The ethereal world of dimmed lights, swishing aquatic currents and the circling grit of sand and sea captured in the Viking Union Gallery this summer is aptly deemed "If Only I Had a Seaworthy Vessel."
The collaborative effort of two Northwest artists, Tanis S'eiltin and Nata Lukas Taylor, was to create another world - a separate realm within the bounds of Western. The note left by the artists at the entrance describes the use and implementation of natural objects and images to instill a calming effect into gallery viewers.
"(Our effort) was to create an environment that was otherworldly, to transport the viewer to another dimension," Taylor said.
The significant lighting deficiency and cooler temperature sharply contrasted the other fluorescent lights of the Viking Union. A spotlight within the darkness cast over a ladder grabbed the viewers' attention from the door to the center of the Gallery.
Formed from tree roots and rising out of a circle of white sand, the ladder gives hope to some viewers. Geology major John Slater, taking a break from classes at Western, crouched to feel the sand.
"It's like there's a way to a higher place, with everything crumbling behind," Slater said, scattering the few grains he pinched away from the side.
Taylor said the ladder seems to draw the most attention from the gallery visitors, but he was reluctant to comment on it.
"For me, it is really important to honor what the viewer brings to a work of art," Taylor said, advising a visit to the showing for insight to the meaning. He was adamant about the exhibit being a different journey for each viewer.
Behind the ladder, against a wall, is the figure of a boat outlined and shaded from small stones and pebbles. Each rock was individually gathered, sorted and glued locally by S'eiltin and her family.
"If I could go anywhere, I would build myself a boat and sail home," S'eiltin said. The aura of home was her greater contribution to the exhibit, she said.
"Red is the warmth of home," S'eiltin said, commenting on the necessity of home with any voyage. "Otherwise you're lost."
Beyond the sand, two water projections and varied rock sculptures along the walls, is a red hallway lit with neon lights. S'eiltin said that is why she also designed the North Star on the north wall of the gallery, to remind her of her native Alaska home.
The feeling of a journey was a very important emotion S'eiltin and Taylor wanted to convey to a viewer once they entered the exhibit. They took a boat themselves into the Nooksack Slough for film footage and material gathering for the exhibit to further exemplify that journey.
A film loop projected against a corner of the gallery showcased the environments they passed. This was also to encourage the feeling of drifting, traveling and escape from the outside world, S'eiltin said.
Opposite the corner projection of their trip was a second video: water playing on the wall in a perfect circle.
"The circle of sand and the circle of water work perfect together," Slater said. "I want to sit in the sand."
Tree roots dangle everywhere from the even darker rafters, swaying slightly to the sounds of water trickling and running.
"The driftwood roots are akin to rivers and arteries," Taylor said, connecting the different themes available in the room.
Fairhaven senior Josh Goodman, 22, works the desk at the gallery almost every day. He said the exhibit has been exceeding previous summer turnouts for visitors, and he was glad to hear the show would last an additional two weeks, until the summer session is completely over.
"My original impressions - all of them - have mushed into a calm, meditative feeling," Goodman said. He listed some of them as confusion, complacency, simplicity and an overall natural and not aesthetic look.
Gallery coordinator Andrea Tjoelker said she is satisfied with the gallery's new location after the Viking Union renovations. It is now located on the 5th floor, just beyond the post office.
"It seems a bit hidden," she said. "But that's almost better for a showcase like this."
She said the combination of situated art and collaborative inputs from both artists have really made this exhibit its own environment.
"It's nice not having paintings on white walls; the art is real and it makes you a part of it," Tjoelker said while comparing this show to those previous.
The show differs from many shows in the gallery before in the essence that there are no individual pieces, it's a team effort from both artists, Tjoelker added.
"I thoroughly enjoy collaborating," Taylor said. "I feel like the work we did together is strong."
S'eiltin said her favorite part of collaborative art is that she can bring her family into the process of creating.
Students, teachers, and university staff alike have been visiting "If Only I Had a Seaworthy Vessel" for a quick journey away from the outside world.
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