My friend and artist colleague Barbara Westergaard asked if I would be interested in her participation as a photographer. After some thought as to how I would incorporate a photographic element with my own mixed media, the idea evolved.
Although my first thoughts were to not interpret the “crow” literally, Barbara spotted a bird costume hanging in my studio and took to the idea of feathers being a part of the concept. Much of my graduate research in the field of Canadian Studies and education involved First Nations. If a crow were to be part of this piece, it would represent a guardian of the ancestors much as Emily Carr painted “Big Raven” as an icon standing guard over the West coast First Nations burial grounds.
As Barbara and I both live in the Niagara Peninsula, my thoughts were to keep this work relevant to our local area. Niagara itself is steeped in early settlement history which encompasses Loyalist, British, European, US slaves and Chinese cultures. Most importantly however; were the original Neutral and Chippewa nations, then Mohawks who fought with the British in the War of 1812. The concept was evolving as a layered history encompassing the Region’s diversity represented through the original burial grounds and early cemeteries.
We have spent the last couple of weeks photographing, researching and thinking through this project. Barbara is currently composing her gravestones in clusters representing the 4 corners of the region.
I am working on the centre section which will encompass Pelham, where I live and first nations burial sites which will lie beneath the outstretched wings of the crow as it makes its fight across the region between the two lakes. What you see below is a larger sample to test the idea. We had the images printed using a “Direct to Garment” technique. I sought out a printing company – Custom Signs and Graphics in Niagara Falls – to assist; however, this method can also be achieved using your own inkjet printer with a product available from Fabricland. I have also begun the construction of the crow itself, a bird measuring 24 inches from beak to tail with a wingspan of 36 inches. The bird will be constructed as a kite would be, to enable lightness and flight. I am excited to be working with a new order of black, green and blue silk from my US supplier, Paradise Fibers.
Stay posted as this work takes shape over the next 3 weeks.
Overnight my research has focused on wing/flight feathers. I am learning about their construction and thinking about the materials I will use.
I came across this interesting symbolism that gives universality to the work.
The initial weeks of research were completed mid-September which has left us only two weeks to work on formatting the photographs, having them printed and working on the quilted sections. All has been temporarily assembled and photographed for submission. I will digress in the next posting to describe the process of this artwork.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]