Poaceae

poaceae

Poaceae is a stabile wind chime sculpture providing a gentle auditory sensory experience while exploring a hybrid representation of Oat plants and Salt Hay. Using tall bendable stalks, my stabiles mimic the sort of improvised dance grass stalks do, allowing them to spread their seeds in wind gusts and breezes. Instead of florets and seeds, the inflorescence on each stalk will be small chimes that sound while the stabile moves.

In my work, I intend to create opportunities to explore cultural attitudes toward vulnerability and radical acceptance. These themes show up in my stabile sculptures, stemming from my research delving into our intricate relationship with plants. Two specific plants, Oats and Salt Hay, belong to the Poaceae family of grasses. Both hold profound social and cultural significance in Mi’kma’ki / Nova Scotia. Oats were introduced as a crucial staple cereal, while Salt Hay, an indigenous plant, played a vital role in sustaining livestock during the early colonial era in the Maritimes.