Wind Play Variation 1

“The most profound experiences in my life over the past several years have occurred while exploring remote natural landscapes. It was during these moments of deep change that my personal life-meaning took form.

To arrive at this heightened understanding of myself I first had to experience a challenge – whether within a group or alone. In either case I was highly attuned to my surroundings and began to explore much matters as my relationship with others and my place within the natural world. These adventures were an important catalyst in the process of making my personal identity more transparent to me.

Returning home, I felt as though I could continue this process of self-discovery by exploring various new themes in my art practice, namely those themes relevant to pursuit of a more full formed self-hood.

The idea of In-Between Worlds struck me as an opportunity to express my bi-cultural heritage, Plains Cree/British and Dutch, not as a struggles but rather as a strategic way of thinking of how they connect. I belong to two heritages, existing betwixt and between. My work explores ways of mixing and transforming these histories. Through working on this series, I intended to transform the way I view the past from the perspective of the present. I hoped to created a new, liminal narrative that, while quite specific to my personal heritage, could also be of relevance and meaning to everyone.

I inserted my own body into visual spaces that reflected both the inspiration I felts from time alone in nature as well as the concept of being betwixt. This series allowed me to experiment with various ideas and create a sequence of moments that can be interpreted as somewhat unbelievable and can be considered as being in an ethereal or otherworldly state. As I progressed, I began to incorporate sculptures that took on the form of talismans, further suggesting collaging of my heritages.

In-Between Worlds was a transformational experience. Following the struggle of seclusion on my outdoor excursions, I began to feel a sense of empowerments through experiencing a change in how I see the world. I felt a sense of embodying the answers to many questions and problems I had felts before this journey. The photographs are a further embodiment of this transformation.”