Here and Now
Over the past decade, the focus of my photography and video practice has been on exploring the relationship between humans and water—and our psychological, physiological, and spiritual connections to it. My fascination with water comes from an early memory of almost drowning. Ever since, I have been mesmerized by water’s strength and changeable characteristics. Rather than fear it, I revere it as a sacred and powerful gift guiding me through life, always reassuring me of my journey. My early experience instilled a bond and respect for nature. Growing up I explored Ontario Lakes by swimming and canoeing and a great portion of my life has been spent in the water. The intriguing qualities of water helped feed my exploration as a visual artist by studying its movement, rhythm, vastness of the ocean, and its ability to hold and to reflect light. My work examines both the surface of water and what’s beneath it through video, animation, and long exposure photography, which I use to exaggerate movement to resemble painterly brush strokes and textures to provoke viewers to see lakes in a transformative way. In my work, lakes, oceans and rivers are not bodies of water intended for human consumption; rather, they are thriving elemental life forces. Here and Now, is a digital mural which combines still photography with animation. The animations merge the soft and heavy textures of Lake Ontario, subtly moving in a range of blues and white tones, cascading on the screen, mimicking the movements of calm water. My intent is to draw the viewer inward for a visceral experience, and to provoke a re-examination of our relationship to Lake Ontario. Bringing water into urban spaces reminds us that we all have a fundamental need to connect with water, and the closer we are to it, the more committed we will be to preserving and protecting it.
