Past/Present/Tense

Past/Present Tense was born from the desire to explore and present diverse perspectives on our shared connection to and relationship with the land we inhabit here on Treaty 1 Territory. Past/Present Tense infers a temporal transition, suggesting movement from “it was” to “it is”. Our present, the now, is a result of or a response to past lived experience. Our memories, our interactions in the world, on this land, weave a complex path of convergences that bring us here, to now, this moment. The title invites us to consider what is tense in our histories, and what tensions continue to filter into the present. Tension is the state of discomfort, the dissonance that is key to facilitating our physical and ideological pilgrimages towards a deeper understanding of ourselves in relation to this place, our home. Common to all the work in this exhibition are themes of place, memory and the emotional weight of our threatened environment.The looming climate disaster brought on by continued practices of exploiting the earth’s resources is relevant to Allison Moore’s recent paintings. Moore has created a group of tree portraits that speak to a regeneration through seasonal change and fire. Underground root systems show life pulsing through them as they communicate unknown messages to one another. Moore sees the trees as symbols of resilience, as long-lived life forms that, to a point, can persist through fire and drought. Their stoic beauty is pure magic. An encounter with a tree can be profound. Ultimately, her work brings attention to the threat of this essential life form as the droughts and heat continue to prevail. The present moment is one where decisions need to be made that will make or break us. Moore wonders if it is already too late to leave the trees and all the rest of us in the past.