Falls of Peace (version II) (2003)

Emily Bates uses a range of media including film and photography, to explore the sense of vulnerability, isolation and sometimes desire that lies at the heart of the human condition. Cultural traditions, human relationships, spirituality and mythology, are all threads which weave through her work. As well as people and their actions however, she is also fascinated by the landscape that surrounds them and how this relates to their internal, emotional landscape. In the winter of 2002–2003 she undertook a three-month residency in Sapporo, Japan, where she visited Heijwaro taki (Falls of Peace). These waterfalls on the outskirts of Sapporo are known for their natural beauty but also as a popular place for people intent on suicide. This is one of the several Falls of Peace (2003) sculptures that resulted from the visit: a garland usually associated with parties but made from translucent, funereal black fabric.

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