The Future Left Behind
Born in Ottawa in 1985
2021
Air barrier membrane swen on fabric
Collection of the artist
The Future Left Behind is like a bird's-eye view of a village in the Far North. The patches of colour conjure the small dwellings that proliferate haphazardly without any consideration for urban planning. The work is made from sheets of white air barrier membrane, like those seen tacked onto unfinished reserve housing across the country. The spots of colour are in fact the letters in the words and logos printed on the material. The sheets have been cut vertically into strips, then swen side by side at a 90-degree angle on a large piece of fabric, lending the work its kinetic quality. When viewers walk by this boreal village, the long strips move with the current of air produced by their passing. The gentle motion gives the wall piece and evanescent lightness, but the air barrier membrane, a strong, durable material, symbolizes the resilience of the people who live in such dwellings. The Future Left Behind is a denunciation of the long-standing improverished conditions of Indigenous communities on reserves and the egregious services provided them.
The Future Left Behind
Born in Ottawa in 1985
2021
Air barrier membrane swen on fabric
Collection of the artist
The Future Left Behind is like a bird's-eye view of a village in the Far North. The patches of colour conjure the small dwellings that proliferate haphazardly without any consideration for urban planning. The work is made from sheets of white air barrier membrane, like those seen tacked onto unfinished reserve housing across the country. The spots of colour are in fact the letters in the words and logos printed on the material. The sheets have been cut vertically into strips, then swen side by side at a 90-degree angle on a large piece of fabric, lending the work its kinetic quality. When viewers walk by this boreal village, the long strips move with the current of air produced by their passing. The gentle motion gives the wall piece and evanescent lightness, but the air barrier membrane, a strong, durable material, symbolizes the resilience of the people who live in such dwellings. The Future Left Behind is a denunciation of the long-standing improverished conditions of Indigenous communities on reserves and the egregious services provided them.