Underground forest networks in Aylmer

Tashi Farmilo

New Arboreal – Arboricole, a solo exhibition by artist Jenny McMaster, opened on October 22 at Espace Pierre-Debain, located in the Vieux-Aylmer Cultural Centre at 120 rue Principale in Aylmer, and runs through December 14. “My inspiration for this exhibition is largely the work of naturalist Suzanne Simard and her book Finding the Mother Tree, which speaks about how mycelium — the root systems of mushrooms — allow trees to communicate,” said McMaster. “I also loved Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life, which talks about the hybrid nature of lichens and other symbiotic organisms.”

The central installation in New Arboreal – Arboricole is conceived to appear largely subterranean. McMaster draws attention to the ecological activity that continues unseen beneath city sidewalks and forest trails alike. “As we walk through the woods or even past trees near the sidewalk, there is so much going on we are not seeing,” she explained. “While my work certainly has an ecological message about respect and genuine reverence and curiosity about life, I also hope to convey the message that we aren’t alone.”

The artist, who is based in Gatineau, earned her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Ottawa. Reflecting on the personal dimensions of the work, McMaster described it as “a meditation on the falseness of solitary existence.” She added, “When I feel like the ‘I, mine’ consciousness is isolating me, or interfering in other ways, I try to cultivate an expansive sense of awareness, one that recalls not only the interdependence of all living things, but also the unshakable reality that we are surrounded and enveloped by other natural beings.”