Metro Dykes

In preparation for this work, hundreds of images of the Richmond dykes were taken from the water on the North, Middle and South Arms of the Fraser River surrounding Richmond. During this process, Zeigler became aware of and interested in the power and sense of entitlement the dykes afford the residents of a community over the ecology of a region. The work became a meditation on the borders that cultures set, a reflection on the benefits and harm they cause in interfacing with natural systems.

The largest river in British Columbia and one of world's most productive salmon river systems, the Fraser is fed by 35 river and creek tributaries, all linked to Richmond through the flow of water as it makes it way to the ocean. Over thousands of years the Fraser River has deposited fine silt to form a large delta as the river met the sea, an area now that includes Richmond and provides the most fertile farmland in BC.  

A public artwork, funded by the City of Richmond Public Art Program, and part of the Art Columns project by the Canada Line Stations along Number Three Road, Metro Dykes was comprised of 56 small images – selected from the hundreds of images gathered – bordering enlarged images of water on four 73” x 77” (185 x 196 cm) panels, and backlit.

5. North Arm of the Fraser #1, 185.4 x 195.6 cm (73 x 77”), 1 of 4 panels, Metro Dykes.