BendiNewsTest: Cynthia Sibley Artwork

Monday, March 2, 2015

Cynthia Sibley Artwork – not super exciting

About “Anthropocene” and “Melt”

Installation artist Cynthia Sibley is driven by her profound concern with the tenuous relationship that has developed between mankind and as far as we know, the singular, life giving planet in which we inhabit. The term anthropocene has been at the forefront of her consciousness for a number of years. Sibley’s work has always strived to create visual stories that touch upon the human condition whether the chosen subject relates to our lives on a physical or a spiritual plane. This particular show is visually appealing but there is a palpable underlying current of urgency. There is a sense of tension created much the same way a threatening music score would lead viewers into the next ominous scene.

“Melt”

Consisting of twenty-five, long tubes made from two litre, plastic bottles suspended in raw steel stands,” Melt” is the largest of the four installations that make up Cynthia Sibley’s installation “Anthropocene”. The piece bears witness to the melting of our planet’s polar ice caps, the relentlessness of climate change and of the remarkable ability our species has to ignore this change. We close our eyes to the truth while exercising our insatiable appetite to consume and waste the earth’s resources

. Fibonacci’s Sequence, the mathematical concept that states nature is created on a spiral, is referenced in the work. Ice filled tubes in the illuminated background display intact and complete light spirals. These tubes represent nature in perfect balance. Protruding into the gallery space are tubes that contain melted ice. As these tubes move farther away from the frozen image in the backdrop, the spirals begin to collapse. Generic white pails collect drips from the melted ice in the same manner one would place a bucket under a hole in a leaky roof. The drips are contained but the underlying problem has not been fixed.

Placed under the illuminated background image is a row of rose quartz. In the metaphysical world, quartz is a powerful healing stone with rose quartz specifically encompassing the notion of unconditional love. It is absolutely imperative that our species finds a way to heal ourselves and our planet.

Each item used in the construction of “Melt” was chosen very carefully, not only for visual impact but also for the multi layers of meaning they would convey. The combination of raw, primitive elements with refined, man-made products creates a scenario that allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions yet still maintain a relevant connection to the work. Examples of this connection can be taken from some of the comments made by viewers with regards to the water that slowly drips into five gallon buckets beneath the plastic tubes: “It is like water dripping off an ice berg.” “They (the tubes) are melting icicles!” “It sounds like old fashioned clocks ticking and ticking.” Each comment is completely applicable to the piece and each has the potential to push the viewer into generating further dialogue within themselves.

The process of creating the 8’x8’ illuminated backdrop included choosing a location where the ice and light filled tubes could be photographed. The artist did not realize how deep snow could be in a stubble,wheat field until she slogged through half a mile of it wearing heavy winter boots, a parka and ski pants while carrying camera gear. The field location was set in place from the end of February until early March of 2014. . The tubes were fitted with 12V submersible, LED light tapes which allowed the artist to hook up the lights to a car battery. Every morning for a week, Sibley would rise well before dawn, climb into her winter clothes, drive to the farm where the tubes were installed, haul out her sled, battery gear, camera and flashlight and walk into the dark field. Upon arrival at the location, she would then would hook up the light tapes to the car battery, prepare the camera and wait for the sun break over the horizon. (Sibley insisted on photographing the sunrise as she found the concept of the sunset just too depressing.) Each morning was exquisite and unique, making it difficult for the artist to choose only one photograph for the backdrop. The picture you see in the illuminated backdrop is, except for cropping, un-retouched. On the last morning of shooting, Sibley was delighted to be joined by a small group who were curious about her project. She says, “At first there was some mild complaining about the cold and the distance to walk but as the sun rose and the light shone through the glowing ice tubes, there was nothing but awed silence. A sort of gentleness seemed to descend upon our little troupe. We had witnessed something that was much bigger than us and it was simply gorgeous.” (Photo credit Susan Chantal and Cynthia Sibley)