With support from a Canada Council for the Arts grant, I expanded my ongoing project documenting the disappearance of vernacular cabin structures across British Columbia and beyond. Through research trips to remote and rural areas, I photographed and recorded cabins that are steadily vanishing due to development and environmental changes. These images became the foundation of Cabin Project, a digital “artist book” archive—an open and dynamic space where works exist at all stages of development.
This evolving archive includes everything from works in progress to print matrices such as plates and positives, as well as finished pieces. By layering multiple printmaking techniques—including intaglio, screen printing, and relief—I continue to explore themes of memory, absence, and preservation. As the collection grows, the archive becomes a living site of continuous transformation, inviting public participation. Viewers can engage by contributing stories to existing works and providing images for new ones.
Originally conceived as a way to share work beyond the gallery during the pandemic, this project has since become an opportunity to reimagine how a live portfolio can exist outside the constraints of social media.
Bio
Vanessa Hall-Patch is a Canadian artist specializing in printmaking, holding an MFA from the University of Alberta (2004) and a BFA with honours from Queen’s University (2001). Her work is featured in public and private collections and has been exhibited internationally, earning accolades such as the Grand Prize at the Awagami Int'l Miniature Print Exhibition (Japan) and the Juror’s Prize at the International Print Triennial (Poland). Vanessa lives on Bowen Island, commuting to Vancouver to work at Emily Carr University of Art + Design.
Submissions
If you have a cabin photograph, fact, or story to share for this project, please fill out the form below. Your contribution is greatly appreciated—thank you for your interest in my work!
