This piece about access and historical awareness of dominant institutions. The left panel shows a mosque in old Dubai where shoes have been been removed at the front door street entrance as a gesture of respect. The middle panel is large poster of a male model facing the street as if acting as a sentinel to pass by. An adjacent image is of shopping mall jammed with cars trying to access commercial spaces. The title refers to the act of entering into contract and dialogue with a governing forces across time & space such as religious and consumer cultures.
This piece is about blowback. A large tree has toppled over at its base, its roots ripped from the soil hanging like torn muscles. A surreal demonic figure emerges holding a club in a threatening manner over the viewer. The title references Jackson Pollock’s, “Troubled Queen” (1945) with its similar nightmare-like appearances of tangled lines & forms and a leering figure. Using the word “Knight” to describe a tree suggests that trees and forests are acting to defend humanity, but when mismanaged will come back to haunt us.
This piece is about describing a process that glaciers undertake. The terminus of the Child’s Glacier in Alaska is seen ‘calving’ as it moves it way forward under immense pressure. The sound of a large chuck of ice hitting the water can result in a large thud or boom. Glaciers have shaped the landscape for the benefit of civilizations, for example, leaving behind glaciers that store and release freshwater. However, the industrial revolution which has led to an drastic increase in atmospheric carbon levels, has led to a natural disaster where these life-giving glaciers are disappearing. The title plays on the notion of a “"boom”" being both a sound and an increase in activity - this one being harmful.
This piece is about the lose of function. A large conifer tree from a Pacific Northwest forest is cut from its base catapulting off to one side in a severed state. The use of the word in the title “release” alludes to industrial releases, such as toxic gases, but can be equally applied here knowing that trees store carbon which when released becomes a greenhouse gas. As soon as a tree is cut a larger percentage of carbon is (quickly) released.
This piece is about delineation. A wall in a Latin American city is divided down the middle by two different colors. The wall marks the edge between two interior houses. The picture suggests a color field painting which addressed the edge of the frame as part of its composition. The title points to the formal composition of the picture and specifically the line that separates the two spaces (property) that creates opposing sides. The two sides also serves as a metaphor between opposing political views.
This piece is about maintaining control. Two men have stopped to appreciate water flowing from an infinity pool in front of an office tower. The building’s glass & steel structure suggest an infinite pattern. Glass towers are icons of stability and certainty. The infinity pool reminds the urban citizen of the power of water & time that works against human systems. The title is a pun on ‘class management’ suggesting how corporate structures attempt to secure dominance.
This piece is about the dichotomy of a machine in an intact forest. A "feller-buncher” is cutting its way through a forest that also provides habitat fro deer. Below are two images of a black-tailed deer. In the left panel, the deer is staring at the camera as if ready to fight, however in the 2nd panels shows it’s looking away ready to take flight. In this Bambi vs Machine scenario its clear that the deer has little chance to protect its ground. The title places the viewer in a sympathetic relationship to this animal around its fear caused by an un-worldy machine.
This piece is about experiencing an apparition. An frozen form figure stands on its own in a rock grotto. It appears to have a long face and an eye. The scene suggests something of an apparition, like the one in Fatima, where a supernatural figure (Virgin Mary) communicates a message of warning to young people. What the ice figure maybe saying to each viewer is anyone’s guess, but a sense of impeding loss is in this picture as the ice Man won’t last for long.
This piece is about nature being an intelligent system. The branches of the trees in this scene seem to connect with each other against a beam of light. Natural systems contain complex levels of integration that are hidden by the human eye. The title suggests higher-level executive functioning found in human systems, however the picture of a forest scene suggests that a different networking is taking place.
This piece is about self dignity. A veteran Ponderosa Pine tree, with branches gracefully hanging covered in moss, is seen in an forest clearing. The tree is much older than its surrounding cohorts having stood the test of time. The title simple points to the tree still standing and maintaining its reach or influence over the site. The word “standing” also has a legal meaning whereby an entity has a stake in an outcome. If applied, then this layer of meaning, adds to a sense of dignity to this tree.
This piece is about the need for privacy. A western style facade is placed on a small building in rural B.C. interior creating an illusion that’s its much larger. Curtains shield the interior space from the outside street. Shadows from a tree flicker on the facade like a dream. The title points to the interior space and the landscape of the dry B.C. Interior. The landscape horizon line and the blue sky suggests the stage for acting, while the closed interior a place for reflection and privacy.
This piece is about taking decisive action. A church is pictured in an upper panel of this 3 image composition. A lower left hand panel implies that its the church Minister handing out placards to 2 protesters. The signage refers to stopping raw log exports - a hot issue in BC. The figure’s gestures mirrors David’s ‘The Oath of the Horatii’ with the elder statesman handing out swords to 3 soldiers. The minister’s ‘oath’ in this case is to stop the practice of exporting raw logs which as led him to step outside his usual role.
This piece uses the metaphor on perspective. Parallel lines in a road leading through a dark forest turn off to an undisclosed location. The title refers to the lines in the road that will never meet . The paradox is that each line is contingent on the other to move the vehicle forward. It also suggests separation or alienation of the modern subject.
This piece is about loss of function. A landscape has been removed of its forest cover from land clearing or logging. Without a ‘forest cover’ this area is left unprotected to incoming heavy rains, rapid snowmelt, soil erosion and any wildlife will loses its shelter. The title is also a pun on a professional or agency having ‘no cover’ for its actions, in this case massive land conversion.
This piece is about conversion of landscape. A sign displays the name 'Cottonwood Mall', however there’s no such trees in sight. Western culture is driven by commercial interests that usually have to apply for rezoning. The title is a pun on ‘paved over’ referring to the large sections of pavement in this picture with the turn of phase suggesting nefarious dealings such as someone being ‘paid out’ to achieve a desired result.
This piece is about shifting cultural naming. The twin peaks behind Vancouver known as ‘The Lions’, but historically known as ‘The Sisters’ by Skwxwu7mesh (Squamish). The story is that two sisters helped two neighboring warring nations broker peace. Today, international peace meetings are referred to as ‘summits’. ‘The Lions’ is a static colonial name while ‘The Sisters’ contains a myth. The title to this picture is an alternative name given by the artist that adds another layer of meaning to this iconic place.
This piece is about studying changes. A mountain face is shown in 2 different states: the ruggedness of rock in its summer condition and a soft blanket of snow covering the rock by the winter’s snowpack. The title suggests the two different conditions and the fact of reality hiding and revealing at the same time. Its also a pun on the Greek theatrical device of two masks - both showing comedy & tragedy at the same time. Nature can also act that way towards people who don’t respect its powers.
This piece is about notions of power and death. A paddle-wheeler is moving up the Mississippi River towards an oak forest with a large branch with hanging Spanish moss. The title evokes the geography, the vessel creating a “"wake” and or a “wake” held for someone who has just passed. The time of the paddle-wheelers during the early 19th century was also the time of southern lynches from oak trees. The combined & contrasting two images suggests power imbalances found in the south USA.
This piece is about cooperation. A group of men have come together to help a neighbor raise trusses to complete a barn. The activity is reminiscent of an old-fashioned barn raising. The title is a pun on the act of ‘building trust’ - implicit in the structure itself.
This piece is about the loss landscape integrity. A clear cut has transformed a forest landscape into an eerie large clearcut. Three solitary trees (poles with no branches) now stand like crucifixes without substance. The title is blunt in its assessment of the treatment of the land where nothing familiar is recognized anymore. The entities of trees, plants, animals, spirit has been hallowed out by the industrial commodification process.
This piece is about impacts from mechanization in everyday life. The title refers to M. Duchamp’s ‘Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors, Only’ a surreal machine that’s in conflict with itself. In this piece, a sawmill has shut down with its mechanical system (the ‘green-chain’) stripped out to be auctioned leaving the building empty of function. The processing of materials has been interrupted as trade deals and corporate structures affect production. The title suggests how mechanical processing strips away the dignity of materials and people working under these conditions.
This piece is about documenting a success or victory. A D9 CAT bulldozer moves underneath a banner pulling back out through a protest camp in support an ancient forest. Banners have been used to declare victories at the end of wars and in social movements. The title is pun on having a ‘banner day’ and in this context documenting an actual environmental victory.
This piece about the security of natural assets and the intrigue behind it. A locked gate to Metro Vancouver’s Drinking Watersheds is well fortified including a high concrete wall supporting it The effort to control drinking watersheds from industrial development usually entailed some intrigue. The title plays to the US scandal of ‘Watergate’ suggesting local bureaucratic mishandling of water issues and resources.
This piece is about assuming control. The title points to colonial manipulation of First Nations' assets. ‘Fencing’ is when stolen goods are held by a party against the knowledge of the owner and then sold from underneath them. ‘White’ was the dominant race of the settler community across North America. The cemetery (overlooking the Fraser River, BC) is where Siska First Nation members are buried in colonial style plots. Most of their land was stolen out from underneath them by the province.
This piece is about alliances. Four postcard like images of Nicaragua are shown. Top left corner is of the left-leaning city of Leon, top right Spanish moss hangs in front of cattle grazing area, lower left, a small scale corn field and lower right a mural with a painted shadow of Augusto Sandino, the revolutionary leader from the 1930's whose named was re-claimed by the Sandinista Movement in the 1980’s. The title in English is ‘Four Reasons’ pointing to the 4 different sectors with different values that came together in the struggle for liberation.
This piece is about eroding values. A mega-home is partly built on the slopes of West Vancouver with several large tarps covering freshly exposed soils from construction to reduce erosion. The scale of this house shows the impact to the site and the creation of isolated interior spaces. The pun in the title points to the site itself and on notions of character loss.
This piece is about taking positions. A large boulder with a graceful eroded shape sits in a river. Its size shows its not moving against the forces of the river’s current. The edge of the shape is highlighted by sunlight marking out a negative space for a human figure to slid into. The title is a pun on the word ‘boulder’ and its form and position suggests what the word ‘bold’ may express.
This piece is about reframing in corporate and personal spaces. A Safeway logo is inverted in this photograph showing that it's based on the yin/yang symbol. The logo could have been chosen by marketers as an attempt to uphold the dynamics of supply & demand as an eternal truth. This universal symbol is the result of two opposing forces (positive/negative) creating an internal shape that hovers. Its still used as a metaphor or a lens to reach dualism between opposing forces leading to a sense of being in the now and knowing. There’s an irony in that the origins of the image is from the dominant corporate structure.