Breanna Barrington

Empty City: Time is a Rubber Band

July 2021 - October 2021

Location

Edmonton

Breanna is a multimedia artist based in Amiskwaciy-Wâskahikan (Beaver Hills House) ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Edmonton, AB) on Treaty 6 territory. Their work has been exhibited at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Alberta Council for Ukrainian Arts and Mile Zero Dance.

Through painting, printmaking, performance and bricolage, Breanna arranges visual metaphors that explore the relationship between modern urbanity, and the not-so-distant past. Breanna’s work aims to invoke a whimsical awareness and an ethos of care around our shared environmental heritage.

By utilizing recycled matter from back alleys, the River Valley, and thrift stores, Breanna gives forgotten items a new poetic context. Through their careful arrangements, these materials are given a new life.

As the climate crisis advances and the need for eco-awareness grows, Breanna’s residency challenges the viewer to reorganize their relationship with garbage into something with value and historical potential.

Artist Statement

Within the world of this residency, I ventured to frame the idea of ‘Empty Cities’ through a collaborative visual-performative lens. Combining a series of fluxus-flavoured prompts for mindfully navigating the urban labyrinth of “Edmonton,” with a collection of crystal ball vignettes, crafted from debris collected throughout my wanderings.

Together, with hcma’s Edmonton office, I will use these recycled materials and our virtual discussions to create a series of PowerPoint zines. Throughout this practice I ask: how can a careful examination of the past help us create a livable future? How can contemplating deep-time influence the way we live out the impact of our lives? My greatest hope is that this level of awareness might inspire folks to consider the impacts of living large.