ONE LAKE 2006-2009

Acrylic on color lazer prints on paper on canvas, 5 x 5 in, and 5 x 7 in. 3 frosted plastic storage bins.

I grew up on the lake photographed in this project, in central Ontario summers and winters. This is also where my ancestors settled and lived in the area since the 1880s. Some cousins still farm and work there.
These paintings photographic imagery, paint colors and their application, also reference the Group of 7 paintings from the early 20th century, of lakes, forests, and Canadian shield rock outcrops of Southern Ontario. The Group member’s paintings of landscapes are iconic motifs in Canadian Art History. My family knows the land differently.
When this project was underway, I taught for two years in the subarctic (James Bay west coast). I transported personal goods to and from the community, in plastic containers and suitcase like the locals. My knowledge of this land, I know well in southern Ontario, was also carried with me through my experience.
The frosted plastic containers in my painting project hold the dozens of paintings that make up the installation of One Lake2005-2009. Installed at the Art Gallery of Peterborough Triennial, 2012, only a few paintings were hung on the wall to be viewed.