Seems the New Year is well and truly upon me, and has reminded me in no uncertain terms that There Are Things To Be Done!
The long silence here is due to many things afoot in the studio and elsewhere of late … not the least of which are preparations for an upcoming exhibition in Toronto, at the Fleishman Gallery (79a Harbord Street, near the U of T)!
This exhibition – called 21st Century Nesting Practices – is the first extension of work from NEST, which I developed during my residency at Harcourt House last year.
I will be showing a selection of new work, including a video installation and photographs, in combination with a selection of gel transfers, drawings, and sculpture from NEST. The video was developed out of a collaborative poem written by me and Catherine Owen over the course of nearly a year, as I was working through the residency. 500 lines, 250 each, written turn-about. The photos are a small selection from the literally hundreds of images I took of nests in predominately urban environments; the parallels between human and animal spaces are many and complex, as is the way both birds and humans claim space for their own.
21st Century Nesting Practices is a more intimate, personal exploration of the ideas I was working with in NEST (hence the different title). This exhibition focuses directly on the memories, psychology, and personal history that inform the notion of the human ‘nest’ and ideas of home for me, how those things can mean so differently (and so much the same) to others, how those ideas change and shift over time. I think presenting this new combination of pieces will teach me about what has to happen to develop the larger body of work completely – what further risks need to be taken, how far and how deep to go in the long run. I’m looking forward to it immensely.
I will be heading to Toronto for a week of installation at the gallery, culminating in the opening of the exhibition on February 1.
Really excited – a more than a little nervous – and putting out good vibes to all the “shipping fairies” in the universe, in the hope that nothing will go missing or be delayed on its way there. We should be just FINE. I hope.
SO! For anyone out there in the Toronto area (or looking for an excuse to come to Toronto for a weekend) – Here’s the exhibition information:
A PDF of the Media Release can be found here: Sydney-Lancaster-MRWEB
I am grateful to have the support of a Travel Grant from the Edmonton Arts Council & the City of Edmonton to take this work on the road!
Good Luck, but this looks brilliant such a lot of different ways to look, hear, read, draw. paint Nests. Feeling sad that i am so far away from Toronto or else i would be there for sure.
Good Luck, Sydney!
Thanks so much Dawn! I feel a bit like a headless chicken just now – think I’ll be happy to get on that plane!
I’m hoping to get to Toronto in March. Hopefully it will overlap – I’d love to see your show!
OH that would be great Karen – I’d love to hear what you had to say about the work. Pity it’s not February – I’d love to meet you in person – but time & schedules are slippery things, as we both well know!