150 CREATIVE ACTS
I collected and was given a variety of objects for this project, including decorative collectible spoons, pins, bones and natural materials to include in the drawers. The spoons and pins reference the colonial past time of making a collection of objects that connect to a specific place or stand as a symbol of patriotism, these objects are juxtaposed with collected natural materials from local locations that are special to me. The works reference the creative act and practice of collecting and storing memories in the form of a small object, whether it be a small stone or a pin, and the drawers store these collected memories of place.
The bones recognize the generations of indigenous people whose history is proven to stretch back thousands of years in the Slocan Valley area. In each drawer the objects are brought together in strange dioramas that are reminiscent of childlike play: creating boats from driftwood and building, arranging, burying, and uncovering and arranging objects. The spoons and pins seem out of context, not being exhibited or displayed in a traditional way, but combined with the collection of natural objects in a landscape reference setting. The drawers were stacked so that even the youngest viewer could look down from above into the drawers to view the 150 objects and creative acts.
Susan Andrews Grace – Sarah Elizabeth Grimwood – Jane Merks – Natasha Smith – Deborah Thompson – Rachel Yoder
Kootenay Gallery June 16 – July 29, 2017
Six artists’ response to the theme 150 Creative Acts. A show to acknowledge the anniversary of Confederation.
