Woodland

Since 2020, artist Sarah Anne Johnson has been using her camera to document the forests around her home in Manitoba. Using tools like Photoshop, paint, metal leaf, holographic tape, and photo-spotting ink, she has then transformed these photographs into images that honestly reflect her experience with the landscape. Johnson’s distinctive photographic approach reveals the magic inherent in the forests across Indigenous lands known today as Canada.

Johnson finds inspiration from studying the intelligence of trees, sacred architecture, and her spiritual connection to the forest. Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island, for example, have known since time immemorial the wisdom of nature and the interconnectedness of ecosystems – a mode of knowledge that has only recently been embraced by Western scientific research. Many cultures across the globe have likewise followed eco-centric practices, such as Japan’s shinrin-yoku, also known as “forest bathing.”

The artist began her meditative practice of photographing forests during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to find and share a sense of calm amid uncertain times. Nature offered her a welcoming reprieve, and the artist portrays what she calls the “healing power of the forest.” The kaleidoscope of colours across the works accentuate the unseen experience of being with nature.

Woodland is a series of eight images – idyllic, whimsical, and psychedelic – that trace the four seasons. Installed across Lafarge Lake–Douglas SkyTrain Station, the photographs animate the concrete surroundings of the cityscape and transit station, casting colourful shadows inside and outside by their stained glass-like appearance.

Sarah Anne Johnson’s Woodland public art installation is presented in partnership with Translink and the Art Gallery at Evergreen | Evergreen Cultural Centre.