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Artist Interpretation: Making Fire, named by Emma Kivisild
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Image description: A colour photo of Persimmon Blackbridge looking into the camera, wearing a respirator mask. She is light-skinned person wearing a green crocheted hat, a dark blue knit jacket and has a long braid on her left side with a plum and dark blue fabric woven through her gray hair. Her workshop is out of focus in the background.
Image description: A black and white photo of Persimmon Blackbridge looking into the camera, mouth closed. She is wearing a crocheted hat, a dark jean jacket, her chest length braid is fully visible ending in a mix of hair and fabric. She is in front of an outdoor wooden wall with some wooden boards resting on the wall.
Artwork description 1: A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image. To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Image description: A black and white photo of Persimmon Blackbridge looking into the camera, with a neutral look and a mouth closed, holding a burnt barbie doll head on a stick slightly in front of her face. She is wearing a crocheted hat, a dark jean jacket and rounded wayfarer glasses. The background is an out of focus lawn.
Artwork description 1: A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image. To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Image description: A black and white photo of Persimmon Blackbridge staring into the camera with teeth slightly showing from mouth, holding a burnt barbie doll head on a stick slightly in front of her face. She is wearing a crocheted hat and a dark jean jacket. The background is an out of focus lawn.
Artwork description 1: A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image. To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Image description: A colour photo of Persimmon Blackbridge
Artwork description 1: A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image. To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Image description: A colour photo of Persimmon Blackbridge wearing a respirator mask. She is wearing a green crocheted hat, a dark blue knit jacket. Her workshop is out of focus in the background.
Artwork description 1: A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image. To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Image description: A colour photo of Persimmon Blackbridge wearing a respirator mask. She is wearing a green crocheted hat, a dark blue knit jacket. Her workshop is out of focus in the background.
Artwork description 1: A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image. To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Image description: A colour photo of Persimmon Blackbridge wearing a respirator mask. She is wearing a green crocheted hat, a dark blue knit jacket. Her workshop is out of focus in the background.
Artwork description 1: A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image. To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Image description: A colour photo of Persimmon Blackbridge wearing a respirator mask. She is wearing a green crocheted hat, a dark blue knit jacket. Her workshop is out of focus in the background.
Artwork description 1: A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image. To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Artwork description 1: A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image. To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.

Artwork description 1:

A close up photo of the top of a mixed media art piece on canvas.
A canvas with primarily green tones and with ribbons, rope netting, and dried grasses are visible. The canvas is spray painted green with paint gaps from stencilled rope netting patterns. To the bottom centre of the image is layers of ribbon in soft pink and yellow covered by green and blue dyed rope netting. The rope netting has 3 fluffy pampas grass tips placed through it. One is soft pink, one is half pink, half natural brown, and another is softer brown. Dyed blue pine needles and partly pink dyed grass stems with seeds are also woven into the netting. A pink to yellow lacy ribbon is draped from above the top left of the canvas to the right corner of the image.

To the left of the canvas is long dangling mixes of ribbons, mostly fluffy green, with some lacy ribbons in white, pink, yellow, and brown to green netting.

The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.

Artwork description 2: A second close up of the top of the mixed media art piece on canvas.
To the left of the image, minimal fluffy green ribbon is visible. Instead, more pastel ribbon in mint green, soft pink, satin grey and beige are hanging from above the image. More brown and green rope netting is visible mixed with the other hanging ribbons. The ribbon draped above the canvas coming from the other hanging ribbons to the left is imperial yellow and shorter. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Artwork description 2: A second close up of the top of the mixed media art piece on canvas.
To the left of the image, minimal fluffy green ribbon is visible. Instead, more pastel ribbon in mint green, soft pink, satin grey and beige are hanging from above the image. More brown and green rope netting is visible mixed with the other hanging ribbons. The ribbon draped above the canvas coming from the other hanging ribbons to the left is imperial yellow and shorter. The top right area behind the canvas is a black background.
Artwork description 3: A birdcage covered in ribbons and netting (on the left) and the square mixed media art canvas (on the bottom left) are both hanging, centred in front of a black background, with light illuminating the artwork coming from the right side outside of the frame.
The birdcage is small and metal and wrapped with mint green lace around the bottom of the cage. Dried brown flowers are placed on the outside top of the cage. The cage is covered in brown and green rope netting, green fluffy ribbon draping from the chain connection above the cage down at least a metre. Long ribbons in mint green, soft pink, satin grey, imperial yellow and beige are variously tied from the cage on all sides, some from the top of the cage, some the middle and some at the bottom of the cage. All the ribbons are dangling and mixing with the green fluffy ribbons and one long strip of rope netting, some over a metre long. The ribbons are hanging beside and slightly in front of the mixed media canvas. The whole canvas is spray painted green tones with stencilled rope netting patterns. The textured layered rope, ribbon and pampas grass area featured in the first two close up images are towards the upper left of the canvas. To the bottom right of the canvas is a faint-white finger painted word at an angle: EXIST.
Artwork description 3: A birdcage covered in ribbons and netting (on the left) and the square mixed media art canvas (on the bottom left) are both hanging, centred in front of a black background, with light illuminating the artwork coming from the right side outside of the frame.
The birdcage is small and metal and wrapped with mint green lace around the bottom of the cage. Dried brown flowers are placed on the outside top of the cage. The cage is covered in brown and green rope netting, green fluffy ribbon draping from the chain connection above the cage down at least a metre. Long ribbons in mint green, soft pink, satin grey, imperial yellow and beige are variously tied from the cage on all sides, some from the top of the cage, some the middle and some at the bottom of the cage. All the ribbons are dangling and mixing with the green fluffy ribbons and one long strip of rope netting, some over a metre long. The ribbons are hanging beside and slightly in front of the mixed media canvas. The whole canvas is spray painted green tones with stencilled rope netting patterns. The textured layered rope, ribbon and pampas grass area featured in the first two close up images are towards the upper left of the canvas. To the bottom right of the canvas is a faint-white finger painted word at an angle: EXIST.
Artwork description 4: The hanging cage and canvas are glowing with some neon paint. A blurry person on the left side of the image is moving the cage, a couple wavey orange lines of light painting are coming from the illuminated cage towards the person. The cage is blurry, lit and bright yellow and orange light coming from within the cage looks like flames outside the cage. The dangling ribbons blur into orange with accents of neon green, pink, purples and yellows. The multimedia canvas on the left is mostly shades of purple and pink and some glowing white with non-glowing green in the background. The textured layered rope, ribbon and pampas grass area are illuminated. The rope is neon green, the pampas grass is neon orange as well as a few orange strands of grass. To the bottom right of the canvas, the word EXIST is illuminated in a neon green colour.
Artwork description 4: The hanging cage and canvas are glowing with some neon paint. A blurry person on the left side of the image is moving the cage, a couple wavey orange lines of light painting are coming from the illuminated cage towards the person. The cage is blurry, lit and bright yellow and orange light coming from within the cage looks like flames outside the cage. The dangling ribbons blur into orange with accents of neon green, pink, purples and yellows. The multimedia canvas on the left is mostly shades of purple and pink and some glowing white with non-glowing green in the background. The textured layered rope, ribbon and pampas grass area are illuminated. The rope is neon green, the pampas grass is neon orange as well as a few orange strands of grass. To the bottom right of the canvas, the word EXIST is illuminated in a neon green colour.
Artwork description 5: A second image of the hanging cage and canvas illuminated in neon. The hands of the person to the left are visible but more blurry. More glowing orange light paint is coming from the cage towards the top left side of the image. There is more contrast and texture details visible of the cage and canvas. With more neon colours from the ribbons illuminated. The canvas is almost all blue with the rope netting and EXIST text being bright neon green.
Artwork description 5: A second image of the hanging cage and canvas illuminated in neon. The hands of the person to the left are visible but more blurry. More glowing orange light paint is coming from the cage towards the top left side of the image. There is more contrast and texture details visible of the cage and canvas. With more neon colours from the ribbons illuminated. The canvas is almost all blue with the rope netting and EXIST text being bright neon green.
Artwork description 6: The hanging birdcage with ribbons is hanging directly above the canvas from a couple loops of visible metal chain. The canvas is on the floor. The colours are all neon greens and blues, no orange visible.
The green fuzzy ribbon is draping over most of the birdcage. The green ribbon and dangling rope netting are glowing green. The word EXIST on the canvas is glowing green.
The rest of the canvas and ribbons are mostly shades of blue, some glowing more or less.
Artwork description 6: The hanging birdcage with ribbons is hanging directly above the canvas from a couple loops of visible metal chain. The canvas is on the floor. The colours are all neon greens and blues, no orange visible.
The green fuzzy ribbon is draping over most of the birdcage. The green ribbon and dangling rope netting are glowing green. The word EXIST on the canvas is glowing green.
The rest of the canvas and ribbons are mostly shades of blue, some glowing more or less.

Artist Interpretation: Making Fire, named by Emma Kivisild

Judy Woo, photos by SD Holman

(Click to read more about the artist)

Image Description:

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Artist Statement:

When I read the interview transcript with Emma, I felt a sense of commonality. I had similar experiences being a new administrator and being a disabled artist at the same time. I tried to showcase my art through collectives and I was turned down by the abled body community. So I became the founder and curator of Meltshot Brownie Art and Performance collective featuring local BIPOC artists. Representation Matters!

I spoke with Emma and asked about her journey with Kickstart and if she had any issues working in a politicized and artistic environment. Emma responded that her journey was a positive exchange within her community and Kickstart.

As an intuitive abstract artist, I went with what I read from the interviews, content and speaking with Emma. I didn’t draw a concept or plan what I was going to make. I just knew Emma is a powerful, risk-taking, cool, creative, funny and generous human.

My friend Oliver Hue gifted me a small bird cage and it reminded me of Marx Weber’s sociological theory of the Iron Cage. The iron cage is a concept that describes the increased rationalization inherent in social life, especially in Western capitalist societies. The “iron cage” traps individuals based on how useful they are in society.

It triggered my feelings and thoughts about how trapped we feel in our own bodies, colonial systems we must obey to meet our needs, and discarded by society because we are disabled. I envisioned Emma rattling the cage, being caged in and busting out of the cage of bureaucracy. That’s when I thought using magic fire paper inside the bird cage would be a symbolic way of illustrating Emma’s existence bursting out like a phoenix.

Community care and love sustained positive wellness for Emma and the reciprocation is unconditional. I foraged local healing flowers; pine needles painted Cerulean blue, imperial yellow Chrysanthemums passed on from my mother, pampas (bunny’s tail) and green Amaranth.

I like using pampas (also known as bunny’s tail) in my art work because pampas can’t be destroyed. It grows everywhere like an unwanted weed, yet people overlook it. Pampas is resilient and grows in any given weather condition. These seedlings came before me and passed on to the future generations. This is a representation of Emma’s work that came before and will be passed on through her storytelling. She has supported so many artists by telling us stories and how to navigate any barriers we confront. So I created a narrative with an installation and canvas using spray paint, acrylic paint, dyes, ribbons, modge podge, six feet of bulk gold chandelier chain and a hook. I had some help hanging my installation from my eleven-foot ceiling. My abled body friend CWS was able to help drill and hang the installation.

Some of the flowers are on the installation and some on the canvas. The canvas I painted is Kickstart and I feel the two are symbiotic. The heart of Kickstart is on the canvas with the netting and a minimalistic floral arrangement. Everything we see in the day appears normal, but when the lights are off the canvas and installation really illuminates the invisible becoming the visible.

Connection

The connection between art and the disabled community is a healing pairing. I used ribbons with different textures and dip-dyed colors of mint green, soft pink, brown netting, satin grey and beige to create an ombre effect. These ribbons are tied in different parts of the iron cage meaning each ribbon is a person Emma has collaborated with and helped transform their different stages of their artistic process. Also, art shifts through time and nothing is static.

It is important to have the installation always touching the canvas. The transformative ribbons are people and experiences linked to Kickstart and influenced by Emma. Connection is important as it could be a lonely residency and process. I am fragmented from my own artist community as I live on an island.

The art project was named by Emma as I wanted to include her and make this project more interactive. I wanted a spirit name for this joyful story about Existing!

Artwork Information:

Title:
Artist Interpretation: Making Fire, named by Emma Kivisild

Artist:
Judy Woo, photos by SD Holman

Created in Response to Interview by:
Emma Kivisild

(Click here for the full interview page)

Date:

Type:
Photos by SD Holman

Format:
Photos

Collection:
Artworks in Response 2022-2023
The Disability Arts & Activism Archive plans to take place across the lands that are colonially known as British Columbia —which encompasses the homelands of over 200 distinct Indigenous nations and cultures, with over 30 different languages and 90 unique dialects spoken across those homelands.
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Disability Arts &
Activism Archive

Disability Arts and Activism Archive logo: A grey capital letter D with three capital letter A’s stacked inside. Each A is stacked from smallest to largest behind each other. The smallest A at the front is yellow, the second A in the middle is blue, the third largest A is green. Behind the semi-circular D is a left-pointing shadow in the shape and colours of the stacked A letters. Designed by Valen Onstine and Taz Soleil
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2023 Disability Arts & Activism Archive