In A Tension was my first solo show, held in UBC Okanagan’s FINA Gallery in September 2014. The installation was an expansion of some of the elements of Photosynthetics, consisting of 4 hanging, moving fabric structures. The three new structures (one of the structures from Photosynthetics was left out of this installation) began to evolve away from recognisable leaf forms, while still retaining a forest-like quality. The fabric structures were once again lit dynamically, with computer controlled lighting illuminating each structure as it moved.
In addition to the not-quite-leaves, three curling copper sculptures took up residence on the floor and walls. Each sculpture had it’s own unique quality, but they all evoked the pistil and stamen structure that comprises the plant reproductive system. Each copper sculpture had an embedded speaker that together formed the sonic environment in the gallery. The sounds we’re a mixture of “nature” sounds (wind in trees, waves), animal sounds, repetitive mechanical noise, and human voices, and we’re chosen to emphasize the theme of complexity and connection between society, technology, and the rest of the local ecosystem.