Amara Barner
the interconnected network of everything and anything
2022
In-situ macramé installation, rope, dimensions variable
to whom it may concern, HD video, 3 minutes
Artist statement
Rhizomes (also called creeping rootstalk) are most popularly known as the botanical explanation for subterranean and horizontally expanding root networks, like the mycelium of fungi for example. Philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari used this botanical concept to philosophically demonstrate and contemplate non-hierarchal networks with no clear beginnings or endings, and the interconnected relations found in both human and technological systems. Amara Barner is drawn to the application of Rhizomatic theory into personal worldviews and societal relations because it means understanding the connective threads and essence of life that exists and unites all living forms. She believes that if humans can integrate a baseline understanding of this thesis, they will transform their actions and will respect all life. Finally, as a society, we will be able to move away from a scarcity mentality and hyper-individualization and instead move towards community-based thinking, recognizing that we are all a part of a whole.
to whom it may concern
to whom it may
concern,
(and I gather that may be
everyone)
the incomplete and interconnected network of everything and
anything is perhaps not incomplete at all but everlasting in its
evolution
and the path of its nature is one of searching for new
connections
it
may come from anywhere and you surely won't always see it
coming and you most definitely won't know where it's going
limitations weather structural or made up are not limitations at
all there's memories to be made and potential to be brewed
limitations might be frames
and the only way out of a restricting
circumstance
is to shift the perceived boundaries of the frame
itself
and the you and me stuck within a
boundary
follow a thread of hope and
inspiration
connect to another who feels the same
then connect to another who connects to
another
we can all build
together
build on the hope to build on the
potential
so it could be a comfort to
consider
that no experience is truly
unique
because someone somewhere can relate to
you
and is reaching outside a frame believing there is more out
there than what has already been decided
we are all implements of
potential
threads to connect
to
beings to relate
to
we are all
a part of a whole
you won't have to do this
alone
and you shouldn't have
to
so i won't let
you
sincerely
,
another loose
thread
Artist’s biography
Amara Barner is a BIPOC, multidisciplinary, freelance artist from Minnesota who currently resides in Montreal (Tiohtià:ke), Quebec. At eighteen years old, she was the youngest hire for the Montréal dance company RUBBERBAND. She danced and toured internationally with the company from 2016-2021. Barner created her craft business, Amarantha: Witchcrafts in 2019, and has since participated in local artisanal festivals such as Puces POP!. Her handmade, ecological crafts aim to bring wellness energy into both home decoration and everyday life. Barner was featured in Dance Magazine’s July 2020 issue as an artist “On The Rise,” and has also been interviewed for the podcast Artistic Roots, and the digital magazine Black Lights. Her dream is to combine her passion for fibre arts and dance into immersive environments that house both installation and performance. She presented her first multidisciplinary solo exhibition mongrel at the VAV Gallery in 2021.
