Guppy Back Canoe with Frosty Egg
Prologue: The Voyages of Guppy Back, Frosty Egg, and MJB
Consistent with other canoe carvings from 2014-2015, this piece is guided by a comparative reading of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican and Andean interpretations regarding the intricate relationship between the arc of the horizon and the movement of light as well as complimentary Eurasian insights regarding physical balance and a “cosmic egg.” When gently nudged in either direction the Guppy Back Canoe will neatly spin with the Frosty Egg on its back and too much force will produce an unhappy result. The older Western Canadian origins of the rock for the Canoe remain mysterious, although it was found comfortably nesting amongst a small group of rocks from Cadomin, Alberta shortly before it was polished and prepared for a journey to Africa. Meanwhile, the rock for the precious egg was given to the School of One by the enterprising rock merchant Azad. The image here documents the moment in which Guppy Back and the Frosty Egg were presented to MJB in Summer, 2015 at the Remedy Café, Jasper Avenue. MJB, then a Arts student majoring in History and Political Science at the University of Alberta, had already made a mark on the greater Edmonton community by helping immigrants navigate the complexities of the federal court system of Canada. Long before graduate study at the London School of Economics and Political Science, MJB had helped found the Gihon Women Empowerment Program. As seen below, MJB's talents extend to dance, a cultural passion and pursuit which led to another set of travel accounts to New York, New York during the Fall, only a few weeks before a third voyage to Hawaii.
Chapter I: Kenya Calling
The first voyage undertaken by Guppy Back Canoe and the Frosty Egg with MJB proved to be an extremel inspired and worthwhile one. MjB's commitment to International issues is further exemplified by the following vignettes from a trip to Kenya during 2015 as part of an effort to collaborate and to lend support towards projects which support women and the education of children. As a further means of strengthening the foundations of the Gihon Women Empowerment Program, MJB gained first-hand insight into the potential and the challenges facing inhabitants of the areas surrounding Nairobi. MJB later asserted to the School of One Carver that this voyage to Kenya was a "life-changing experience", one which was clearly informed by Kenya's rich cultural traditions. The trip to Kenya, moreover, undoubtedly helped buttress the resolve of MJB to pursue graduate study in international humanitarian issues at the London School of Economics and Political Science beginning in 2016.
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The Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a geographical wonder that stretches from Jordan to Mozambique. This view comes from Kenya where the valley is at its deepest. Hundreds of tourists stop everyday along this highway, which lines one of the valley's ridges, to take in the incredible view. As I stood on the edge of the road looking down, all I remember thinking was how much I would like to have been down there at the base of the valley.
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Kibera
Kibera, a suburb of Nairobi Kenya, is the largest slum in Africa. The population is estimated to be around 1,000,000. As I took the photos of the slum I was just amazed at the conditions Kenyan citizens walked through every day, just five kilometres from the city centre. The infrastructure is virtually non-existent, with no water, no sewage treatment, and limited electricity. The homes and shops are built with iron sheets wherever there is space to squeeze in another family. Children dart in and out of the iron mazes, covered in dirt and rust.
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School at Internally Displaced Persons Camp
Following the 2007-2008 presidential election, tribal violence broke out across Kenya. Tribal minorities were forced from their communities and relocated to Internally Displaced Persons Camps by the government. Seven years later, only half of the families have been relocated and the rest still reside in tents provided to them by the government. Education was neglected in this 'temporary' resettlement program, and the only school for this camp was built by international volunteers. The children play outside the school as they would in just about any other country, but are unaware they have been largely forgotten by their own government. I stood amongst the tents, trying to capture a good photo, and all I could think was that the backdrop to my photos should not exist.
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Maasai Mara National Park
Maasai Mara National Park is a large game reserve in Kenya. This virtually untouched area is home to hundreds of species of large game and birds. Lions, giraffes, elephants, and cheetahs are a regular sight to the countless safari vans filled with excited tourists. I was just as excited as anyone else but my mind was still preoccupied with how acclimatized the animals were to humans. A van full of noisy tourists appeared not to disrupt a lion’s afternoon nap.
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Kintengela Recess
Kitengela, a small town 1.5 hours outside of Nairobi, is home to a slum cursed with drought. This area is lucky to receive a single rainfall per season. The extreme drought has devastated agriculture, which, in turn has let to greater poverty. I walked through the slum each day and wondered what I would do if I had been born in a place so devoid of opportunity. Outside a school within this slum children gather at recess to play with a tire. They giggle and cough as the clouds of dust swirl up to the sky.
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Chapter 2: Immersion New York, New York
The second voyage undertaken with the Guppy Back Canoe and the Frosty Egg carvings in 2015 was directly related to MJB's interest and passion for dance. As an active member of the Cheremosh, MJB has been able to celebrate Ukrainian heritage in Edmonton while participating in tours to diverse destinations and venues, including New York, New York. The tour also meant that Guppy Back and Frosty Egg would visit some of the iconic and memorable destinations of the Big Apple, an opportunity not readily available for many sculptures. The vignettes found in this chapter, moreover, clearly exemplifiy how New York's aura and history maintains universal appeal on the global stage.
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Symphony Space
The October 2015 US tour of the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company stopped in New York and danced at the Symphony Space on Broadway. It was an incredible feeling to see 'Ukrainain dance' on a moving marquee on Broadway.
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Waterfall
The waterfalls at the 9/11 Memorial in New York help mark the footprints of the twin towers. As my friends and I stood at the edge, each of us quietly reflected on where we were when the tragedy happened. 911 is the event of our generation. The black stone railing is engraved with the names of every person that lost their lives on that day. The memorial is a beautiful way to remember each person who perished. Every name of the deceased is engraved and all of the name inscriptions are the same size, regardless if you were a CEO or a caretaker.
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Liberty Horizon
Standing at the Southern tip of Manhattan you can see outline of the Statue of Liberty off in the distance. The ocean is beautiful, but very busy with countless cruise and transport ships travelling in and out of port.
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Brooklyn Bridge
For me, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most iconic images of New York. The striking contrast of the modern skyscrapers on the island and the historic buildings across in Brooklyn still seems to suggest an eloquent tension binding the past with the present.
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Chapter 3: Hawaii November Beach Survey
The third and final voyage of 2015 undertaken with the Guppy Back Canoe and the Frosty Egg carvings with MJB was during the first time "Fall Break" was integrated into the University of Alberta Academic Calendar. In past years, students were only given a few days to regenerate during the Fall Term, and the University of Alberta only permitted a Winter Term Reading Week ("Spring Break" as it is known in most universities in North America). The Students Union at the University successfully lobbied University administration for these late Autumn days of respite. The School of One carver mused that while many of the students probably hoped for relaxation and leisure within the Canadian Rockies during this first edition of Fall Break, MJB undoubtedly had travelled to Hawaii with Guppy Back Canoe and Frosty Egg for serious scientific study of Maui's beaches.
Reading Maui Beaches 30°C (very hot!)
The weather on the Hawaiian Island of Maui is truly a natural wonder. As you stand on the south shores half the island is covered with thick storm clouds, while the other half experiences constant sunlight. Even as the skies are constantly changing, the temperature stays wonderfully warm keeping the oceans perfect for swimming.
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