Miriam El Abbassi | Arts Editor
Featured Image: Each work is composed of many different objects, such as plastic bags, water bottles and plastic containers. | Excalibur Publications
The theme of connection proves to be an integral part of the human condition. By nature, people want and crave connection with others around them. However, besides this conscious effort, one could observe all living things on this planet through the idea of synergy.
Synergy is defined as: “The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.” Simply, it could be said that every living being is interconnected in some way, which is what all from one begins to explore.
Created by visual artist Catherine Hois, all from one is a collection of large found object works that explores an innate curiosity with the connections different beings have with each other: “This group of works represents my belief that we are protected and taken care of by the earth, because we are connected to the earth as living beings,” reads the artist’s statement on AMPD’s website.
Hois then goes on to describe how humans collectively still have ties to other conscious beings: “All species on this planet are genetically connected; we are a part of the harmony and flow of life, not apart from it as superior beings, and all atoms that make up life are constantly rearranging from one living thing to another.”
This is to say that the many functions and processes one may think of to define the human species (i.e. consuming food or drink, excretion, creating and holding memories etc.) occur in other forms of life as well. This further exemplifies the theme of interconnectedness.
Each work (of which there are nine) is composed of many different objects, such as: plastic bags, water bottles, plastic containers, old toys, old Christmas decorations, egg cartons, and much more. At first, it’s hard to tell what it is the audience is meant to observe, since there are so many different elements being combined. Upon closer inspection, each work is simply a different iteration of the same theme.
Each work is also painted, some with incredibly bright colours, and others more subdued. This helped to showcase the various textures of the objects, but could have also served another purpose as well. Painting over the original objects helps to slightly mask what they once were, which could draw the viewers focus away from each object as a singular piece, and towards the entire work as a whole.
all from one is located in the Gales Gallery, within the Accolade West building, and will be exhibited until tomorrow, November 14.
