Habitat 2050 imagines habitats in the future when I hope to turn100. The subject of the work considers the impacts of climate change and the consequences of other human activities on the look and feel of the landscape. The small works in the series are predominately paper that suggests the habitats are covered, squandered, cold with just a few places surviving. As the series evolves, wools and silks dominate the surface features, colour comes back suggesting that nature is gaining or humans are managing to listen to the voices of nature and do less harm. The aerial perspective of these topographic felts emphasizes the geographic nature of the work. The landforms, which I hand mold and shape when the finished felt is wet, are overlain with silk images of highly magnified organisms and natural patterns you would find at the scale of the habitat. This mix up of scales drives awareness of the small features and creatures which are often overlooked. The gallery for these pieces is coming soon.
The umbrella series Habitat 2050 now includes Leaves: an Impression - a collection of supersized futuristic simple leaves of tress of Ontario and futuristic reconstructions of pinnate leaves. Vessels include the series of felted lab flasks, Erlenmeyer Imposters, that celebrate women in science with the same bold imagery as is in the topographies. Additional pieces coming on board now is the 40” disc of 14 Greenbelt vs Moneybelt scenarios and a new beaker depicting harmony or conflict of landuse - Redress the Balance.
