A most vibrant sculpture in the round, The Reef Project resembles a carousel of underwater delight: swirling starfish, reeds, and sea animals silhouetted by three frolicking swimmers, capped by waves and a pearly moon-like globe. The sculpture is constructed out of rolled half-inch mild steel. With an overall height of 19 feet, the metal component is a cylinder that stands 15.5 feet high and 5.5 feet in diameter, on a three-foot base of slated concrete, and crowned with a four-foot aluminum globe. Lit from the inside, shooting up, the sculpture was designed be a beacon on dreary BC days.
Fraser McColl is an avid patron of artist Michael Abraham and commissioned The Reef Project. "This sculpture commission developed out of my appreciation for Michael's art and a desire to bring wonderful, colourful, imaginative artwork to the city of Victoria," Mr. McColl stated.
Excerpts from the patron's statement: "I was very excited to see how his paintings would translate to three dimensions and gave Michael the freedom to interpret the requirements of the project into his own design."
"Abraham's brother, Richard, is an experienced painter of military and commercial aircraft, having painted everything from 737's to Porches. Richard's skill with Endura paint (an industrial polyurethane paint) guided by Michael's artist's eye enabled The Reef Project to come to life."