A People's History

This series is about horrific events committed in Canada against our most vulnerable citizens; the disadvantaged, the uneducated and the young. At the time of each violation the victims were either ignored, disbelieved, or considered expendable.

In making work about someone else’s trauma, the utilization of toys takes on added significance. The events depicted are clearly ones I have not experienced, but through the use of toys, I am able to play “make believe”; acting out the crimes in my studio and “documenting” them with my camera. In making this work I do not intend to mock or diminish the traumas that occurred. Rather, my intention is to consider what took place, why it took place, why it took place here, and reflect it back to all of us for whom it resonates. From this angle, perhaps we can begin to understand these events, and maybe learn something about ourselves that we may not like; that we need to address.