Ova. 2016-2019, handknitted copper wire.
This installation features four hundred small orbs that have been knit with copper wire. Each orb is a manifestation of the female reproductive cell, the single 'ovum' or mature egg released each month. Over her lifetime, the average woman releases between three hundred and four hundred ova. Each of these has the potential, should the forces of nature connect in one instance, to create a new organism. As we (women) move through life, navigating our way into adulthood, careers and partnerships, this biological process is one which factors prominently in our lives. By necessity, we track and control. We experience relief, joy, and loss. We make excruciatingly painful decisions. We wonder about what might have been. This installation is intended to be a simultaneous and visceral glimpse at four hundred possibilities as they existed for a brief time.
Size: Mounted, approximately 80 by 80 inches. Each individual ovum is mounted on a single copper nail.
The artist graciously acknowledges the Ontario Arts Council for their support.
