Gibsons Public Art Gallery 2021

Valerie Durant lives and works on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations in Vancouver, B.C.

 

Invisible Rivers is an installation of photographic, sculptural and video works that reflect upon the climate crisis and our relationship with the natural world.

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Her work draws connection between upstream events such as flooding, forest fires and deforestation and the consequences to our oceans and our sea life, considering the fluid and seemingly invisible connections that link the land, the forest and the sea.

 

Entwined in her identity as a mother and grandmother is a desire to create work which has a minimal impact to future generations through conscious material choices such as recycled paper, ice and found objects.  Exploring the lifecycle of natural materials and the impact of inorganic materials such as plastics, observed and collected from the land and sea is an integral part of her process.

 

Linking the past and future with the present, exploring the concepts of regeneration and continuum, while conveying impermanence and ephemerality is integrated in her practice.

 

She acknowledges the generous support of Canada Council for the Arts. 

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In 2020 She received a Canada Council the the Art  Digital Original Grant for Silence of the Sea  https://vimeo.com/463659233/5c95fb1d0e

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In 2021 she received a Canada Council Research and Create Grant for Invisible Rivers, exhibited at Gibsons Art Gallery in 2020. The Youtube video can be seen at  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLLKO9NAcDdKud7bw7EbW9A 

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