Artist's Statement
Part of my childhood was spent in northern and central
Ontario, growing up in small rural communities as far
north as Chapleau and White River, where nature was
both my playground and my solace. In my late twenties I
took up the offer of a friend to canoe and backpack across
the northern parts of the provinces from Ontario to BC.
I fell in love with the land then.
I now live on the east side of Vancouver. I miss the spectacle
of autumn in the east yet, the mountains, the ocean and the cry
of eagles keep me here on the west coast. I close my eyes and
I can imagine the sound of the wind through the trees, the smell
of cedar and pine, the taste of maple syrup and the rustle of
leaves in autumn. Those have become my daily meditations,
my anchor to sanity midst the cacophony of the city.
The installations I create as an artist have grown from my love
of this land that supports all with such benevolence. They invite
dialogue while expressing my personal concerns about the
shrinking wilderness. The installations are ephemeral in body,
expressing human impact juxtaposed with the generative and
degenerative processes of nature. Arboretum Arborescence is
a prime example of this. It is my intention that experiencing this
work will remain in one's mind as an afterimage, a moment to
consider our relationship to the natural world and to question
our role and our priorities.
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