nylon monofilament, steel, acetate, clear elastic thread, video loop

The form of a “bear” in fine monofilament emerges from threads demarcating Ursa Major. Hundreds of other lines, in elastic thread, mark the constellation’s path across the space as it would appear every thousand years over the site. Collections of historical first-person accounts relating to the region are suspended in dark insect-like clouds at either side of the space. A video on a small screen captures the eye: a spider at work turns out to be the artist’s hands building the “bear” threads.

Wild History, MacLaren Art Gallery, Barrie, Ontario (2009). Curator: Sandra Fraser
Photos: Andre Beneteau and the artist

The Bear, in Smoke has also appeared in:
Conversations with Light and Air, Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC (2010)
Apprivoiser l’espace, Circa, Montreal, Quebec (2013)