Midden

Through the examination of these middens we are offered valuable clues about the diet and habits of past coastal communities. This wealth of information can be studied and applied to how we arrived at the present.

This unintentional legacy left behind by this coastal community is a snapshot of the lives of these ancient people. TELUS, through its Garden Art Program, will shape its own legacy through supporting arts and culture within its community. The Shell Midden sculpture is a metaphor for culture, community, and the transference of knowledge.

I felt the materials of meaning should speak to a larger more inclusive group – the whole society that contributed and provided us with a body of knowledge. With that in mind, I have used wood thoughtfully harvested and carefully employed in the installation. The shells are carved from the outer layers of the maple trees, saved while milling maple for dining tables. They are finished with environmentally responsible hardwax oil, and the individual panels are coloured with low VOC paint.

Copper is stretched across the span of the piece vertically and horizontally mapping out the midden into definable areas. Upon closer inspection, the wire terminuses reveal an instrument-like support with a tuning peg, representing the transmission of ideas, storytelling, and the connection of communities.