Learnings from Ancestral Lines

Two things about my recent show, Ancestral Lines, pushed me to take a step closer to installation or site-specific art. First, the gallery space was unique. Two walls were primarily windows onto busy streets. A third wall was brick. A hallway entrance, metal vault, and air vent interrupted the fourth wall. A post stood in the center of the room.

Secondly, my Children of Eve paintings contain multi-sensory elements: bone beads, sand, sticks, twigs, matches, and textured surfaces. They point to events that happened hundreds, thousands, and even millions of years ago. It seemed to me that invoking a massive time warp requires an immersive environment.

Using the long hallway into the gallery to set a mood, I hung mounted copies of photographs of ancient awe-inspiring cave art. These were from the 2001 August issue of National Geographic on Chauvet Cave in France. I placed books and DVDs on genetic research in an alcove, along with an animal bone and a historical timeline of human evolution and migration patterns from 2 million to 10,000 years ago. 

To create a sense of timelessness, I placed natural elements on clear acrylic pedestals arranged around the post in the gallery.

One pedestal held items related to the sea, another had stones and pebbles. Beneath a third was a pile of dirt and on top were two stick of cedar wood. Human touches included one of my self-box collages, an African reed mat mounted on the post, and information about tracing your DNA journey.  

To add to the sense of our connection to nature and antiquity, I hung animal bones on the brick wall between Children of Eve paintings. I placed a bromeliad plant with brilliant red foliage on a clear acrylic pedestal near one of the large windows, setting up a tension between the busy street and nature.

I began telling the story of our ancient origins in Africa by placing placards under each of the Children of Eve paintings. I was delighted that both kids and adults took time to read the story.

Although the intent was to give a sneak preview of my emerging Children of Eve series, there were other paintings in the show. A red cord strung around the walls, representing Kazantzakis’s crimson line (the human evolutionary journey) connected all of the artwork, emphasizing the show’s theme. A mounted quote from Kazantzakis marked the beginning of the red string. A cloth hung in front of the vault served as a backdrop for a show poster and my artist statement.

So much more could have been done. I am already thinking of how to integrate interactive elements, ceiling, floor, and multimedia into future exhibitions of Children of Eve. I welcome your feedback and suggestions on ways to develop a total experience of our origins deep in the heart of Africa.

Photographs 1-5, 7-9 by Mikayle Stole Anderson

Photograph 6 by Sharry Lachman