Here...is the place where you are!

Leah Decter

In my presentation I will discuss my use of material and process as conceptual elements for exploration in an ongoing body of work entitled 'here'. My work is rooted in intersections of memory, history and social/political issues that reverberate across boundaries. A desire to explore the conditions and interactions underlying these issues drives my practice. I approach my work as a process of inquiry using a common place, culturally charged material and visual vocabulary as a foundation from which to peel back layers of convention.

Highlighting complex issues of place, displacement and belonging, a chapter of my grandfather's story has been a touchstone for the works in 'here'. In 1917, at the age of 14, he narrowly escaped the destruction of his small Jewish village and the death of his entire family. After ten years of repeated dislocation throughout Eastern Europe he made his way to Canada on false papers and created a home in northern Saskatchewan. His story resonates with me for both its place in the narrative of my history and its relationship to broader issues that transcend specifics of time, location and the individual.

Through the process of working with the issues embodied in his story I arrived at an imperative of examining my position as a descendant of immigrants in the legacy of displacement that is embedded in Canada's colonial history. The works in 'here' use fundamental textile processes and video to trace fragmented and interwoven narratives through a landscape of community, displacement, loss and resilience.

Return to Search | Go to Index of Abstracts