How have you been? Installation at The Cube at Kamloops Art Gallery, June - September 2021, ink, pastel, varnish, oilstick, graphite, and other drawing media on semi-transparent paper, 60’x 2 rolls
In her recent project developed for The Cube, Modahl worked with the Kamloops Art Gallery to circulate a call for letters in response to the question “How have you been?” She invited contributors to consider the changes and challenges of the past year and to share their experiences and thoughts. With the limitations of social interaction during the pandemic, our ways of interacting have been greatly altered. Physical interactions and movement in public spaces has to be consciously navigated, often adding stress to previously low-stress outings. Limited travel to see friends and family and the need to avoid comforting physical interactions and in person conversations has further contributed to our stress and general well-being.
The letters written to Modahl in response to her question are intended to provide an outlet for the writer, some of whom chose to write anonymously, some not. Modahl then transformed the words into a long letter-form artwork of gestural writing overlaid and abstracted in ink across a continuous scroll of paper. Viewers are invited to enter the gallery and walk beneath and beside, and look over the words through a shared experience
- Craig Willms, curator, Kamloops Art Gallery
“How have you been?” Is now in the collection of Kamloops Art Gallery