Relinquishing
New Performance Work for Culture Days-Ontario
@ The Tree Museum
Strolling in the Tree Museum last fall, I came upon a magnificent spruce tree. I imagined myself nestled high up in it, shedding my clothes and wrapping the tree with them. As the idea grew, I envisioned placing large bundles of clothes under its boughs. Clothing would be pulled from the piles to cover the trunk with this new attire. In my mind, I saw that eventually I would adorn the entire inner canopy with an arrangement of clothing.
At first glace this action may seem absurd, but for me it evokes the notion of an association between the nakedness of nature and a human being, as well as the ideas of conspicuous consumption in an age of recycling. The action subtly references the Tree of Knowledge, poking fun at the humility that Adam and Eve suffered after having bitten into Eden’s forbidden fruit.
The body has always solicited a powerful range of associations. It invites intimacy, elicits desire, provokes feelings of shame and guilt, and challenges norms of social decorum. I make art in a range of different mediums; the constant throughout is my interest in our perception of the human body. Through my work I explore the dynamics between the personal and the public, and how these interact to construct the self.
The Tree Museum, 1634 Doe Lake Road/ Muskoka Road 6, Gravenhurst, Ontario P1P 1R3
http://www.thetreemuseum.ca
The Tree Museum's 2012 exhibition is partially funded by, the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, and EJ Lightman