and sorrow come near us no more 1995
First shown in the exhibition Death and the Family at Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver, British Columbia. The exhibition was curated by Karen Love.
and sorrow come near us no more began with a video I shot in 1991. My parents were visiting and I decided I would take the opportunity to make a family archive. In the process of recording this video, I became more aware than ever of what my parents had valued, enjoyed, and endured in their lives and of the intense commitment they had made to their family.
In April of 1994 my mother suffered a heart attack and she died on September 30, 1994. In August of that year my father was diagnosed with cancer. He was treated but the disease continued to spread and he passed away on April 12, 1995.
The title, and sorrow come near us no more, is a line from a poem by William Butler Yeats. In some ways death is a release from that deterioration of the body. The title also refers to the sorrow and sense of loss that we all sometimes feel in life. Also, sorrow is the “other side” of the love and commitment we experience in relationships.
Montreal, April 1995
Made with the assistance of EMMEDIA Gallery and Production Society, Calgary; special thanks to John Will
Media: flock on fabric and plaster, wood, ribbon roses, found chair, television, 50-minute black and white digital video
Dimensions: fabric wall panels 213 x 175 cm (7’ x 5’ 9”); table 79 x 99 x 64 cm (31” x 39” x 25”); chair 81 x 76 x 81 cm (32” x 30” x 32”)
Collection: Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
Photography: Robert Keziere