“Imagine Peace” exhibition by Deryk Houston

Deryk Houston exhibition Nov 20th - Dec.3rd 2009

In the spring of 2009, I constructed three large six foot by ten foot,  blue eggs and placed them in various, nest like locations, in Beacon Hill park. The plan was to use the structures simply as props…the real medium was the photography  which would capture the event and express my feelings about peace.

The eggs were constructed of plastic panels. I had great joy in placing children’s art that focused on peace, inside the eggs.I then covered the basic structure with chicken wire. This was then wrapped in hand painted tarp material and tied with several hundred feet of white cotton rope.

When I unloaded the eggs from the truck, I had no idea what to expect in the day ahead. I just knew that I wanted to do this project. I have always been fascinated by robins eggs since I was a child. I remember reaching through the thorn branches of the bushes that surrounded the fields of my home in Scotland, and placing my hand into the nest to feel the warm eggs. It was a completely magical experience for me as a child and the feeling never left me. It seems natural that I am drawn to the eggs today to express my love of the complete miracle of life.

My attention is also caught up in the subject of war. Currently Canada is involved in Afghanistan and so that is the conflict I am focusing on at the moment. I find it hard to believe that we would throw life away so carelessly because in our hearts we all know how precious it is. So why do we do it and how does one effectively express that with ones art? How do we reach people who believe that war is necessary and that it might be viewed as a simple fact of life?

One thing I am certain of is that the solutions for finding peace can only be achieved by keeping communication open. I believe that the best way to do that is to look at things in a positive light. I would rather talk about life than about death. I am saying that life is precious and that we must protect it at all costs. If we understood that idea and embraced it completely then I believe that we would always be able to find solutions. The alternative is to send our young men and women to places like Afghanistan where they will be shredded to pieces, our economies ruined, and then bring them home after we realize that this is a failed idea. The exhibition will feature six, five foot by six foot photographs, of the eggs at Beacon Hill park. In front of each photos will be a small alter like plinth with a candle representing the Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. I will also have a live web link to the CBC web site featuring the photos of the Canadian soldiers who have died, as well as a link to the Charter for Compassion

http://charterforcompassion.org please read and if you agree, please submit your affirmation.

This exhibition has just returned from my exhibit at the Gracefield Art Center in Scotland.