Jazz Keillor, BFA

55" x 75"

pencil crayon on paper

The Post-Colonial North American tradition of family camping offers a fascinating example of how we use objects ritualistically to build a sense of meaning. In setting up a campsite, families participate in the ritual of constructing a temporary home, seeking comfort in familiar objects while experiencing a sense of retreat in nature. Interestingly, many North Americans have developed a suburban relationship to the wilderness, expecting a range of sophisticated services while conceptualizing their experiences as rugged escapes from contemporary life. This drawing brings into question the point at which camping becomes so far removed from its initial intent as to become something new entirely. The furnished domestic layout points to a powerful desire for the comforts of home, while the fake trees, picnic table and fire-pit suggest a ceremonial reenactment of past traditions. Positioned within the broader scope of human experience, viewers are invited to trace the origin and function of cultural practices, and the conflicting yet oddly ingenious patterns of behavior that emerge.

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CAN$7,000.00