This installation composed of four suspended cloud forms began from a desire to walk amongst the clouds, as if in Sky World, from the Haudenosaunee creation teaching. In this teaching, Sky Woman fell from Sky World and was placed by the sea birds on the back of the Great Turtle, which is why we know this territory as Turtle Island.

The clouds are made up of thousands of ovals cut from a matte film that absorbs light and gives off a sort of glow when lit. These elements are strung onto threads in such a way that they remain mobile and animate in relationship with the air around them. The threads hang from the ceiling and touch the floor, in reference to the relationship between earth and sky, and in reference to the Sky Woman’s fall. The thread was selected specifically for its reflective properties. It is not meant to be invisible. The lighting of the installation becomes a part of the artwork as the thousands of shadows cast by the suspended forms become an extension of the whole. The shadows are the ancestors who are always with us. As the ovals and threads shift and stir with the movement of the air, so do the shadows engage in the dance.

Visitors may enter the installation and walk among the cloud forms, but they must walk carefully. The stringed elements are extremely lightweight and move with the slightest air current or breath. This is a way for me to solicit the viewer’s engagement and willingness to enter a relationship with the installation and by extension, experience my ideas.