Natural Patterns, Woven Series

An image list is available here.

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We live in a continually changing environment where changes construct layers of memories that weave together past and present. Walking is one of Sally’s passions, an activity she enjoys and where her thoughts can flow at liberty in many directions. The exploration of parks, ravines and waterways in and around Toronto has given her a rich context where many of her art projects have been sparked and fostered. During her walks she has collected hundreds of natural specimens to be scanned and catalogued into her image bank where she draws from to create work.

Natural Patterns, Woven Series is part of an ongoing project about plant specimens and their seeds, which scatter to germinate new life cycles. Using seed from the end of a plant’s life cycle references a broader idea about our own aging processes, the plants and their seeds a metaphor for experiences and knowledge acquired as we grow older and pass on our knowledge to others.

The seed specimens in Sally’s work are often seen in the context of the whole, individual seeds being almost invisible to the eye. She has enlarged her specimens to create a new environment that reveals their beauty and complexity, and an environment that reflects the texture and movement of the natural habitat.

Some of the seed specimens in this project are from lupines, milkweed, morning glory, bittersweet, indigo and burrs. Plants that enrich and sometimes invade our environment by constantly regenerating themselves.

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Sally Ayre is a graduate of OCAD (1990) and has exhibited both nationally and internationally. She works in print and photo-based media and is also an educator specializing in historical photo processes, for which she has received several grants and awards. You can find out more about her practice here.