Activities
B's Lookout
“We are Leah Gooyers and Patrick Connell, and our arts collective is Beasts Underneath. We live in Queensland/Hubbards, NS, and we are proposing an art installation titled, “B’s Lookout,” for The Community Connections Trail Art Project – Linking Our Communities Through Art and Nature. “B’s Lookout” will be an interactive space and art piece that speaks to rapid transformations over time and finding balance in spaces where you can linger a little longer in silence.
"Beasts Underneath fuses our techniques and styles seamlessly in a variety of artistic expressions. For the past 5 years, we have created at least one installation annually to showcase at outdoor and indoor events. Creating installations is at the heart of who Beasts Underneath is. We thrive on bringing sketches, stories, and ideas to life. Always searching for new ways to interact with nature and engage with communities of people.
“Art is our language, and we are dedicated to creating high quality art for public enjoyment. We hope to help enhance the experience of trail users on the South Shore.”
Leah and Patrick moved to Queensland in August 2020. “Our house backs onto the rail trail, where we enjoy spending time in nature and exploring the area and community around us. The trail is a heartbeat for the South Shore, and we recognize its importance for community connection and vibrancy. Building an installation along the rail trail would be a very meaningful experience for us because art is our language. It is how we enjoy contributing to the communities we find ourselves a part of. It is how we relate to and express our journey through this world.
"The Beasts Underneath are proposing a multimedia, multi-disciplined project that hopes to achieve an organic and immersive space along the rail trail. As viewers approach, they will see a collection of organic shapes and colours emerging from the ground to tell a story from a time not so long ago, meeting the landscapes of today. There are the remains of a small, round room that has sunken into the earth. The ceiling is open to the sky above and the walls are made from recycled bottle bricks and mortar. Within the worn walls you will find a small drawing desk with a community book box. This is a place where you can stop to read, write, or just to sit and observe the surrounding landscape. The room curves into a long, knee height wall that is the foundation for a 3-dimensional, multimedia mural made from metal, wood cut shapes and found objects. Within the mural, you can find different species of animals that live in our ecosystem on the South Shore, reflecting on the importance of sustainable interaction between humans and the flora and fauna of an intact and healthy environment.
"The concept Beasts Underneath has created for the rail trail consists of an atmospheric sit spot, called “B’s Lookout”, with a magical drawing desk tucked inside. This is a place where you can reflect on the natural environment surrounding you and experience an interactive mural. The concept for this space is for viewers to be able to rest and take in a natural spot from within an old ruin that is neither from the past or future. It is meant to be a meeting place. A place to meet friends, old and new, or a place to meet yourself to reflect on the human experience and our connection to the earth and her creatures. We are always adapting as humans, building, and rebuilding on the things we have learned. Like the railroad being transformed into the rail trail, we hope to give an example of how we can transform old discarded objects into something new and functional.
“This project strongly relates to our art practice in a number of ways. Beasts Underneath have made numerous recycled and regenerative installations that are made to exist in public spaces. Beasts Underneath are detail focused, weaving a narrative in visual poetry and craftsmanship. Having 5 years’ experience building outdoor art installations, Beasts Underneath are always experimenting and working towards greater visions in their practice, while simultaneously having grown into their own stylistic expression and execution.”
