From the series, A people’s history of the sublime.
Installation. 9-channel audio (37 minutes, looped) with table, stereoscopic viewers and custom-made reels. 2018.
This piece was made with the generosity of the many contributors who shared their stories and memories of the 2017 total solar eclipse: Diane Bell, Stacey Bhaerman, Jayden and Ethan, Jeremy Brown, Wes Conlin, Joy Daniels, Jack Fridkin, Jean Fridkin, Kevin Golden, Carol Goodman, Geoff Grenville, Milan Kozomora, Laura Owens, David Shumaker, Katie Thomas, and Yitzy. In-kind support from Commons Studio and Eric Duerrstein. Gratitude for the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council.
On August 21, 2017 people from all over North American were eagerly anticipating a rare celestial event: a total solar eclipse. With specially designed viewing aids and DIY contraptions in hand, people all over the continent were hatching plans to amplify the spectacle. Some planned parties to share the experience with their loved ones, while others embarked on extensive journeys to be in the “path of totality” – a swathe of land where one can witness intensified visual phenomena. Those who have first-hand experience of a total solar eclipse can attest that it is nothing short of sublime. Temperatures drop noticeably and animal behaviour can change dramatically. Such events can be transformative, especially when shared.
For Aislinn Thomas, that transformation yields a narrative that reverberates with each retelling. In making A people’s history of the sublime, Thomas solicited contributions of accounts related to the eclipse on August 21, 2017. Supplemented by images and audio that have been publicly shared on the internet, these accounts form a shared resource that aims to democratize the sublime. Ever the respectful collaborator, Thomas honours the idiosyncrasies of her contributors and the unexpected humanity that can be found when we are sitting together in the dark.
-Crystal Mowry
TOTALITY was created in conversation with curator Crystal Mowry for the exhibition The Brain is wider than the Sky at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery in the summer of 2018.
If you’re curious to learn more about this project, you can visit Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery’s Instagram (@kwartgallery) from September 10-16, 2018