2021.17
When The Storm Ends I Will Finish My Work
Artist
Meryl McMaster
(Ottawa, Canada, 1988 – )
Title
When The Storm Ends I Will Finish My Work
Creation Date
2021
Century
21st century
Dimensions
44 x 44 in. (111.76 x 111.76 cm)
Classification
Photographs
Creation Place
North America, Canada, Ontario
Medium and Support
circular chromogenic print flush mounted to aluminum composite panel
Credit Line
Museum Purchase, Lloyd O. and Marjorie Strong Coulter Fund
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
2021.17
Meryl McMaster is a Canadian Indigenous artist based in the city of Ottawa. Her practice is predominantly photography based and incorporates artist-made props, sculptural garments, and performance. She creates work that transports the viewer out of the ordinary and into a space of contemplation and introspection. This recent photograph takes inspiration from the use of glass bell jars to preserve natural history specimens. As McMaster has commented, “within the jars taxidermized animals and preserved plants appear as restricted and silenced creatures of utility, perpetually at the service of humanity’s often self-destructive desire to exert control over time and nature … [this photograph] portrays a fatigued character caught in a dream state. She rests, longingly. A desire for closeness with history and nature motivates her toil; melancholy and loss are ever-present. A hopeful candle continues to burn brightly in this dark moment.”
