Bio - DEBORAH CARRUTHERS

Biography

Born in Montreal, where I still live, I am an inter-arts artist engaged in a project-based practice. I have an insatiable curiosity about what makes us tick; the who, what, where, when, why and how.

My artistic practice has allowed me to pursue several topics of particular interest: genetics, the environment, absence and solastalgia.

My interest in genetics was sparked very early on; I am an identical twin, and as one who was often a research subject, I wanted to have a better understanding of just what it was that was so compelling. Hence, a fascination with how our DNA makes us who we are, and how slight variations can have a massive impact on an organism or our understanding of it.
As for environment, growing up in Quebec I have been fortunate enough to have had life-long access to the Laurentian Mountains. Until early 2004, my family had a log house on a pristine lake in the Laurentians with no road access, no electricity, and no plumbing…heaven! My father had grown up on a farm in the Laurentians, and my family spent countless hours hiking in the area and on the lakes. My Dad taught me to fish and track, and to identify birds and animals, their nesting sites and habitats. More importantly, he taught me that we are all inexorably connected to our environment, and that the loss of any habitat can have a profound ripple effect.

Although I have been exploring the topic of how we are remembered and how we remember others for some time, my father’s death in 2012 has provided impetus for me to engage with this topic on a far more personal level.