Harmony McNish
Rural Night
Installation
2020
2 chain link fence gates, electrical tape, wire, a steel fencing stake, a range of clear liquor bottles and 1 green bottle, a black blanket, a variety of moon lights, solar lights, and battery operated lights
Structure: 8’ wide X 8’ long / bottles hang lowest 2’ from Structure / installation 12' high
Beer bottles collected and hung on a chain link fence strung in a maple tree to display the constellation Orion. Orion is the only constellation that should be seen every night at any location in the world, but unfortunately light pollution prevents it from being seen from many places.
“Rural Night is an installation meant to give light during the outdoor night; a meeting place where all are welcomed and all can gather. Rural Night is an aspiration to provide homestead’s future guests to feel safer and more comfortable socializing in a low-lit wooded venue at night. The bottle lights in Rural Night are positioned to resemble the constellation of the Greek hunter; Orion. Orion is associated with light pollution because it is the only constellation that could be seen anywhere in the world, although light pollution permits this occurrence nightly. I collected liquor bottles ranging from different shapes and sizes, that resembled the variety of different light bulb features. The street lights and the bottle installation is representing themes of history and class, connected to the area it is associated with.All the bottles I found on the family’s homestead. Finding, collecting and using accessible materials in my art, has developed as a characteristic feature within my practice. ”