Seeding

A performance piece born out of environmental disaster and degradation, an exploration of our connection to landscape and in consideration of what our responsibility is in nurturing that relationship, material processes and social acts of community connection building, engagement and instigation of questioning. While hearing about horrific wildfires gripping Australia, California and Canada at the time, Spencer found the imputes for this piece; out of the terror from News’ cycles reporting on the global environmental disasters came, from a the channeling of nervous energy and need for action, these rough bulbous shapes. Seeding took place over the course of 2021, starting in the beginning of the year and concluding at the end of the fall season, when the original performance of this piece concluded.

The pieces that seem referential to seed pods, insect eggs or some other natural forms, these rough and distorted orbs sit as unfired clay sculpture in the second act of this performance piece. Displaid as such, these objects challenges us to consider them on their own, free of the context of their performance. As sculptural pieces they are particularly delicate and require special care due to the nature of the seed-embedded-clay, which contrasts against the crude manufacturing and appearance of them.

Spencer Sheehan Kalina, while in workshop, handmade these organic forms out of unfired clay and a verity of indigenous plant seeds as a first act to Unravel. The creation of these objects became part of the process of making: these pieces were worked on while the artist sat with other artists in a circle while discussing issues of decolonization, environmental activism and justice, plans of action for environmental resilience, personal memories and explorations of connection to land. In each pod Spencer Sheehan Kalina included notes, poems, quotes and ideas on paper that was recorded while at the meetings too. Others at the circle also contributed words to be held within the pods as well. The pods were then gathered into a handmade basket and displayed as sculptural work at North Island College.

Upon completion of their display, this work was then gathered and brought to its third and final act: the act of seeding. Blood Root Gallery held a special event where this act was exhibited, allowing for witness to be held of the artist in the act of completing the performance piece. Spencer planted and scattered these pods in the Vancouver Island country side where invasive species had taken foothold of the landscape. Those who participated as witnesses were welcomed to participate in planting seeds while in conversation with the artist over Unravel and the research collected in the process of developing it.