Cairn 1907 to 2022
Cairns, human-made stacks of stones, have been constructed since pre-history. They were made as monuments, served as ceremonial sites, aided with navigation or indicated burial sites. When used as gravestones, stones offer a permanent or eternal memory. Cairn 1907 to 2022 is a stack of collected stones. Each stone has been wrapped with discarded plastic. Stones convey a sense of immense time, they were formed over millions of years from minerals which compose the earth. Synthetic plastic, which is of course human-made, is manufactured from materials extracted from the earth and is often used only once and then discarded. It was first made just over a hundred years ago and is now found everywhere on the earth. Plastic is re-shaping the earth: it infiltrates molecules and organisms to disrupt what took millions of years to evolve; it causes long-lasting environmental damage and death to many birds, fish, and animals. Cairn 1907 to 2022 is a marker of our time, acknowledgement of our actions, and our grief. You are invited to wrap a stone in plastic and add it to the cairn.
Cairns, human-made stacks of stones, have been constructed since pre-history. They were made as monuments, served as ceremonial sites, aided with navigation or indicated burial sites. When used as gravestones, stones offer a permanent or eternal memory. Cairn 1907 to 2022 is a stack of collected stones. Each stone has been wrapped with discarded plastic. Stones convey a sense of immense time, they were formed over millions of years from minerals which compose the earth. Synthetic plastic, which is of course human-made, is manufactured from materials extracted from the earth and is often used only once and then discarded. It was first made just over a hundred years ago and is now found everywhere on the earth. Plastic is re-shaping the earth: it infiltrates molecules and organisms to disrupt what took millions of years to evolve; it causes long-lasting environmental damage and death to many birds, fish, and animals. Cairn 1907 to 2022 is a marker of our time, acknowledgement of our actions, and our grief. You are invited to wrap a stone in plastic and add it to the cairn.
Sandra Gregson Based for many decades in Toronto, Sandra Gregson relocated to Ottawa in 2021 where she was born. Her art practice includes painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, and video. Recent work is informed by walking, reading, investigating ongoing change and processes of the natural world, and interactions between natural and built environments. Research includes the knowing of the natural world evident, for example, in plant cycles, seasonal changes, ecosystems, mycelium connections. Time and process are often considered. Sandra holds an MFA from York University and a BFA from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She has participated in art residencies in Canada and Europe; her artwork has been exhibited throughout Canada and her videos have been screened nationally and internationally. Her work is included in private and public collections, including The Art Bank, City of Ottawa, and York University. She is represented by Sivarulrasa Gallery. |