Cybèle Young (b. Canada, 1972) asks a humorous question in When Can We Start Playing? The piece is composed of two shelves. On one, a tiny grand piano stands in danger of lurching precariously over the edge. On the other, is piled the refuse of cut paper, the “raw material” used to build the instrument. Although charming to look at, the artist suggests that any attempt to “play” the piano will lead to disaster. Gratification must therefore be postponed. Young is known for her miniature works cut from fine Japanese papers. Usually, she will take familiar motifs and juxtapose certain visual paradoxes. The artist says, “I juxtapose sculptures to create a sense of dialogue or play between them. I approach my work in series and components, ultimately building an ongoing inventory of personal experience and observation. I compile these in various arrangements to create communities that interact and form new relationships – much like the small, seemingly insignificant moments in our everyday lives that come together to create unexpected outcomes.” Young masterfully creates miniature dramas that appear to play out before our eyes. The artist leaves the viewer to imagine a myriad of possible endings to the narrative she sets up.

These manifest as miniature theatres - one act plays, where shifts of scale and perception occur. Despite the absence of the human form, there is an implied presence, where viewers can project themselves into other worlds.