Atlin Lake, Northwestern B.C., is literally a confluence of several rivers and a glacier, but it became much more than that to me when I explored the lake by boat in the summer of 2020. My response to this “waterscape” was that it seemed to communicate changing, rhythmic realities that worked in perfect harmony and synchronicity. There was a confluence of form and formlessness, colliding and mingling, always in motion, always unified.
“Confluence” speaks of connections of all sorts. There is the confluence between what is seen and the life or consciousness in the natural world which is invisible but felt. The environment and humanity also present a confluence. We come from the same place. We share life. We are connected.
Elements that are common in the paintings are metaphors for the above ideas. In all the compositions there are landforms, joined together by a silent, visual rhythm. The land (the earth element) represents structure, the state of being grounded, physical reality. This reality is surrounded by swirling mists, clouds, water and light. The air is thought, ideas, momentary illusion that is constantly moving and changing; it is also formlessness, the subjective experience. Water flows through everything, colouring everything, as do emotions and imagination.
There are few places left in the world like Atlin Lake, that can offer a window looking into the nature of existence. They live silently, powerfully and timelessly. They are reminders that all living things really are connected.