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Collaboration: LEFT WING + RIGHT WING = LIFT

woman in white and brown dress standing on green grass during night time

Themes: Politics . Civil Dialogue . Public Art . Political Art

48" x 192” (4' x 16’) 5 joined panels – acrylic and collaged handmade paper/newspaper/music on birch

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I’ve never liked politics. The heated views, emphatic use of jargon and innuendo, the rabid quoting of facts/semi-facts/false facts can make conversations difficult. However, in considering my vote, and more importantly, in understanding more deeply how we organize ourselves, how we live politically, I am learning how to have these difficult conversations.
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This five-piece eagle painting is my facilitator.

Left Wing + Right Wing = Lift

A selection of comments:

Fiscal responsibility

Transparency and equality

Indigenous land rights

I want my grandchildren to have meaningful work.

The ability to live with ambiguity and respect for opposing views.

Hope for immigrants.

Our Mother is suffering: respect her!

Parlee ecoutet ensemble.

A few more Ginsburg & Scalia-like relationships.

There IS enough common ground.
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​Better support for our veterans​.

When Canada had its last federal election, I dragged this piece everywhere. I invited anyone who wanted, to answer this question: What matters to you about governance? Choose a wing, choose your writing tool and write! And then we would talk. Why did you choose that wing? How do you see your concerns being addressed by our political parties? My goal was to listen, to see if we could move beyond cynicism and dualisms, to see where there was common ground.
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As discourse in the public square deteriorates into bullying and slander, I want to push back and invite civil dialogue – at least here, in the space created by this painting, let us talk and listen to one another.

Because I had so many extra little paper sails, and they all felt so precious, I made a few more floating boats with sails full of hope.