DIVISION OF LABOUR
Image 1. Division of Labour (textile installation) & Writing for the Soil (video projection), for the exhibition Visible Labour at Comox Valley Art Gallery; 2021
Images 2 - 5. Division of Labour; crocheted thread, pins and cast shadows; installation of 80 textile works made in collaboration with Christina Morey; 2021
Images 2 - 5. Division of Labour; crocheted thread, pins and cast shadows; installation of 80 textile works made in collaboration with Christina Morey; 2021
Division of Labour is a wall installation made of 80 pieces of crocheted cotton thread and their cast shadows. The title of work is meant to be both subversive and curious in exploring the layers of collaboration that exist with the labouring of the earth and domestic labouring. This exploration is not only evident in the division of labour between me as an artist and my mother (collaborating from different provinces during the pandemic) to create the installation, but also in intergenerational collaboration through the passing down of textile skills and knowledge of the land. In this way, the work questions how we might redefine labour practices so that they support the interdependence of personal, communal, and ecological healing and growth. My mother first taught me to crochet as a child, a skill passed down in generational succession; she nurtured creative expression, a love of the land and a deep appreciation of all living things. Moss is a pioneer species that holds space for other species to take root and grow. This labour is one that not only sustains distinct species but also sustains larger communities and ecosystems.