Borderland

(India ink and graphite pencil on paper, 18”x13.5”)

This is the third piece in the Half-life series. Here, I used both India ink and graphite pencil for the first time to achieve the striking effect I envisioned. I plan to combine these media in future works as well.

Each piece in the Half-life series deals with division within a different facet of being (i.e. physical, relational, emotional). Borderland grapples with the political. I drew from my own experiences living as a Canadian immigrant in the Deep South of the United States in my youth and, subsequently, near the border between the two countries during the pandemic. As personal as this piece is, I hope that it resonates with anyone who recognizes the quiet power of common sense and the common good over willful ignorance and self-interest.

To represent Borderland on the Half-life playlist, I’ve selected Canadian band Metric’s “Black Sheep”. The song’s ambiguous but devastating lyrics succinctly portray a clear-eyed and fed-up outsider leveling a mendacious, dangerous force with unassailable truth. “Black Sheep” confronts the listener with a sonic intensity that pairs well with the emphatic approach I took in composing Borderland. Check out the Half-life playlist here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCqyznXdAYhqp0YVi6XnXe9b9_HxuVqXa