusual for a farm on the prairies, they asked me what I do for a living and explained that I just finished Art College and my interest in developing my artwork, too my surprise they offered to commission an artwork for the amount of the transmission. I was overwhelmed plus the trust they put in me. The next day bought the transmission put it in myself and we drove back with the thought of starting work on my first commission.