Endangered
My exhibition, entitled “Endangered”, seeks to capture the beauty of the endangered Canadian North, in order for the viewer to form a connection with a place that is seemingly so far away.
By sharing my love and appreciation for the arctic, I may be able to ignite passion in others for protecting it. My exhibition explores how human actions are resulting in the environmental devastation of polar regions, where wildlife and people are facing the impacts of climate change earlier than the rest of the world.
"Reflections", 2019, collage of my own photography, digital editing, 20.5"x 26.0". I explored my own environmental values and the places they stem from. Using collage, images I took of the parks and forests of my home bleed into images of places that have left a lasting impact on me. The English-Inuktitut stop sign symbolizes my desire to stop the destruction of our earth, such as climate change and oil spills.
"SOS", 2018, photography, digital editing, 24" x 48". This piece comments on how people choose not to see the damage we do to our planet. A projected image of a swirling rainbow oil spill shows how easily the ugliness of pollution can be recast as beautiful. I used a fish sculpture made with reclaimed plastic bags, casting, and chicken wire as a prop, holding it like a baby to demonstrate that the environment should be loved and protected.
"On Thin Ice", 2020, linoleum print on paper, 8"x 11". On the distant horizon, factories fill the air with fire and smoke, representing the impact of humanity on our climate. The sea ice resembles the arctic wildlife and people that are melting away along with it.
"The Journey", 2019, gouache and coloured pencil in Moleskine journal, 5"x 8.25". Filled with sketches painted en plein air and daily journal entries, this notebook is a time capsule of memories from my travels to the Arctic. Flipping through the pages of the book is like experiencing the Arctic once again.
The Journey pt. 2
"Decay", 2020, acrylic paint on canvas, alcohol ink, fluid acrylic, 24"x 36". The icebergs in this piece were designed to resemble the skulls of endangered Arctic wildlife. In the water, ice floes resemble the shapes of animals and a man in Inuit dress, floating like ghosts on the ocean surface. In the background, northern lights stream up through the sky, like tears streaming down a face.
"Melt", 2019, acrylic paint on canvas, 22.8" x 28". Inspired by Lawren Harris, this painting of Sirmilik National Park, Nunavut captures the somber beauty of the north, which has already been devastated by the impacts of climate change. While the scene of glaciers and mountains is breathtaking, the trickling streams of glacial melt indicate that this beauty will not last forever. The glacier in the painting is a shadow of its former glory.
"Fracture", 2019, acrylic paint on canvas, 22.8"x 28". This painting of Arctic Bay, Nunavut is representative of the Arctic communities on the front line of global warming. The rapid environmental changes seen in the Canadian Arctic have left the Inuit unable to rely on the land as they have done for thousands of years. Climate change is fracturing the cultural identity of Inuit communities, eroding their quality of life.
"Scars", 2020, acrylic paint on canvas, 24" x 48". Inspired by Tim Pitsuilak, I attempted to capture the majestic beauty of the North Atlantic Right Whale, which is on the brink of extinction due to human activities. The dripping, watery background of the piece is representative of the disappearance of the whale’s habitat, as it melts and fades away.