Sage Barker

“My practice is situated in the larger context of environmental art and interactive installation work, and my wish for the viewer is for them to notice nature’s subtleties and recognize that plants and fungi are living organisms that have agency and autonomy. Still a work-in-progress, Natural Systems is a sculptural installation made out of stiffened natural fabric, wire, yarn, string, and jute, placed over a mold to create a hardened structure. Standing around 63” tall with tendrils spreading out around the piece in a 26” radius on the floor, this work is meant to be viewed in the round. Inside the hardened string infrastructure, there is a motion-sensitive light at the bottom that glows outwards to illuminate the piece.”

Sage Barker is an emerging interdisciplinary artist currently enrolled in her fourth year of the McMaster’s Honors Studio Art Program. Focusing on the networks and systems of communication found in nature, she portrays the fragile inner-workings of ecosystems through audio and video installation, sculpture, photography, and site-specific works. Her practice is deeply rooted in environmental stewardship and ideas of decolonization. Sage aims to spread awareness through her work about the autonomous nature of plants and how these organisms have agency. She was born in Dundas, Ontario and has completed numerous commissioned works for various private collections, and has also exhibited at McMaster University and Carnegie Gallery.