Dwayne Martineau: Boreal Fortress

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Dwayne Martineau, “Boreal Fortress,” 2024

(detail) (courtesy of the Gallery)

Boreal Fortress uses images of trees, bark, weeds and detritus from our aspen parkland ecosystem that are made uncanny through mirroring techniques. This installation towers above Main Hall and its massive scale is designed to make the images of trees feel strange yet familiar. This cluster of trees suggests a secret passageway or a swirling vortex. However, this is an illusionistic fictional entryway into an elusive space that cannot be entered. This fortress gives a feeling of discovery but confronts viewers with a space they cannot enter and forces you to think about what we can and cannot access. Boreal Fortress evokes a sense of ancient connection to environmental knowledge that lays beyond the conscious mind.