Acknowledgments
December 28, 2007
For the past three years I have been trying to push my work forward into new territory. I have gradually, through a course of work and personal study, begun to free myself of previous constraints. Through that process, I have become interested in the beauty and possibilities of abstraction.
I have also come to realize that I am not as interested in the traditional flat picture plane as I used to be. I have begun to explore a more complex picture space. I am interested in moving my work outwards, forward, and sideways into a less confined space.
I have recently left part-time work as a picture framer to paint full-time. I am interested in incorporating framing devices in some of my work, framing not only picture space, but also the viewing space, to draw attention to sculptural elements in the artworks.
By exploring new materials, formats, and subject matter I have moved towards abstraction and assemblage to create a more emotional and contemplative body of work. I continue to be interested in creating work that relates to history and society, but I wish to express the relationship in a new way. In the series I propose to create, I want each piece in some ways to be referred to as an abstract icon. I hope the viewer will be presented with work that invites a meditative response.
Contribution to the Arts of Prince Edward Island
I have worked and exhibited on the Island for over twenty years, but I study art in ways that go beyond the provincial. I actively study art history and contemporary painting, and I continue to be challenged by international artists and art movements. I also am actively seeking opportunities to show my work regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Some of the influences on my current work include Americans Robert Rauschenberg, Sean Scully, and Eva Hesse, and UK artists Patrick Heron, Peter Lanyon, and Anthony Caro. I admire the individuality of all of these artists and by studying their works I look for the germination of a new personal vision.
At the same time, many Island artists have over the years been an influence on me. I have been inspired recently by abstract exhibitions such as the work by Don Andrus at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. I feel that as artists we can challenge each other to greater professionalism and provide support to each other in our daily working practice. Part of the example we set is reinventing ourselves and our work.
I believe that as an artist I must resist the urge to become complacent and self-satisfied. I simply have to challenge myself, and I want to continue to learn and explore and find a way to new work. I hope in this manner to show that the arts in Prince Edward Island are vibrant and that artists can take inspiration from each other’s work both locally and internationally.
Project Plan
I plan on working over the next year on a body of work, comprised of 15 to 20 mixed media construction paintings using various materials, such as wood, canvas, metal, roap, lights, and so on, assembled according to various compositional elements such as squares, rectangles, or circle shapes. Then, as each piece grows, I would explore as many possibilities as the composition suggests.
I will document the various stages of the work through digital images of multiple views. Some of these I will post on the Internet (artist’s website, arts networking sites, and/or blog).
When the works near completion, I will seek curatorial input to guide the next steps towards exhibiting the work in off-Island venues, preferably artist-run centres or university galleries.
