Exile

For many years I supported myself as an immigration consultant, facilitating hundreds of peoples' applications to move to Canada. In almost every instance I found that had the living conditions in their home countries been more favourable they would not have made the very difficult and expensive move to Canada regardless how wonderful it was made out to be. In other words virtually every voluntary immigrant, to say nothing about refugees from persecution or war torn countries, made of themselves exiles from their own lands to better their lives and the lives of their children. Using the standard manual used by most immigration lawyers and consultant practitioners, I have tried to evoke the deep sense of displacement and alienation most immigrants feel once the initial euphoria of arrival in a strange new land has worn off and the realities of adaptation and integration into a society, where the immigrant knows virtually no one, make themselves felt on a daily basis.

Exile
Book, mirror, frosted glass, judas, found objects, images, wood, brass hardware, lamp.
23 x 15.6 x 5.6cm (9.25 x 6.25 x 2.25in)
2010