cell structures, 2010-2014
Two chairs, disappearing within a forest of descending
Véronique Tomaszewski, social philosopher / theorist
ropes from where paper cells were dangling, invited me to a
conversation with this ethereal yet enduring encounter. I sat,
my body and senses saturated by the multitude of round
paper shapes. Their random holes allowed me to breath
through the tension between presence and emptiness.
The cell structures floating around in the intimate space act
as a living organism, an opportunity to rest and contemplate
the contrast between ovals and lines; between surfaces and
holes; between undulation and solids. The shadows cast
against the walls by these slow moving structures echo the
impermanence of life. The dance between light and
darkness celebrates the codependence between life and
death.
from When you know truth, you know love, Reflections about Cell Structures by Tania Love
A response to habitat, and the interdependent relationship between the inner and outer eco-system cell structures was inspired by my experience as artist in residence on Toronto Island where I was captivated by the great expanse of Lake Ontario and the daily changing grey tone patterns in the sand.
I created drawings with sumi ink suspended in a basin of water. Where sumi ink is made of soot, the residue of fire, working with the commingling of these essential elements water and fire, stirred for me, a relationship with the primary catalysts of the life cycle.
The process of drawing on water, sensitive to movement, air currents, state of mind and hand, is expressive of a moment in time. A shallow vessel filled with water and a dab of ink floating on the surface, I repeatedly parted the ink circle with my brush. With each subtle gesture, I experienced a deeper sense of quiet while forms like cells grew before me.
These forms remind me of repeated patterns seen in life, from water bubbles to salt stains on the pavement to microscopic images of body tissue. I recognize water as a connective and fundamental source in all of life.
The lacy holes that I hand cut in the kozo paper lead me to reflect on permeability and impermeability, volume and transparency, presence and absence.
