The Burghers of Prince Albert

Dear residents of Prince Albert

Two and a half years ago I embarked on a project to carve, with sensitivity to the surrounding environment and people; standing, dead trees in prominent places all over South Africa and get the private sector (not council, or government) to pay for it.

My intention was and is;

1.To retain these trees as monuments on our landscape so as to bring the art out of the gallery into peoples daily lives as is common in many successful countries.

2.To emphasize the cultural quality of our new South African citizens, so that all visitors from far and wide could speak of us in terms of 'interesting', complex, diverse, adventurous, creative and resourceful.

3.To give people the opportunity to build skills, confidence, and live their dreams even though they see no possible chance of gaining access to a tertiary education system.

4.To train these people so they are their own engine and therefore in control of the outcome of their futures. Too many NGOs and helpful hands have trained people to be dependent on them, leaving them high and dry with none of the lateral thinking tools to fend for themselves.

5. To ensure that these apprentices get paid while they learn, with the backing of corporate funding.

6. To motivate other artists and makers to utilise the resources and inspiration of our country in a way that lets the world know we are aware of recycling and environmental issues and are actively investigating alternative options. I will not cut a living tree.

I have spent these past 28 months looking for backing to begin this project. The first trees were intended to be in Johannesburg. These are still ear marked for carving and the sites approved by council.

The Blue Gum Project concept has already received significant publicity and interest since inception, but the Burghers of Prince Albert was the first such proposal to receive enthusiastic and full funding, should it go ahead.

In November of 2006 I was brought to your town for a holiday. I had no idea that Prince Albert was such an artistic, cultural and historically untainted place.

While in Prince Albert, I spent much of my time meeting the friendly people. Experiencing your Swartberg pass, Weltevrede valley, the untouched museum which filled me with a sense of my own history and heritage as my family hails from De Rust. I also listened to many a tale of the region which took me back through time to see the courage and tenacity of the founders of Prince Albert.

I saw these grand trees as a beautiful feature in the story of the town, and I admired the town folk for their appreciation of what is considered disposable in big cities.

I believe the carving on the trees is only an enhancement to what already exists. I had done more elaborate drawings but, after much thought about the possibly perished branches and the potential loss of size and stature of the trees; I looked at the trees from a more sensitive point of view resulting in the drawings you see now. The existing plaques would remain on the trees as part of their history and the love Prince Albert has for them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Richard John Forbes.