Tap Route
The visual strength of this 65 ft tall aluminum sculpture climbing up the front side of this urban building creates a distinctive cultural landmark in Downtown Victoria.“Tap Root” is informed by the tap root typical to many trees species of British Columbia and The West Coast Rain Forest. Functionally a tap root serves to create stability as well as seek water and nutrients. The core of the root structure of each tree works to exchange and uptake nutrients to create energy for growth and survival. These characteristics are a strong metaphor for this mixed-use residential building and that will serve to anchor the growing a residential community in Victoria’s Downtown core. This building and this dramatic public artwork provide reasons for both residential and retail tenants to have pride of ownership and a sense belonging to something special and unique.
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About
As one of two principals of Rusnak Gallant Ltd. Illarion practices as both a Public Artist focused on large scale outdoor sculptural installations and as a professional Registered Landscape Architect. The predominant theme in his work is the continued dialogue between the landscape as natural phenomenon and the landscape as urban fabric which characterizes historic human intervention. Often, he uses historic precedent of a locale to inform the ‘meaning’ of each artwork in a particular place and time.
The high level of success Illarion has achieved when creating his sculptural projects is a result of a professional practice which has developed a design/build ‘hands on’ approach to the creation of both public art and landscape projects. His art works and landscape designs are a creative response to project themes and physical requirements. He works in collaborative relationships with communities, municipalities and organizations and individuals to meet design requirements of a project. He is involved in all aspects of conceptualization, planning, fabrication and installation of his public art projects. His role has been as project prime consultant, prime contractor and integrated team member working with client teams, allied professional consultants, contractors and fabricators.
Illarion earned his Bachelors Degree in Fine Art from the Emily Carr Institute of Fine Art in 1996. His fine art studies included time abroad at the Karlsruhe Akademie of Art specializing in stone carving in 1985/86 in Karlsruhe, West Germany. The defining moment in Illarion’s pursuit of large-scale work was his participation in a sculpture symposium in Vienna, Austria focused on repurposing a stone quarry for Palestinian refugees. The experience enlightened him to the possibilities of entwining sculpture with the landscape and launched his engagement with Landscape Architecture.
Illarion started practicing as a Public Artist when in Art School. In 1984 he sold his first large commission Tern Tern Tern to McDonald’s Restaurants Canada for their head office in Toronto.
He received his first outdoor Public Commission in 1989, and since then has realized over 30 commissions across Canada.
The success of his practice is based on his ability to develop concepts and communicate these ideas clearly. Illarion’s strong background in public art, construction and fabrication allows him to have a pragmatic yet unrestrained approach to creating art.
Public Speaking and Lecturing
Illarion is a gifted public speaker who continues to engage his audiences. His depth of knowledge coupled with the scale and breadth of the body of work he has achieved over his career is astounding and inspiring.
His background includes teaching at UBC as a sessional lecturer in design, construction and design/build. He has been a guest critic and lecturer at universities and colleges across Canada. He is often engaged to present to local groups, associations and for special events. Internationally he has lectured in Berlin and Belfast with a focus on sharing his work and his process all within a spectrum of a Canadian vernacular.
