New Work in Small Expressions and South Shore Gallery

'Currency'

I have a series of new small works currently out there in CACSP's Tulista Gallery exhibition 'Small Expressions' and VISDA's 'Current Threads: Garden Tapestry' at South Shore Gallery.

'Currency'

'Currency' is about how many early tribes first used shells for money when trading commodities. 

The most common shell was the cowry, (Cypraea moneta) but other types were recognised and used in trade.

'Currency'

One of the most influential commodities that drove early trade and established the first trade routes caused wars and stimulated government laws was textiles.

I put the shells on silk, one of the most highly prized textiles.

The silk used in 'Currency ' is hand spun, hand woven wild silk I bought back from a textile tour of NW India.

The horn frames reference the on-going illegal commodity trade of rhinoceros horn with China leading to the near extinction of the animal.

'Currency'

These cowry shells are on a silk textile with a gold coloured frame.

Gold is a commodity many are familiar with and it was probably the first international currency.

These two exhibitions gave me the opportunity to explore an idea. What is the simplest way I could tell a story? I challenged myself to take a complex story and to pare it down to the minimum of elements needed to tell the story.

Architectural Feast - Yarmouth

When in Nova Scotia, any easy way to get a taste of the range of architectural styles to be found in the province is to visit Yarmouth. What a feast.

The information bureau puts out a great self-guided, walking tour brochure.

Ron and I set off on the tour once the soft late afternoon light was creating enough shadows to highlight the architectural details. We took a photo of the paragraph in the brochure before taking photos of the building so I have a little bit of information about each place as a reference to begin further study.

For those of you interested in Canadian architecture, there is an excellent book that focuses on what can be found in Nova Scotia.

Penny, Allen, 'Houses of Nova Scotia An illustrated guide to architectural style recognition', co-published by Formac Publishing Company and The Nova Scotia Museum, Halifax, 1989.

I use architecture as a resource in my art work. I see buildings as portals into the social history of the time. Acting as a detective and noticing the details, talking to the owners, and tracking down primary resources such as newspapers and diaries in local archives can build up wonderful stories to share through my work.