Context is Everything | |||
Artist Statement |
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![]() Photo Credit: Trint Thomas |
Context is everything; each moment, each decision and each relationship we have in our lives, all the experiences we have had, come together and affect how we respond to stimuli. This project merges the floraof the prairie landscape and the characteristic of judging people and events and circumstances too quickly without using our prior knowledge and insights. Using the simple weed found in the ditch is the impetus for this exhibition. I encourage people to take another look, to not just swipe left or right,but rather consider the person or moments more deeply. Weeds can be beautiful, can be a source of nutritional value, and possibly even have medicinalproperties. What makes a weed a weed and not a flower, when is one preferred over the other? In some locations, what is considered a weed is a flower in another context. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “a weed is a plant whose virtues haven’t been discovered yet”. If humans took more time to get to know others would they be less racist, more understanding and less prone to generalizations. When do people become weeds? What makes us decide when a person is a weed? Plants become weeds when they obstruct our plans, or our tidy maps of the world. A weed is “a plant in the wrong place.” Richard Mabey
Official Transport Supplier |
WorksFest Edmonton - Link to various Installations |
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Estevan Art Gallery and Museum |
Previous Exhibitions
Saskatoon - DTNYE - 2021 |
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Video |
Downtown Saskatoon DTNYXE 2021
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#bejane Installation - Jane Goodall Institute - Vienna, Austria - |
2019 |
Crafted Vancouver Installation 2019 - Cityscape Arts Centre - |
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Light Installation Edmonton Alberta |
Breaching the Margins - Urban Institute of Contemporary Art - |
Installation Guelph Musuems Photo Credit Sarah Ball |
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The dandelion is the symbol for healing from emotional pain, physical injury and surviving through all life’s challenges and difficulties. Since the dandelion can thrive in difficult conditions, it is no wonder that people say the flower symbolizes the ability to rise above adversity. Most modern admirers consider it a symbol of fighting through the challenges of life and emerging victorious on the other side. Others use it as a visual reminder of the sun’s power, especially when depression or grief make it hard to stay sunny. The dandelion flower’s message is to not give up, even if those around you keep trying to get rid of you. Stick it out and remember the cheerfulness of a sunny summer’s day when things seem bleak or dark. I believe we all need a paper dandelion somewhere in our home to remind us that we are strong and can grow in spite of adversity. http://www.flowermeaning.com/dandelion-flower-meaning/
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Paper Dandelions |
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Some of the paper dandelions are part of the Royal Alberta Museum Collection acquired during the 2020 pandemic
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Critical Pieces Ink on Vellum
Humans use disparaging and derogatory self-talk and negative internal conversation, to describe what they look like or what they do. We can be hypercritical if we yield to society standards that are constantly presented to us by perpetually changing media and advertising. We are comprised of all the perceived negative and positive aspects that are presented to the world. Each person is essential and valued in other people’s lives. |
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Western Goat's Beard Seed Artwork |
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Goat's Beard on Paper Photo Credit Grant Kernan
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Prints in the Series
Take Off Linocut on Paper 12 x 10" Collection of Boston Public Library
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As Good as Gold |
Touched with Gold - Thread and ink on BFK Rives Paper - Handstitched Linocut - |
Strong Start - Thread and ink on BFK Rives Paper - Handstitched Linocut - |
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Flight
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![]() Blatant Abundance - Verdict on a Dandelion Poem by Lorraine Beardsworth - with permission if your golden crowns bloomed once in thirty years
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In Spite of it All - Thread and ink on BFK Rives Paper - Handstitched Linocut - 30 x 15.5 cm, 35 x 15.5 cm paper |
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Sneaking Away
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Watching |
Abundnce |
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Standing Together |
Filling in the Spaces |
Edges |
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Lines of Yellow
Life on the Wind
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Faded Blooms |
Anticipation |
Crowded Corner |
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Crowded Out |
Drifting |
Edges |
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atant Abundance 1 Blatant Abundance 2 Pastel on Stonehenge Paper 50 x 38" 2018 2018 |
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Golden Wish - Napkins |
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Paper Dandelions | ||
Paper Dandelions
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The dandelion is the symbol for healing from emotional pain, physical injury and surviving through all life’s challenges and difficulties. Since the dandelion can thrive in difficult conditions, it is no wonder that people say the flower symbolizes the ability to rise above adversity. Most modern admirers consider it a symbol of fighting through the challenges of life and emerging victorious on the other side. Others use it as a visual reminder of the sun’s power, especially when depression or grief make it hard to stay sunny. The dandelion flower’s message is to not give up, even if those around you keep trying to get rid of you. Stick it out and remember the cheerfulness of a sunny summer’s day when things seem bleak or dark. I believe we all need a paper dandelion somewhere in our home to remind us that we are strong and can grow in spite of adversity. http://www.flowermeaning.com/dandelion-flower-meaning/ |
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