Earth and Sky, 2008

Shuvinai Ashoona - Cape Dorset, Canada
John Noestheden - Pilot Butte, Canada

Mixed media Iris print banner

In February 2008, Shuvinai Ashoona and John Noestheden were invited to Calgary to collaborate at the Illingworth Kerr Gallery. Shuvinai’s visual interests and strengths are about the land and John’s are about the sky. They first initiated independent sections of a drawing and then started to work together. They recognized that they are both dreamers - Shuvinai of earth spaces and John of sky spaces - both creating fictitious places. They represented their interests, memories, learning and experiences on the planet.

Shuvinai drew with fine tip pens and John drew with the photocopier. They negotiated where Shuvinai would stop the earth and John would start the heavens and where some of John’s stars would find themselves in both realms. Shuvinai developed five horizons and decided that stars could exist between those multiple horizons. Shuvinai saw the stars as snowflakes and requested that they be placed on her stone outcroppings. Ambiguity, experimentation, daring and playfulness assume their roles in a very collaborative effort, melding into a unified whole.
Shuvinai and John are two contemporary artists sharing a common vision where artistic integrity and respectfulness become partners in their shared world, beautifully presented as a pubic art project.

Suitable for all ages

In association with Klaus Littmann Projects, Stadthimmel, Alberta College of Art + Design, Feheley Fine Arts

Thank you to:
Klaus Littmann, Edek Bartz, Pat Feheley, Nancy Campbell, Carmen Wong, Paula Dozois,U of Regina