arcana shanks
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Arcana Shanks (they/she) is a multi-disciplinary artist residing in amiskwacîwâskahikan, colonially known as Edmonton, Alberta. Their practice is centered on the manifestations of feminine archetypes within people, nature, belief, and practice, explored primarily through performance, poetry, sound, video, and photography.
They graduated with distinction from the University of Lethbridge in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art. Her work has been featured throughout Western Canada, as well as in publications in the USA and England. She was one of the recipients of the Roloff Beny Foundation Photographic Award in Fine Arts in 2019 for her collaborative work with Stephanie Florence.
She has most recently been featured in the Southern Alberta Art Gallery 2022 Art Prize Reader, Circe Magazine, GLOW! Artist, Nextfest 2023, and is the recipient of a Major Artist-Driven Project grant from the Edmonton Arts Council.
mutual cores
Sir Winston Churchill Square
Shanks, Arcana, Mutual Cores, 2023, Sculptural Performance and Installation. Photo by Melanie Andony
ARTIST STATEMENT
For tens of thousands of years humans have created art with the earth. From our earliest days we have marked our stories in charcoal and ochre on cavern walls and cliff faces, sculpted vessels and icons, and carved our homes from the land. There is a sacred connection between life and land, so it is no surprise that stories of creation across the world tell of life being shaped on riverbanks and pulled forth from the dirt.
This artwork tells a story that has been passed down through generations. Mutual Cores is a reflection on feminine power in nature, a manifestation of the archetype of Mother Earth as she was when she created the world. It is an exploration of the concepts of women’s labour, of divine purpose, and of the passage of time. This artwork exists in two facets, an onsite, multi-day series of performances, and a site-specific installation.
The performance tells the story of an unnamed feminine force, driven by instinct to solemnly complete her task: the dedicated creation of a microcosm by her own hands, and by the hands of the audience. The sculpture that remains completes the tale. A new landscape will be summoned from the soil, gently shaped by many hands, imprinted with hopes, dreams, and endless potential. It will track the time, cracking and splintering under the sun, eroding with the wind, before inevitably collapsing into dust and mud.
For the brief duration of its existence, Mutual Cores draws connections between the present and the past and invites the audience to consider their own connection. There is no fear in the passage of time, only appreciation for what exists now, and what will remain in the future. After all, we humans will always find a way to remember ourselves through the earth. This project is supported by Plainsman Pottery Supply.
