Chasms

Seven columns for my seven brothers (those living at the time), are hung in the dark, unfinished  basement of the Capital Theatre in Windsor.  Made from reclaimed salvation army bedsheets from the men’s homeless shelter in Windsor, dyed with coffee and tea each column features a flame-like flare of light. The space is so dark, it is difficult to move about without tripping. Informed by my experience as an Anishinaabekwe living in a colonized homeland where high rates of Indigenous people have been rendered homeless through colonial violence. This work effects a subtle dislocation juxtaposed with an aesthetically seductive sense of familiarity. Over time, the combination of these seemingly disjunctive elements unsettles and haunts the viewer with a sense of the unhomely.

Exhibited at the Capitol Theatre, Windsor ON, 1994.