Spinning Whorl(d)

Artist/Curatorial Statement

With the concentric circles of your eyes, focus on the black circle in the center of this design. After a minute or two, notice how a spinning feeling is evoked through the concentric crescent rings of the design. Looking at another point in the room after this can also alter your perception of reality. This is one of the intentions of this work, to alter perceptions of reality and notions of Coast Salish art. With this work, I wanted to evoke the spinning feeling of spindle whorls through a graphic medium. I wanted the image to have life, and be interactive. I wanted the work to holistically be perceived beyond the aesthetic confines of the paper, ink and frame. I was inspired to create this design as a result of the exhibition Out of the Frame, curated by Dr. Andrea Walsh. The Op Art influence should be obvious. I wanted a contemporary Coast Salish graphic work with cross-cultural influences which would challenge people’s notions of indigenous art forms as static. This work was a collaboration with Nlaka’pamux artist Ovila Mailhot who digitally rendered my design concept with Adobe Illustrator.

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