Artist Statement
My artistic practice for the last 16 years has centered around the exploration of landscape. Throughout this time central themes have emerged surrounding notions of connection and migration.
This has manifested in several different series ranging from traditional representational paintings inspired by the likes of Takao Tanabe, Toni Onley, and Roni Horn, to more performance-for-camera based works pulling inspiration from artists such as Eleanor Antin and Ana Mendieta. This has also included minimalist/symbolic compositions along the lines of those by Eamon Ore-Giron, Hilma af Klint, or the video work of Fiona Tan. It is this notion of connection that keeps me coming back with more questions about belonging, impact, social responsibilities, and one’s own defining relationship to the natural world around us. One recent series has been a body of 60+ paintings exploring one particular view from my mother’s garden driveway in kwekwenis (Lang Bay, British Columbia). This series has foundations in art historical notions of gardens being places of nurturing, care, and dwellings for the magical and divine. The work pulls inspiration from artists such as Emily Carr, Diego Rivera, Bob Thompson, Kerry James Marshall, Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin, Giotto, A.Y. Jackson, and Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun. I am also deeply interested in the historical role the representation of landscape has served as a tool for power. Examples such as Thomas Gainsborough’s 1750 portrait of Mr and Mrs Andrews show the pair pushed to the side of a scene to highlight the land they reign over; or paintings by the Group of Seven which were funded by Canadian corporations to advertise westward expansion and settlement. My process in building a series involves creating 100-200 smaller observational paintings developing ideas and motifs. This is followed by the production of a series of larger canvases which refine these motifs and incorporate ideas from concurrent readings into a cohesive body of work. These works often become more and more abstracted as a series advances. Imagery is broken down to the essence of its form and then reinterpreted to fit the archetypes of each painting. Each its own puzzle for which to solve. Nature remains a constant source though: it is my muse, and it is my meditation. My hope is that my paintings convey a sense of magnificence and joyful exuberance onto those who spend time with them; and that their imagery and energy offer a portal of sorts for one’s own meditative journey. |