on the edge of routine; or of sand, silt, and clay

Daybreak Group Exhibition Curated by Erin Szikora for Doris McCarhty Gallery

Movement artist, editor & sound design: saysah

Videography: Kourtney Jackson

Materials: Single-channel video, raw clay, and mixed media installation

The Scarborough Bluffs were formed by ancient glacial activity over a period of 70,000

years that left layers of sediment which was then carved and shaped by wind, waves,

and rain. It is estimated that the Bluffs we recognize today have existed for nearly

12,000 years. This neighbouring geological feature has bore witness to and been in

relationship with thousands of years of human history along the Northern shores of Lake

Ontario. In on the edge of routine; or of sand, silt, and clay, performed by multisensorial

artist Saysah and recorded by videographer Kourtney Jackson, Saysah considers their

relationship to this ancient site through two essential elements: clay and water.

Clay and water are fundamental materials that connect all people to each other and to

the earth—shaping the physical world we live in and flowing through each of us. In the

video, Saysah moves in and through the water, foraging raw clay along the shoreline of

Lake Ontario that is then brought into the gallery. Until fired, clay can be infinitely

mouldable and rehydrated, holding only memory of its past formation. At the Opening

Reception of Daybreak on January 24th, visitors are invited to sculpt this raw clay into a

relic to be placed in the altar in front of the video. On March 28th, join Saysah for a

reflective walk down UTSC’s Ma Moosh Ka Win Vallery Trail where we will return the

unfired clay relics to the Highland Creek, a nearby waterway that empties back into

Lake Ontario.