An MFA Thesis Exhibition, School of Art Gallery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, May 17 to June 21 2024
What If the Sun Didn’t Rise traces the evolution of the desire to slow down and deepen my relationship with the world. By simply using sheets of photosensitive paper layered with natural plant material and exposing them to sunlight for extended hours, I develop a long-form conversation with the environment in which I find myself. This process contrasts sharply with the rapid consumption and multiplication of digital imagery, advocating for a more contemplative, sustained engagement with our surroundings. I then also utilize the photosensitive qualities of a paper laid over a photograph of the Winnipeg sky, allowing the ambient light to quietly transform its colours during the brief hours of sunshine in my studio.
Watching the sunlight cross my studio daily led me to reflect on our relationship with time and space. On April 8, 2024, I witnessed a total eclipse of the sun and understood its importance in our lives. Feeling the temperature drop, seeing unusual darkness fill the space in a matter of seconds, and experiencing the shared silence during this unique event, inevitably leads us to think about our place in the world. While sunlight takes 8 minutes to reach Earth, the most distant celestial objects visible through a telescope take 13.5 billion years1. In contrast, some microscopes allow us to observe specimens as small as 0.5 nanometers2. Our bodies exist between these infinitely small and infinitely large extremes—two completely incomprehensible scales to us but at the origin of life.
By addressing these questions and offering a space to slow down, this minimalistic exhibition seeks to provide viewers with a potential for resonance, whether directly in relation to the work or in everyday moments, like the sight of a ray of sunshine.
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1 1 light year = 9.5 trillion km.
2 There are 10 billion nanometers in 1 meter.