Murmur (2016)

“Penelope Stewart extended her sculptural objects to the systems of growth and decomposition in their habitual state. The forms and shapes of the garden that had been presented indoors, in a controlled and modified space, were treated as active participants with the artist’ touch, outdoors. For this intersection of art and nature, Penelope Stewart placed a sculptural object, in the environment where the inspiration of work stems. A series and variety of mirrored dormant beehive boxes, the actual size of active apian, but varying heights was placed in the garden beds. The mirrored surfaces created the phenomena of simultaneously expanding and multiplying the garden while the actual bee boxes disappear into the reflection of the surroundings. The boxes become sculptural containers, screens in which life in the garden is animated, rearranged in memory and where new breath, new meaning and connections can be made or revised.  A state of reflexive vision – “seeing yourself seeing” has been beautifully explored by artist James Turrell. His creations of indoor and outdoor spaces where large light fields envelope our sense of space and being, illuminates a direction to apply his sensibility to the world we share. Rather that honing constructed spaces to focus on an aspect of how we exist, Murmur set up a puzzle or a situation where our perception and the impact of our acknowledgment of this, is an effect on the environment.”

Curated by Natalie Olanik

Peace Garden at Dawson College, Montreal, Quebec 2016