Can anyone remember the Alan Wood Ranch Project from the 80s?
Ranch: The Alan Wood Ranch Project, a film by Steve DeNure and Chris Lowry (1985, 25 min.)
Recently while brainstorming for a project on Granville Island we were reminded of Alan Wood's Ranch Project from the 80s - and then found this clip from an equally special film that Chris Lowry and Steve DeNure made about it in 1985 that is a work of art in itself. The Alan Wood Ranch Project is an art installation on 320 acres of land in the foothills of the rocky mountains. Each piece of wood is wrapped in artist's canvas and painted with Kroma paint using a special painting machine.
We are posting this excerpt from the film with permission from Chris Lowry. More about Chris Lowry here: Ecotone Productions
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Jessica Schauteet
Comments on this post (6)
I spent several wonderful weeks photographing Alan’s Ranch Project. This artwork, set in a thousand acres of rolling Alberta ranch land was just crazy to do & so beautiful. I’m saddened to hear today of Alan’s recent passing.
13 March 2017.
r.
— robert keziere
Hi, I worked on the actual construction of the pieces supervised by Alan Wilson. Great work experience and amazing landscape in the foothills of Alberta. I see the crew commented so I thought I would ad my bit. Hope you are all well.
— Carlos Gasca
Yes, I do. I believe my parents’ painting adorned the front of his catalogue when the exhibit went on tour.
— Lawrence
Hi!
I also worked on the Ranch Project while I was a student at Capilano College where Alan was my painting instructor. He was a formidable man in my young life, a force as both an artist and as a teacher. I attribute a good part of my understanding of art and scale and my subsequent interest in set design (I am now a Production Designer in film and television) to working on the Ranch project for Alan Wood. Working on the project was almost surreal, living with art student friends (Barb, above, still one of my dearest pals) and ranchers… covering our hands and minds with an endless rainbow of paint colours during the day and watching the moon rise over the incredible landscape at night. There were cowboys, and beaver dams, damned cows and endless stretches of canvas strips, boards and painted pieces.
— Tamara Deverell
I worked on the Ranch Project, first wrapping and painting boards in Burnaby, then on the painting and construction crew on site. It was an amazing experience, living and working on an art project in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Alan Wood had been my painting teacher at Capilano College (now Capilano University) and I still hear his voice when I’m making art, he was a great teacher.
Hi Kevin!
Hi Alan Wilson!
— Barb Mortell
I was the project manager for this installation. We fabricated the pieces at a warehouse in Burnaby and then transported the finished pieces to the site in Alberta where the installation took place. The entire project took about one year from start to finish and the total cost was around $500,000. Smithsonian magazine did a featured article and many photographers were involved in the documentation and publishing of the photos. Wendy Wacko was also involved in the film that was made.
— Alan Wilson