Convergence

If you are wondering, perhaps, where the London Tree Trunk Tour began, I would likely direct you to Peter St. in downtown London. Peter St. is a short side street, perhaps 200 meters long, and it is the home to the Robbin Wenzoski sculpture entitled "Convergence".

As detailed in the London Free Press article from 2005, there was no Tourism London partnership or Stihl Canada sponsorship. It does confirm that the original idea came from Orangeville, and the Woodfield Heritage Association raised the money to pay for the first commission.











The Free Press article also mentions that the nature of the commission allowed Mr Wenzoski to have creative freedom with the final piece. The final result is a sculpture with lots of flowing lines and a few different features. On the north side, we have a sun, created to look like an 8 pointed star. Its a similar motif as used on the work 'Shining Brightly' on Dundas St.

On the top third of the trunk, we have an owl perched, wings down. He is looking across the street, towrds the house at 23 Peter St. There is also an owl on top of the Learning Tree on Queens Av.

The trunk itself sits beside 518 Queens Ave, which is the Queens Village retirement residence. its a very large manor house, which has been added onto and had previously served as a nursing home. It is now a retirement building.

As is customary in my look at the tree carvings, I like to note the artist's signature. Just the initials here, no logo or stylization, but a Robbin Wenzoski work nonetheless. The evolution of the signature is an interesting hint as to when the piece was completed.

The last thing I consider when documenting a piece like this is any condition issues. These trunks are outdoors, unsheltered and close to the road. May of them are in very good condition, but 'Convergence' is the exception. There doesn't appear to have been any effort at protection or maintaining this sculpture since its creation, and six years later, it shows. There is a shelf like mushroom growing on one side of the tree. The cracks are much deeper than on the other trunks, and there is significant loss of detail on the upper surfaces and on the owl.

Hopefully someone takes a look at this piece in the near future and can work out a way to help preserve it, otherwise there may be one less stop on the official Tree Trunk Tour.






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