VISUAL ARTS GRADUATING EXHIBITION 2015
FOREWORD
The German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889 – 1976) uses the expression Dasein to refer to the experience of being that is particular to human beings. For many of us who make art, we need to enter a quiet place in order to create. Personally, I am unable to accomplish anything unless I can locate the particular place in my mind where I can simply be still. Dasein, the title of the Visual Arts Graduating Student Exhibition, alludes to this state. This is a state of being and awareness that is particular to us as humans, as is the ability, desire and commitment to make art. The students of the graduating class of 2015 have spent the last two years preparing for a life in art and culture. With graduation they have now entered a realm where they can reflect upon their individuality and interests. Two years ago these students began with a desire to acquire new skills and expand their knowledge of art production and art history. These tools will help them navigate the ever-changing currents of contemporary society and in particular the art domain. As with everything in life, these two years of art school required a great deal of hard work and perseverance. We celebrate their accomplishments with this exhibition and wish them every success as they embark on the next phase of their lives.
Congratulations and fĂŠlicitations class of 2015. Naomi London
CONTENTS
Melisa Amada Badea Kim Berlinguette Nadine Birthwright Rossana Chacon Lucas Cormier-Affleck Juliana Delgado-Theophanides Anthony Dupont Aidan Ferguson Tyrone Freeman Catherine Gagnon Erin Gamble Kayetan Grabowski Roberto Gutierrez Maude Hallé Cindy Huard-Lauzon Antonina Kallaur Anjali Kasturi Felichia Kessia
/ 6 / 8 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 / 20 / 22 / 24 / 26 / 28 / 30 / 32 / 34 / 36 / 38 /40
42 / 44 / 46 / 48 / 50 / 52 / 54 / 56 / 58 / 60 / 62 / 64 / 66 / 68 / 70 / 72 / 74 / 76 /
Oxana Kovtunenko Maria-José Lara-Menéndez Kieren Mc Neil Sandy Mei Caleigh Murphy Kaitlyn Panayotopoulos Eul Hee Park Alice Picard Éden Quail Michael Rolli-Vaccaro Jasmine Rossi Sofia Schiavone Nayyar Shabbir Madeleine Stein-Sacks Thierry St-Pierre-Langlois Leneya Valenti Natacha Veilleux Florence Yee
MELISA AMADA BADEA
What was once mere child’s play soon became a burning passion. My art is filled with emotions spilled on a sheet of paper. I strive to deliver a message while, at the same time, capturing memories and personal life struggles. For me, creating art is like screaming. I am hoping that my work can speak with such a voice that anyone can hear it. I want to bring comfort in the uncomfortable and confidence in fear. Through art, I understood when to let go and when it’s necessary to hold tight. Stepping out of the box and my comfort zone felt much more liberating than I expected. Somewhere along my journey, I learnt not to give up if something isn’t easy. Instead of backing up, one must face obstacles fearlessly. Geniuses and gifted artists, although few, are out there; I am not one of them. For me, it is blood, sweat, and tears that brought me where I am. “I hope you succeed.” -Anonymous
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Gracious Torture, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 75 cm x 100 cm
The Pond, 2014 Lino-print, 28 cm x 38 cm
KIM BERLINGUETTE
My art is a limitless exploration into the definition of beauty, interpreting personal and public controversies regarding Western culture’s irrational beliefs towards body image. Passion and curiosity leaves me unable to focus on one specific medium, providing an open door to absorb new knowledge of many techniques. Interested particularly in mythology, botany, life, and the human figure, my art challenges the idealizations of mass media, bringing back natural beauty to make considerations on what makes something beautiful.
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Sitting in the Rain, 2014 Acrylic on plaster, denim 167.6 cm x 91.4 cm x 215.9 cm
Mixed Feelings, 2014 Digital Photograph 738 pixels x 960 pixels
NADINE BIRTHWRIGHT
The privilege to be able to create art, whether on a canvas, paper or simply on a surface that absorbs marks, has always been special to me. I must connect with the theme or message behind the project or else creating becomes a struggle. I don’t consider art being a part of me, but rather I am a part of it because I am inspired by all that surrounds me, my experiences and the souls that I meet. My preferences revolve around drawing on the human body by using henna, body paint or plain markers. When I draw on a warm, alive and constantly aging surface, my mind goes to rest and I am not constrained by the traditional 2D surfaces. Once I am done drawing on it, a simple scrub makes all traces disappear and that’s when my mind becomes at ease. When I don’t use the human body as a support surface, it nonetheless remains a compelling subject for me because of its beauty as a vessel and because of the spiritual dimension within each of us.
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Collision, 2013 Pit pen and pencil, 76 cm x 58 cm
Abstract, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 152 cm x 122 cm
ROSSANA CHACON
So far, I believe all creations and creativities are forms of art, that each one of us has the potential to produce art and consequently, we liberate expression through the language of art. The human ability to contemplate and be considerate aspires to bring about communication and meaningful movements. Artwork transcends the unification of the creator (artist) and the work into an entity with a unique voice. Upon exhibiting and viewing (sharing) the artwork, it manifests into a live extended form of thought and emotion. It is so by being open to ongoing diverse exchange of impressions and expressions. There is a very peaceful state in art working that I long for. It is a state of quiet focus where I can personally contemplate and consider subjects by revisiting, recreating
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and renewing any chosen moment. This may be linked to literature, personal experience, my sense of history, and often, in synchronicity of all of the above. My work dictates narrative of the human spirit. That is why I’m drawn to the figure and the natural world. It is there where I seek to capture a fundamental purpose of our vitality and desires in correspondence to the fabric of life. Capturing and depicting demeanor is revealing, insightful, and relative. I seek intimacy with my chosen subject matters, so that in turn, it surprises me in a phenomenal way, as the visual of the work responds back to enlightenment. In concept there is recognition of human struggle that renders to ideas of rebirth; it is then, that I get to glimpse at the sublime. I find fascinating stories everywhere. My art is romantic.
Celina, 2014, Acrylic on canvas, 61 cm x 51 cm
Desire and Transgression, 2014 Plaster, wood and mixed media 51 cm x 86 cm x 134 cm
LUCAS CORMIER-AFFLECK
Même si l’art est couramment associé à l’expression de soi, j’ai toujours perçu le rôle de l’artiste comme étant celui d’un témoin. Les œuvres d’Otto Dix illustrant son expérience de la première guerre mondiale m’ont toujours fasciné. Ainsi, quand je réalise des œuvres, j’ai souvent l’impression de documenter ou présenter plutôt que de déclarer. La compréhension à partir de la contemplation m’intéresse davantage que l’affirmation. Mes œuvres explorent donc ma perception ou interprétation visuelle de divers thèmes, idées ou phénomènes.
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Grand, 2013 Digital photography 667 pixels x 500 pixels
Free gift cards, 2015 Silkscreen, 22 cm x 41 cm
JULIANA DELGADO-THEOPHANIDES
Art, as the introspection of me, is the visual representation of my First World materialistic life dictated by a set of arbitrary rules of taste. For the goal of the artist, indirectly implied in these artists statements that are never read, is to assert itself in the midst of competition, as represented in the grading and quota inspired by the educational system, pushing the artist to be the absolute best and to sell his/her artworks in the hope of achieving millions. Therefore, as an artist, I cannot help but show my distaste for statements like these, made in order to teach art students self-praise, to overvalue themselves to become the greatest, and pretend to know what has directly influenced them or inspired them on account of the amalgamation of cultural instances intertwined and developed over the course of adolescence in a 150 word limit.
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The Idiot King, 2014 Mixed media on canvas, 76 cm x 56 cm
The Mountain, 2014 Ink on paper, 28 cm x 19 cm
ANTHONY DUPONT
The concept and ideas representing my work surround the notion of visualizing multiple themes, keeping the ideas I enjoy, and then combining all these relevant ideas and thoughts to create one piece that still follows and stays relevant to the theme. Often, previous ideas in my own past works have influenced my present work. Prior ideas will also influence future work as I research new ideas and themes, and combine them with my previous invented ideas. My artwork deals with a lot of different materials and concepts. Though this remains true, throughout the wide range of ideas depicted in my artwork, incorporating detail and realistic features is what I tend
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to include in everything I create. Depending on the subject guidelines, even when approaching an abstract effect, I blend detail and intricate work in order to define my concept as clearly as possible and to look as convincing as possible. Noticeably, throughout my three-dimensional sculptures for example, whether its clay, metal or fabric, finding small but important details is very common and important to me. My comfort with most materials allows me to explore new techniques while keeping the most familiar and practiced ones, which has lead me to create a sculpture in my self-directed project for this course.
untitled, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 76.2 cm x 101.6 cm
Lost, 2015 Acrylic on canvas, 91.4 cm x 121.9 cm
AIDAN FERGUSON
I use my works as a way of gauging my mental state. Certain works of mine are born out of positive feelings and they differ greatly from those born from my anger and stress. It shows in every level of the work. Exam time is always an interesting time for me, artistically and emotionally speaking. There is a certain sort of single-mindedness that pushes all other thoughts away and allows me to focus entirely on the work at hand. It’s a bit like what I imagine meditation to be like. There are differences between the time of the year and the mind-set that I find myself in. For instance, painting is always toughest at the start of the semester and gradually gets more effortless as I go along. I don’t quite know why it happens, but it does. I guess that making art helps me stay happy and find my center.
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Room at Night, 2014 Acrylic wash on canvas with pencil 38 cm x 35 cm
Laugh or Cry, 2014 Aquatint on Arches vellum 15 cm x 20 cm
TYRONE FREEMAN
Three years ago if you would have asked me to paint something for you I would have said “Never in a million years.” I now actually enjoy painting as well as doing other art forms I would never have explored had I not gone into this program. The visual arts program has been a learning experience; I was able to improve my art skills as well as meet many interesting people. Generally, when I work, I like to use pure, bright colours, with the exception of drawing, which is usually kept in black and white. My first pick for material would be a pencil and a sketchpad although I am now using more materials,
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particularly in sculpture with the use of clay and fabrics. I am more into 2D works than 3D; however I do enjoy making videos. When it comes to art, I feel like you should be free to do as you wish (or at least that is my approach to making art); yes it is constructive to take other people’s opinions, but at the end of the day it’s still your work, your sweat, your “baby,” so you should be the ultimate decider. To sum up I would say that there is still much more for me to learn, but I am more open to learning now than I would have been three years ago.
Pandora, 2014 Lino-print, 44 cm x 37 cm
Camouflage, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 122 cm x 91 cm
CATHERINE GAGNON
My life has been shaped by numerous changes forcing me to embrace these fluctuations and to apply them as a theme in my art. The notions of time and change define not only my existence, but that of any living organism and therefore viewers can relate. As my life is continuously transformed, new concepts and ideas arise while always containing fragments of previous ones. In this sense, each new work does not stand on its own, but rather belongs to a greater whole that is my being in its entirety. Each piece I create is deeply connected to the person I was at that moment, and becomes a building
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block for the person I will be when I create the next one. Like my aging mind and body, my work is alive and follows the inevitable changes imposed by the inescapable notion of time. Although these concepts are abstract in nature, I bring them to life using a variety of methods such as symbolic imagery, transparency, layering and collage. Although the act of creating is personal, change is universal, and therefore with the use of reflective surfaces and bold colors that entice instinctual responses, I hope that viewers will see and explore themselves through my work.
Luminous void, 2015 Acrylic on canvas, 122 cm x 152 cm
Sedated, 2014 Etching, 38 cm x 38 cm
ERIN GAMBLE
I find inspiration in the feeling of having no limitations as a being while laying down and imagining a world where I am not restricted by the responsibilities of reality. Everything I create is an escape and an act of meditation to deny my mortality and soothe my mind from day to day anxieties. I strive to reach the innocence of life that has only known the selflessness of the earth, untouched by man’s desire for utility. My work is a reflection of my dreams and desire for the ideal wherein I can find comfort in the end result and convey what lies within my subconsciousness.
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Circumambience, 2015 Acrylic on canvas, 91 cm x 122 cm
Translucence, 2014 Silkscreen, 11 cm x 17 cm
KAYETAN GRABOWSKI
As an artist, I love an anti-aesthetic approach; I find beauty in things that are viewed as disgusting or distasteful. Solitude, fear, sadness and death are some themes that I enjoy presenting in my artwork. I think that art is made for showing serious pain and suffering, rather than success and happiness because I feel that troublesome themes have a greater impact on the viewer’s emotions. I show these subjects in a not-so-obvious manner so that the viewer will have to closely investigate the work before finding its true meaning. I try to make my artworks pleasing to the eye by using a small variety of colours because I find that when a painting looks less busy it can also be used as a design piece and not only as artwork. I find that when colours are bright they tend to hurt the eye. When colours look dead, it is easier to look at them and that is the reason why I tend to use many grays and unsaturated colors. In the end my goal as an artist is to create beautiful dark works where a gruesome reality hides within the work and plays with the viewer’s mind.
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Balin, 2012 Acrylic on canvas, 46 cm x 36 cm
Magnitude, 2015, Digital image manipulation 2529 pixels x 3410 pixels
ROBERTO GUTIERREZ
The works I am always the proudest of are those I try to put myself into. I may work on many different pieces and find inspiration in many things, but not all of that work is made with the feelings I’d like to put into it and not all of my ideas come to fruition. The motivation for each work is different, but those I try my hardest for are those that are motivated by my past, my culture and my feelings. Inspiration can strike at any minute and I will often times write down or make rough images of my ideas. I am unlikely to work on them until much later once I have found the means through which I wish to present my ideas and have developed the skills to effectively do so. It does not matter whether it is sculpture, painting or even literature, once an idea is born it lives of its own accord and will choose its desired media for representation.
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I always wish to expand my knowledge of different subjects in the hopes that they may bring about further inspiration or allow me the means of bringing a past idea to life. Be it music, sport or game I try to study as much as I can so that I can more openly interact through my work with those who share similar interests. I wish to understand others, even if our views may oppose one another’s, and I wish for others to better understand me through my work. Each work pertains to a particular time in my life. It may be an event from the distant past that has significantly influenced my life or it may be a more current event; it might be something I experience at the moment. I make a piece so that the work becomes a permanent record of that particular time. Whatever happens does not really matter for all events become the foundation of my future work and these influences form what will become my very own style as an artist.
Babel’s Passage, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 183 cm x 122 cm
Heavy Garments, 2014 Fabric and tape 137 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm
MAUDE HALLÉ
As an artist, I believe that art is only effective if it is visually interesting and meaningful at the same time. The human figure in its uniqueness and sensitivity deeply inspires my work. Whether it is in painting, in drawing or in sculpture, I like working on a large scale because I feel that this creates a more powerful impression on the spectator. I usually express my own opinion through my artwork. Subjects such as beauty, political corruption, poverty and animal cruelty affect me the most and inspire my art production. The human figure triggers my imagination especially through emotional facial expressions and body language. Particularly
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in painting, I like representing accurate realistic figures with their natural imperfections. I often enjoy keeping a rough but realistic finish to my paintings. Well-known artists such as Jenny Saville and Alex Kanevsky inspire me a lot in my work for their accurate and personal representation of the body and their dynamic painterly style. Contrary to fashion magazine models, my paintings do not represent idealized figures since I like exploring flesh, heavy body curves and natural imperfections. To me, beauty does not limit itself to appearance; beauty lies in the soul.
Mother, 2013 ContĂŠ on paper, 65 cm x 92 cm
Painful Mohawk, 2014 Mixed media 46 cm x 35 cm x 35 cm
CINDY HUARD-LAUZON
As an artist, I try to create works that have a personal connection to me and that can connect with viewers. I do not stick to one specific theme. I get inspired by the world that surrounds me. Whether the inspiration comes from images, nature, my own photographs, or even events that happened in my life, I try to incorporate those experiences into my work. These inspirations can be applied to portraits, landscapes and human figures, in the form of paintings or drawings. No matter what medium I work with, whether it is a painting, drawing, printmaking, or sculpture, I try to give my work an abstract twist. I distort the appearance of a thing so that it is less or barely recognizable, although at times still trying to keep it realistic. I wish to evoke feelings and memories to which the viewer might easily relate; I wish to create some kind of atmosphere that may be sombre or airy and as well express nostalgic sentiments.
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Abstracted Color Wheel, 2013 Acrylic on canvas, 50.8 cm x 40.6 cm
Wine at Midnight, 2014 Lino-print, 36.8 cm x 40.6 cm
ANTONINA KALLAUR
Every piece that I create exists as an extension of my thoughts. Therein lays its chaotic and contemplative nature. Therefore it is fitting that my work concerns the subject of observation and perception. For this purpose, my preferred medium is the humble BIC pen that grants me the control and precision that I need to study the intricate lines that define the character of my subjects. To me, this process feels very intuitive and honest which is essential to the principle of creating art pieces that are introspective. The human hand lends itself well as a subject that defines the observer and the observed, due to the complexity of its indicative features, and the experiences that we associate with it. This goes hand-in-hand with the work ethic and work philosophy I’ve developed—that art exists to help us explore, better understand and continuously redefine our world.
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Creation of Man, 2014 Mixed media, 61 cm x 91 cm
Map Study, 2014 Mixed media, 56 cm x 76 cm
ANJALI KASTURI
I am a product of my surroundings; I observe and transform what I see into my work, focusing on the tonal variations of cool color palettes. Most of my work is done in the more somber tones, which allows me to look at the slight variations of color, as well as how they complement each other to create an overall mood. I am normally inclined to view objects in a linear manner, all the while abstracting them through colour and form. My process revolves around ideas quickly drawn in my sketchbook, eventually developing and becoming projects unto themselves. Once it reaches the paint to canvas phase it often goes through many transformations before finally becoming a finished work, seeing as I change my mind so often. My work does not tend to focus on one particular message, but is more a reflection of my current state of mind and interests.
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Peanuts Before Bed, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 60 cm x 91 cm
Blue House, 2015 Acrylic on canvas, 100 cm x 76 cm
FELICHIA KESSIA
With a feeling of brick walls and snowfall, my artwork is a direct reflection of my thought process. I am so often entranced by what is caught in the corner of one’s eye, or what an idea sounds like when it is muffled through a veil of smoke and shadows. I revel in the darkness, a hungry raccoon in your trash bins bringing a disturbing noise at dusk and leaving a mess to be begrudgingly picked up at dawn. I love the colour gray, but more importantly I love the feeling of the colour gray, no matter its visual presence or lack thereof in my pieces and how it whispers in the face of colours who shout sending its message louder than any number of pigments or decibels could ever accomplish.
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My goal has always been and always will be to place a spotlight on the hidden individual. I have always longed to showcase to the world the beauty captured within objects of the everyday and how absolutely fantastic it can be to sit inside a car in dead silence, smelling the black birds flying above and their freedom galloping from the tree branches and rooftops. There is always a library to hide in, a ticking clock to glare at, and a cool, cold, warmer cup to sip from when silver is the common commodity, and girls are the only singers for the hymns of the endangered.
Goat Head, 2014 Sheet metal and synthetic foliage 34 cm x 40 cm x 25 cm
Venereal Dreams, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 151 cm x 122 cm
OXANA KOVTUNENKO
Since a very young age, I have been learning from Russian artists. That is why I can say that the skills and techniques I’ve acquired over the years are inherited from classical Russian painting and drawing. Every work I produce contains a piece of my soul, a piece of my Russian culture. Times change and so does art; that is why I try to use original techniques, with a contemporary approach to my works. In almost all of my art I try to introduce some sort of Russian piece, motif or pattern; I want to share the unique and beautiful style of Russian art with the people around me.
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Russian Still Life, 2015 Watercolour on paper, 68 cm x 50 cm
Hands’ Conversation, 2014 Hydrostone, 15 cm x 6 cm each
MARIA-JOSÉ LARA-MENÉNDEZ
The things from which I am inspired are prevalent in my art. When I create, it’s my interpretation of what I see or what I sense. My observational skills are what aid me in my process. I tend to notice something beautiful about everything; whether people find them disturbing or unappealing. I mostly work with cool colors and figurative subjects. As soon as I find things that strike me, whether it’s the scenery’s lighting, a song or a person, I get an overwhelming need to create something out of this feeling. Therefore, a lot of my work revolves around a certain mood, allowing my subject matter to be developed to its fullest. This creates an aesthetic dimension to my work. What I make is a portal into my mind and it’s this process that helps me get through life.
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Element of Earth, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 51 cm x 41 cm
Transparency, 2014 Silkscreen, 44 cm x 30 cm
KIEREN MC NEIL
I love stories with a passion, which is why no matter what topic I’m faced with, I can find in it some fiction. The same can be said about how I make art. For me, even the most abstract of paintings will have a background to it built upon an imagined setting. It’s how I think, live, exist; a habit that works creatively in my favour. This obsession with the fictional comes together with my equally strong desire to create concrete, touchable products done from observation; although these are my core desires as an artist, that is, to translate the ethereal into understandable visual language. I also make art to question. The more questioning I do, the more art I make and the further I need to question. This cycle pushes me on and it opens my eyes to new worlds and possibilities, to new ways to put forth my constant flow of ideas. Questions and stories, constantly intermingling, have been, and will always be, my drive as an artist.
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untitled, 2014 Charcoal on Stonehenge, 78 cm x 117cm
Ache, 2014 Mixed media 71.5 cm x 34.5 cm x 38 cm
SANDY MEI
Art for me has always been a way to express myself and to keep me away from reality. In other words, it is about escaping reality into another world that becomes a comfort zone for me. Moreover, most of my artwork is related to personal situations, my interests and me. In my work, I usually deconstruct subject matter using lines, faces, bright and pastel colours, patterns, textures and abstraction. I go with the flow, and find inspiration along the way, by viewing other artists’ works and photographs. I learn new techniques in order to find different ways of making my artwork more visually appealing and interesting.
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Tangled, 2014 Mixed media, 17 cm x 25 cm
Wonders, 2014 Mixed media, 50 cm x 60 cm
CALEIGH MURPHY
My motivation to draw has changed over the years from selfentertainment to placing importance on the design underlying the image being put down on paper. Also, my thoughts run deep into time of what happened before the image and what will happen after. In my mind there is a story behind each of my pieces and I try to capture its essence in the final outcome. I enjoy layering and covering over parts of paintings and just exposing portions of a background, as in real life, even if the work is of a fictional place or event. I feel that after the creation is finished, I have taken a personal journey that is private and that no other can ever experience in the same way I did. I remember not just the creation but the process and the development of changes that occur spontaneously. It’s like I begin a project with one idea and leave my mind open for changes that come to me as I go. This brings a sense of surprise to me even if I am the artist in charge. My work always finds its own final image and I become the audience to the end results.
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Three Model Landscape, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 152.4 cm x 121.9 cm
Collision Of Thoughts, 2014 Charcoal and colour pencil 66 cm x 73.7 cm
KAITLYN PANAYOTOPOULOS
Over time my work began to turn to darker themes and somber colours. It’s softer on the eyes in my opinion but still grabs attention. Dark themes are more interesting to look into, in my opinion, because they make people uncomfortable and arouse a different kind of response. The atmosphere I try to create with my pieces is one of exclusion. The audience is a witness to something happening but not a part of it. The subjects that inspire me the most as an artist are figures that I can distort or place in unrealistic landscapes. They stimulate a lot more creativity and self-expression, in my opinion, than still life or a portrait. I really enjoy painting and drawing as a medium because there is very little thought process needed. The creation is more of a flow than technical and thought out. Lately, the idea has been to use different media to complement each other in ways that they could not do without the other. Experimentation is vital to the creative process in my opinion and I try to think outside of the box as much as possible.
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Her eyes, 2014 Watercolour on paper, 30 cm x 25 cm
Monkey on Bomb, 2014 Digital image manipulation 675 pixels x 900 pixels
EUL HEE PARK
What started as a hobby became a passion to pursue academic studies in the fine arts. Over the past two years at Dawson Visual Arts, most of the projects were challenging for me, therefore, I have been struggling, and wondering how to be more creative, and express myself freely. Overall, each assignment provided great motivation to improve, to explore, and test my limit of creativity. During the two years, I have totally exposed myself to live in art and in my own paintings. I drew each stroke with passion and sculpted with enthusiasm. Lastly, I am so grateful not only to my family, who have encouraged me, but also to the faculty, who were my great support and guidance in my learning. I am so proud of being a member of the Dawson Visual Arts family and I will never forget this priceless experience.
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Comfort Women, 2014 Mixed media 43.2 cm x 33 cm x 33 cm
Landscape, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, modeling paste 45.7 cm x 70 cm
ALICE PICARD
I make nice objects therefore meanings behind artwork are cumbersome. The canvas is interesting on its own; the painting is only a trace to embellish the object. What’s really fascinating are the people looking at the work and thinking they are analyzing something special when it’s really just a piece of wood/fabric with organized plastics. There’s the art that matters to historians and the rest of it that is considered art as well. The “irony” is what’s really enjoyable in art. Does art have a goal, does it have a structure and can we say “it” when we talk about art? Art is everything… but except that… that’s not art. I make nice objects and nothing more so I would say this is art, since it has no better use than being looked at. In the end Art is the sublime world of the totally useless.
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Transgression, 2014 Silkscreen, 43 cm x 28 cm
Réflexion, 2013 Wood, 20 cm x 40 cm x 18 cm
ÉDEN QUAIL
My artwork centers around muses that consist of fragments or shapes found within the female anatomy. The female body brings constant inspiration and is a source of imagination. Whether it is through organic shapes, colour, or expressive line work, the idea of the female body is always the gateway to the beginning of a piece. Many materials as well as other means are used to express these ideas. There is no ideal female, for all women are quintessential. The perfection found within the body is impractical to replicate, and its study can bring forth never-ending inspiration. By studying through observation and replicating through sketches the environment and its occupants, I am able to formulate muses for future works and bring forth inspiration. My repetitive need to express the beauty found within flesh is what pushes my work to completion. I wish for the viewers of my work to be able to comprehend my intent of representing anatomical allure. 60
True Mountain, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 151 cm x 122 cm
Tea, 2014 Lino-print, 56 cm x 38 cm
MICHAEL ROLLI-VACCARO
At such an early stage of my artistic endeavor, it is difficult to acclaim an artistic statement for I have nothing to say. Any visual artistic input I have surfaced over the passed two years have been so out of a sort of personal whim which I cannot explain. I keep rewriting and rewriting. I am too bothered by the goal of enticing the eyes, which will eventually be laid upon these words. Since they must be enticed. As if to hope to find some sort of relief over where I am headed. Still I keep rewriting. I had a whole paragraph written over this one about how art is a selfish practice to which we share. Instead, I keep erasing because of my impulse to entice the eyes with glamour and meaning, but I cannot deliver.
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Repose Boy, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 50 cm x 40 cm
The Discreet Society, 2014 Graphite and charcoal on paper 80 cm x 120 cm
JASMINE ROSSI
I believe that all my works are unfinished products. Every time I look at one of my pieces I see ways it could change based on my inspiration and taste of the day. Even though I may have ideas regarding the direction of each piece, during the process of production the painting may stray from my original plan both visually and conceptually. I am not afraid of this. I love to work with a lot of texture, gesture and mark-making in order to take away the flatness of the canvas and to make it more interesting. I don’t try to cover up and polish over the process by which my artworks are made. For me, creating art is a balance between wild experimentation and containing chaos. I gravitate towards dark colours because I feel bright and outrageous colours can distract the viewer from my intended meanings while sombre colours attract the viewer to come in closer to explore.
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Dark Humor, 2014 Mixed media on Stonehenge 66 cm x 111 cm
Masked, 2014 Digital image manipulation 1066 pixels x 1600 pixels
SOFIA SCHIAVONE
As an artist, I try to change my subject matter every time I am given a project. I do not really have a preferred medium. I have explored different ways of manipulating materials, which has taken me out of my comfort zone. I am a reserved person, hence when I get out of my ‘natural habitat’ I feel like I’m doing something wrong. I do like to stay in my comfort zone simply because I see my improvement as I go along. I have been trying to work against the current of my emotions; if I am depressed I try to make something joyful. When I am given a project I often relate the main theme to personal experiences as I feel I get better concepts out of those experiences. This also allows viewers to connect to the pieces. “Things never happened the way I imagined them.” (John Green). My work always differs from my original concept because I keep getting inspired during the process.
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Sea Sick, 2015 Acrylic on canvas, 122 cm x 122 cm
Escape, 2014 Lino-print, 28.5 cm x 38.5 cm
NAYYAR SHABBIR
As a young artist, I work hard to create art that reflects who I am and what I feel, and in a way that can relate to my viewers. I aim to share my life experiences with the world through my art, whether it is sculpture, photography or a painting. Before I begin my art, a lot of thought goes into deciding what materials, texture and colour would best portray my idea. All these decisions are in the best interest of my artwork and seek to improve it. With every piece of art I create, my goal is to illustrate a little piece of me that I wouldn’t share with the world seeing as I am an introvert. The challenge, as with any artist attempting to share a piece of their personal life, is to create in such a way that the viewers are able to identify with the art produced.
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Candy Scent, 2013 Acrylic on canvas, 50 cm x 40cm
Where Is The Love? 2014 Mixed media, 30 cm x 20 cm x 20 cm
MADELEINE STEIN-SACKS
I would like to think that there is more context to my art work rather than just saying that I made it because I felt like it or that I made it because I was told to. Yet, I find it difficult to create a personal and emotional connection with projects that have regulations. However, without these set regulations and objectives, I would not be able to progress and learn from them. As it stands now, my work portrays the difficulty of finding the balance between academic standards and my own self expression, but then again that is exactly what we, as students, have been challenged to do for the past 2 years. Thus, I strongly believe that I have grown and learnt a small yet valuable lesson, and I’m ready to move on.
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Jupiter, 2014 Graphite, pen and watercolour 76 cm x 97 cm
Flood Lite, 2015 Acrylic on canvas, 96 cm x 121 cm
THIERRY ST-PIERRE-LANGLOIS
My ability to draw and produce art is the attribute that has always defined my life. For as long as I remember I have been obsessed with the creation of images. Even when I am not actively making something I always try to find interesting ideas and subjects in the world around me. I take a lot of pride from the works I create. It is for me one of the only fields I truly care and am competitive about. For me, art is only about the object and the process of its creation. The aim behind creating something is to impress the viewer. Be it through intricacy, originality, mightiness or
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cleverness, the goal is simply to make people stop thinking for a second and truly appreciate what is in front of them. Ultimately, this is only achievable through obsession; thus to practice and experiment with something so much that it becomes completely alienated from what it was originally is just mind boggling. The art I appreciate is the one I don’t understand, the one I cannot imagine having come up with or physically made. I do not see the point of making something that anyone could have made. There is no pride to be taken from that.
Demon, 2014 Ink on paper, 36 cm x 28 cm
Waterfall, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 102 cm x 76 cm
LENEYA VALENTI
Colours, textures and gestural lines are those visual elements that I use to express myself. I tend to notice the little things in everyday life, little details that could be conveyed with more visual richness than the way many people generally take notice of. Also, subtle layers of how people think and feel make their way into my art. Art is a beautiful as well as a dark way to show to the world things that are worth being shown and noticed. I have evolved into the artist I am today because through time, looking at the world in a more sensitive way has changed me. I feel that I am more observant, and that this leads me to ask more questions about myself, my place in the world, the people around me and my path in life.
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Motion, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 150 cm x 120 cm
Escape, 2014 Mixed media 57 cm x 76 cm
NATACHA VEILLEUX
Whenever I create my art two main sources of inspiration are my music and my constant flow of imagination. My imagination flows all day; I constantly have ideas so that whenever I work on an art piece it will be a mixture of some of these ideas. The more emotion and joy I feel, the more I concentrate. I tend to never make anything look realistic. It is either cartoonish or abstract since I prefer to create something that is not seen constantly in our everyday lives. Another form of inspiration I have is my sense of wonder with the question ‘’what if?’’ Because of this question I often try to play with my style a bit to see how this would
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affect my art piece. Whenever I do an art piece I either put a large range of colors or simply use black and white. I prefer it like this since I feel we already see enough desaturated colors with the buildings outside and the everyday city landscape. This is another reason why my drawings always depict strange things you do not see every day. One other thing I like to express is the idea of dreams since I live constantly in my head every day and when I was a child, I asked myself ‘’why not bring people in it with me?’’ and so I continue to try to bring people in more and more as I improve over time.
Collage reality, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 76 cm x 63 cm
Banana Frenzy, 2014 Lino-print, 22 cm x 30 cm
FLORENCE YEE
Trompe-l’oeil: noun, something that misleads or deceives the senses. It can immerse a viewer into the two-dimensional space, creating an extension of reality into the canvas; confusing the spectator into believing in something not as tangible as it may seem. One might want to confirm their suspicions by reaching out or even touching the surface. By breaking up my style to blend abstract and hyper-realistic painting techniques, I attempt to turn the viewers’ expectations around; creating an illusion of form and space through the modelling of light. For me, light is just as important a preoccupation in the visual arts today as it was in the late 19th century. Just as the Impressionists
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saw it through direct observation, the modern lens of digital cameras focuses our everyday experiences on optical effects. Sunlight can be only be contemplated indirectly through floating dust illuminated from light beams. However, the naked eye cannot bear the true brilliance of the sun itself, squinting for a few seconds at it before turning away. Thanks to intermediaries, such as lenses and computer screens, we can witness a kind of light unbeknownst to us before the digital age. Taking simplified forms and perceptual impossibilities with which we are confronted on a daily basis, we still recognize this fleeting sight. It beckons us to “tromper l’oeil”.
The Taste of Tears, 2014 Lino-print, 31 cm x 23 cm
Komorebi, 2014 Oil on canvas, 46 cm x 61 cm
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
On behalf of all the graduating students, we would like to thank the Fine Arts faculty and others for their support and encouragement. Claude Arseneault Amanda Beattie Giuseppe Di Leo Rachel Echenberg Beverly Frumkin Juan Gomez-Perales Antonietta Grassi David Hall Harlan Johnson Julianna Joos Lise-Hélène Larin Naomi London Natalie Olanick Murray MacDonald Andres Manniste Maureen McIntyre Lynn Millette Gilles Morissette Frank Mulvey Al Pringle Shelley Reeves Laurent Roberge Kristi Ropeleski Lorraine Simms Michael Smith Lois Valliant
Andréa C. Cole, Dean of Creative and Applied Arts Helen Wawrzetz, Fine Arts Admin. Support Agent Don Corman, Photography Department Brian Rahilly, Fine Arts Technician John Glendinning, Fine Arts Technician Daniel Deschènes, Plant and Facilities Jorge Sanchez, Plant and Facilities Mary Di Liello, Student Affairs Matthew Ste. Marie, Printing Services
Catalogue / Poster / Invitation / Editing / Website: Alice Picard, Layout design & Photo editing Lucas Cormier-Affleck, Logo/Cover design Florence Yee, Text Editor & Coordinator Photography: Cindy Huard-Lauzon Eden Quail Roberto Gutierrez Melisa Amada Badea Catalogue Coordinators: Andres Manniste, Layout Advisor & Web Design Juan Gomez-Perales, Print Adviser Catalogue Proof-reader: Lois Valliant Exhibition Coordinator: Frank Mulvey
MAY 21-29 2015 GALERIE D’ART WARREN G. FLOWERS 4001 DE MAISONNEUVE OUEST MONTREAL, QUEBEC