Prints to be included in Salonsdale: Rebel Lens at Lonsdale Gallery, Toronto. This exhibition is a Feature Exhibition, Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, 2020.
Artist Statement
Natural Patterns
We Live in a constantly changing environment where changes construct layers of memories that weave together past and present.
Walking is one of my passions, an activity I enjoy and where my thoughts can flow at liberty in many directions. The exploration of parks, ravines and waterways in and around Toronto has given me a rich context where many of my art projects have been sparked and fostered. During my walks I have collected hundreds of natural specimens to be scanned and catalogued into my image bank where I draw from to create work.
“Natural Patterns” is an on going project about plant specimens and their seeds, which scatter to germinate new life cycles. Using seed from the end of a plant’s life cycle references a broader idea about our own aging process, the plants and their seeds a metaphor for experiences and knowledge acquired as we grow older and pass on our knowledge to others.
The seed specimens in my work are often seen in the context of the whole, individual seeds being almost invisible to the eye. I have enlarged may specimens to create a new environment that reveals their beauty and complexity, and an environment that reflects the texture and movement of the natural habitat.
The seed specimens in this project are from lupines, milkweed, morning glory, bittersweet and burrs. Plant that enrich and sometimes invade our environment by constantly regenerating themselves
Sally Ayre 