This work, entitled Don’t Touch the Lights; Don’t put Holes in the Wall (DTLDHW) was part of a group show and was given as a challenge by Truck Contemporary Gallery in Calgary, AB, to create an installation out of a wooden shipping crate. It was the first show in their newly renovated space, so I decided to tread lightly in respect for the people that had just finished giving everything such a fresh look. I told myself that I would not put holes in the wall and not to touch the lights. I set out to create an archway that would span the distance of the walls with the objective to go over the light fixture, hence keeping with the rules. The other aspect was to keep the whole of the wooden crate in the work, all the way down to the sawdust. To me it represents the dilemma of modern cities how we deal with the waste we create. This was an experiment to see what it would look like to have all that waste exposed, and treated with respect. This sculpture was a balancing act of materials and process, struggles and waste; re-integrated.
Materials: 1 wooden shipping container, ghetto blaster, tape-measure, jars, broom
Lane Shordee 