The term “oratorio” is derived from the Latin “orare”, meaning “to speak” or “to entreat” and can connote different things. Similarly, many parallels are contained in the conception and creation of this art installation. An oratorio most often refers to a large-scale musical composition recalling a weighty event or concept. From Haydn’s classical "The Creation" oratorio to Paul McCartney’s loosely autobiographical "Liverpool Oratorio", the dramatic, lengthy narrative structure is closely related to opera. Less commonly, oratorio refers to a space built for reflection and meditation, a prayer hall where communities or individuals can gather in a focused place of watching, waiting and listening. As part of the title for this art installation, I chose the term oratorio in reference to its dual meaning as both impassioned performance and a somber place.

Resembling a Rorshach inkblot, the mirrored double-nature of this painting was inspired by the idea of making it for both a specific site (this Terminal 1 Arrivals waiting area) and an imagined site – the end of the fictitious black rainbow. For me, the conceptual idea of a black rainbow conjures up theoretical notions of blemish over beauty. A reversal of the symbol of hope, a black rainbow leads me toward questions about my involvement with the natural landscape, which seems both beautiful and broken in its ever-changing state.