detail, “Loon Frolics Among The Mussel Bed”
Under the Surface
Please join us for the opening reception, 6-8pm —Thursday June 1st
“Under the Surface” is a multimedia immersive installation using freshet flood deposited wood, depicting a segment of the Skeena River, her silky, silty sediment and the shadows below. Accompanying this spatial linear drawing is a story.
Cree Elder Amy Eustergurling “Manchus S’kwao” taught us that the water is like our blood. The Oceans are our Lungs, the Rivers our Veins, the Lakes our Capillaries.
The Skeena flows like the Pulmonary Vein, carrying oxygen to the heart. An umbilical cord. She is our lifeline. Her gifts are plentiful, her strength viewed with awe. Even though the surface seems calm and the pulse is strong, underneath there are currents that can pull you down. Eddies, vortexes, whirlpools and wakes lie beneath the reflected surface of the Skeena. Understanding the complexities of balance is crucial.
Growing up in Terrace, I listened to tales of people falling into the river, hearing of many who drowned. Those who survived these near death experiences, often became voices filled with awe; humbled by the power and grace of this great mother river. Sparked by a dream-like vision that a pearl is a piece of the moon that’s fallen into the Water, an investigative process of right relationship was initiated and expressed through the story of Loon and Moon. The paintings for the exhibit ‘Under the Surface’ and for the book Loon and Moon emerged from Tracie Stewarts visceral and intuitive responses to this evolving story.
Observing the interconnectedness of life, I questioned what ‘right relationship’ looks like with the river, with ourselves, with each other, and with all creation. And so….How do we honour these lifelines?
“Under the surface” things are running amuck. Experiencing crumbling old world paradigms, in a bath of weird weather anomalies, superbugs, economic imbalance and a rise in people fighting for rights and equality for the sentience of all creation. Artist Tracie Stewart questioned how to move forward. A seed was planted. With Author Teresa Klein, Tracie explored these questions in the making of the book Loon and the Moon. These are my (our) evolving perceptions as we try to make sense of our human involvement in the web of life.
Loon and Moon is an allegory in prose, exploring relationship, initiation, witnessing, transformation, and belonging. Fear, greed, and entitlement are protagonists to light. Light cannot be contained. And so…
Read about the show in the Terrace Standard and the Vanderhoof Omineca Express.