Plastic Dreams, Broken Promises: The making of “In Conversation”

Plastic Dreams, Broken Promises exhibition, Feb 2020

Plastic Dreams, Broken Promises exhibition, Feb 2020

We live in a culture where consumption and waste are common habits. Plastic seems to be everywhere, and while it is useful we need to recognize the effects it has on our environment and daily life.  In Conversation (Red) and In Conversation (Green) are two soft sculptures, crocheted using recycled and repurposed shopping bags. Featured earlier in February in the exhibition entitled Plastic Dreams, Broken Promises at The Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, the pieces stand 102” high and approximately 51.5” to 74.8” diameter, each sculpture is self-illuminated and fitted with an electronic brain which scans the surrounding environment. When a viewer is in close proximity, the electronic brain, through its motion sensor, causes the sculpture to come to life.  The lights “dance”, alternating colours (depicting an emotion) for as long as the viewer is nearby. Effectively, the viewer becomes part of the “dialogue” between the sculptures.

Below is a series of photographs documenting the process of their creation – from prototype to final form.

It took around 4 months to construct In Conversation (Red) and In Conversation (Green). During this time I’ve experienced a range of emotions – from excitement to anxiety and then finally a sense of calm. And so these emotions have also been embodied within these sculptures.

Once the sculptures were completed, the transformation of the throw-away bags gave them a new life, taking them out of the context of mundane everyday objects we all take for granted. The process forever changed my approach and relationship to this material.

Nesting, November 2019

Cocoon, January 2019

With a heavy heart, October 2019

Illumination, February 2020

Babel, February 2020

In Conversation- at rest (Green), February 2020

In Conversation (Green), February 2020

Plastic Dreams, Broken Promises at The Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, February 15-27, 2020

Plastic Dreams, Broken Promises exhibition, Feb 2020

Plastic Dreams, Broken Promises exhibition, Feb 2020

From February 15-27, 2020 fellow artists Zoraida Anaya, Lisa Fox and I will feature our latest work in an art exhibition entitled Plastic Dreams, Broken Promises at the Cedar Ridge Creative Centre.

As part of the Cedar Ridge Gallery Contemporary Exhibition series, the collaborative installation centers around the themes of a throwaway and wasteful culture in an effort to raise awareness of its impact on the environment.  Ordinary plastic bags, crocheted into sculptures, photography on acrylic sheets and transparency lanterns transform the space to create a visually interesting exhibit.

The exhibition is part of the Women’s Art Project (WAP) Collective initiative, where the artistic intention is to make experimental work in a supportive, inspiring and collaborative environment.

Cedar Ridge Creative Centre is nestled within lush gardens enjoyed by the public and often rented for weddings and special events. Discover Cedar Ridge Gallery, home to contemporary and classic visual, and folk art exhibits. The upper floor of the main house and the adjacent carriage house contain working studio spaces that offer hands-on creative arts programs for visitors of all-ages. The refurbished pottery studio is located in what was the original carriage house.

Exhibition Dates: February 15-27, 2020
Reception: February 23, 1-3pm.

Cedar Ridge Creative Centre
225 Confederation Dr, Scarborough, ON M1G 1B2
Phone: 416-396-7378.

Hours:
Monday to Wednesday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Thursday to Sunday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Closed on Statutory Holidays
Entry is free.

For more info visit The Cedar Ridge Creative Centre.