Ephemeral Joys: Childhood Memories
Sitting on a wooden sleigh ready to be towed out onto the ice, artist Urve Manuel’s leaded glass icefishing hut glows in the receding winter light. The colours and the designs of the panels of this life-sized glass and metal structure flow from one wall to the next; on one side, a curious seal looks out at the viewer, while the opposite depicts a polar bear diving deep into the depths of the ocean; fish or perhaps shafts of lights appear to move along-side these animals, adding movement to the work. As the viewer looks up, a stylised version of the horizon line created by the silent Tableland Mountains surrounded by a sky full of dancing northern lights invites the focus upwards and outwards, into the artist’s realm of memories and dreams. The simple structure of a typical Canadian icefishing hut has morphed into a cathedral of colour, allowing each visitor to experience a small glimmer of the artist’s feelings of the wonder she experiences in her world.
Besides the wonderful childhood ice-fishing memories with grandparents, brothers, parents, and friends that inspired this piece, this structure also evokes other memories in the same landscape. Echoes of resettlement of Newfoundland communities can be seen and felt as the structure is towed out onto the ice, or across a body of water to be rebuilt at the end point, or taken apart again for another journey elsewhere. The stories that were created during the making of this structure, during the installations and uninstallations, the adventures experienced in the landscape, and the historical references connect to and resonate strongly with most local viewers; the structure itself is familiar yet new to those who spend time inside it.
Thank you for your continued support and for enjoying my work. Urve Manuel
Prints and cards of Ephemeral Joys: Childhood Memories are available for purchase at The Glass Station.
