WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE?
Annie Martin on Bird Sounds, Underrated Hiking Trails and Yayoi Kusama
Interdisciplinary artist Annie Martin on her favourite sounds and walking trails around Lethbridge.
By Nicole Keen
Annie Martin sitting in The Flying Bird Chair by Nova Scotia folk artist Barry Colpitts. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANNIE MARTIN
A s an interdisciplinary artist, Annie Martin considers herself “always kind of a learner, a beginner.” For many years, she immersed herself in the world of sound. “Sound has characteristics like sculpture and painting, sound has colour, sound has form,” she says. While she is currently focusing on poetry, she also co-hosts listening walks with librarian Sandra Cowan, her colleague from the University of Lethbridge, where Martin is a professor in the Fine Arts department. The listening walks give her the opportunity to appreciate and share southern Alberta’s natural beauty.
What are some sounds that intrigue you? Birds are super interesting to me. I like how these small creatures can be making these crazy big sounds that are really unique and kind of communicate and describe space, declaring [their] territory.
Is there a local walking trail that you would recommend? In Lethbridge proper, there’s a place called Cottonwood Park that’s just gorgeous. It’s on the west side, and it’s not very heavily trafficked. There are rattlesnakes there, so they don’t recommend bringing dogs. When you park up at the top, you have an unobstructed view of the Rocky Mountains, and then you go down into this beautiful natural river bottom. I also highly recommend Waterton Lakes National Park. There are so many beautiful places to hike, and it’s not busy the way Banff is now. Waterton is kind of off the beaten path.
Who are some other artists you admire? I think one of the most profound experiences I ever had was seeing an installation by Yayoi Kusama. It was so sublime. I really admire how unusual her work is. I love the Canadian artist Rebecca Belmore. She has a very strong voice around her experiences as an Indigenous woman.
Do you have a favourite art gallery? The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy, has frescoes by Giotto on the walls, and it’s completely immersive. The sky in [the frescoes] is this saturated blue. It’s the most beautiful place.
What do you enjoy most about living in Lethbridge? It’s the land — the beauty of it and the intensity and openness. The wind is always blowing, the sun is always shining, the sky is enormous. It’s very affecting. AMA
(Clockwise from top left) Wave Sound, one of four sculptures by Rebecca Belmore; installation artist Yayoi Kusama; Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy; a listening walk in the coulees of Lethbridge. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF REBECCA BELMORE; COURTESY OF YAYOI KUSAMA; SALVATOR LEANZA/ADOBE STOCK; COURTESY OF ANNIE MARTIN
“I think one of the most profound experiences I ever had was seeing an installation by Yayoi Kusama.”
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