Stand Back 5 Feet - Paris Exhibition

Study of the Object
Cotton on silk organza 

I was invited to participate in the exhibition “stand back 5 feet/ tenez vous à 5 pied en avant” by curators Evan Peacock, NSCAD MFA candidate and Levana Schutz, a visiting exchange MFA student from the BeauxArt academy in Paris. They proposed a double exhibition between the Atelier Rhème exhibition space in Paris and the Anna Leonowens gallery in Halifax. The shows will feature work exchanged by artists from both locations.

Artists have been asked to respond to the title of the show with a new work. Although this name maintains relevancy towards the mathematical space between Paris and Halifax, the title primarily refers to the ephemeral state of meaning caught between two languages and two spaces. This occurs through movement, distance, and translation. Perfect translations will not be possible. This offset between the movements of languages is the focus of “stand back 5 feet/ tenez vous à 5 pied en avant”. 

Study of the Object
Hung on window in studio
Cotton on silk organza

In response to the conceptual theme I have started creating work that explores binary code translated into stitch (using french knots and running stitch) onto silk organza, which through the very nature of translating code into stitch the reading of this is lost or at least difficult to understand. 

My favourite poem by Zbigniew Herbert called Study of the Object has been decoded by thread.  Whilst I am not entirely sure of the final outcome, it is likely it will be combined with digital imagery in some way.