Graduation

I worked hard to put together a body of work for my BA Major Visual Arts show at The View Gallery on Vancouver Island University campus. I also graduate with a minor in psychology that informs and inspires my practice. The origin of visual art, how it is imagined, created, and appreciated is grounded in human perception, giving it a combined biological and psychological basis. The experience of art and what constitutes its value are human activities and thus, are directly related to the processes of the brain. These thoughts and ideas become fascinating subject matter for an artist.

Our graduation show was entitled Archipelago as it embodied a diverse range of work and practices. We shared our artistic visions within a shared place in time and space.

My artist statement for the show:

I live on an island where relationships with ecosystems are magnified through human impact and I question the validity of some of our interactions. To kindle an understanding of my own fundamental connection with the biosphere, I currently work with the fragmentation of the moth to investigate concepts of impermanence and traces of life left behind. Many impressions of moth symbolism have arisen from their nocturnal behaviour and attraction to light, thus the moth is often used to convey transformative messages from our ancestors. My interest in perception is informed by the connection we have with our unconscious and how that relates to the physical world. I integrate a wide range of media including grounds, oil & acrylic pigments, soft pastels, charcoal, wax, and human made materials, to build diverse layers of colour and texture within my works. My practice embodies the use of repetitive imagery that includes the processes of drawing, painting, collage, and print media.Through these channels my explorations embrace an interface with elements found in nature for which we have an affinity, and encompasses both historical and contemporary perspectives. My inquiries center on environmental stewardship and how that might manifest, as I blur the boundaries between the natural world and human identity.