Installation
(burrs) 2014.
Interfaced derives from a previous study of seed dispersal (anthropochory). The piece, bounded by the burrs themselves, presents the illusion that the act of seed dispersal is ongoing and unpredictable, which in a way, is analogous to the way human communication is executed. The spectator is forced to face something natural, yet foreign, in a location that has been generally deemed as operative and comfortable.
The aim of Interfaced is to press an active intervention with the public sphere. It is meant to engage the passer-by, to encourage the recognition of the persistent struggle in the development of producing and strengthening relationships, or perhaps even the struggle in effectively standing one’s ground. Which of the two the audience interprets is not pertinent. Rather, the piece is structured to encourage viewers to recognize that management of the self is universal in all forms of communication, and that symbiosis can be achieved through the manipulation of actions taken.
Performance
(Snow, ice) 2014.
"Recognizing that mental illness can often bring forth isolation and vulnerability."
Performance
(Snow, wood box) 2014.
"A state of acceptance and succumbing to one’s surroundings, even when conditions are not ideal."
Performance
(Snow, wood box) 2014.
Performance
2015.
"Considering a proactive approach to handling mental illness, yet still recognizing that it can be inconclusive."
Performance, Installation
(95 handmade picture frames) 2015.
"I chose Dorothy... She was a woman I did not know, but I came to know of her while reading the obituary section of the Ottawa Citizen. Dorothy passed away at the age of 95, was much loved by her friends, and loved to sing in her fellow church choir. I decided to crash her wake. It was there where a friend of hers approached me and inquired as to how I had come to know her. I told him that my mother had originally sang in the same choir but was not able to attend, so I came to pay my respects. This was a lie. He proceeded to tell me all about her life. Dorothy never married. She was a devoted member of the Red Hat Society. She loved to travel, play bridge, and she was absolutely passionate about music and singing. I concluded that I wanted to give her another chance at living, to ensure that she would not be forgotten by the few people in her life. As the artwork progressed, I found myself memorializing her, mourning after her. It became strangely obsessive and almost similar to the fanaticism that exists between some fans and celebrities. It eventually became clear that I never really knew her. All I knew was my idea of her, and that thought became even more unbearable than knowing about her death."