Legacies

As the daughter of a Yugoslavian Woman who survived the Nazi Concentration Camps, I am profoundly influenced by her stories of horror and torture. Interspersed with her tale of suffering were accounts of altruism, heroic acts and the unwavering will to survive. Cognizance of individual roles, heroic or otherwise, in societal development continues to inform the content of my art. 

Driven by yearnings to retrieve and preserve segments of individual and collective memory, and my need to comprehend present society, I embarked on a course of artistic inquiry. Like many others, I sought knowledge of the present by studying the past. The gathered stories and ensuing portraits of British Columbia seniors, born near the beginning of the Twentieth Century became the vehicle of realization…of expression. 

Safekeep Past Experiences

Signifying greater importance than the recorded likeness of a person, the portrait alludes to the emphasis of individualization within the constraints of society. Not only being an indication of the definition of individuality, but the power contained therein, the portrait has infinite societal significance. Referencing a desire to remember, preserve, make visible, and express, these portraits invoke the individual and collective journey to identify. The work functions as mnemonic sites for the safekeeping of particles of past experiences, images and artefacts soon to be lost in the abyss of time. Each piece safeguards individual tales in a visual exploration of hopes, dreams and events. Metaphorically, the single life creates a sense of deeper awareness of the human condition, a realization of the heritage of humanity.

Celebration of Life

The work is a wealth of image, content and surface. Subjects, regardless of the age of portrayal are presented as strong even heroic figures –  archetypes from a different time and place. Almost a shrine, definitely an icon, each piece validates the aged identity in the celebration of their lives. The work simultaneously elucidates various times, geographical locations and states of mind. Around the person stereotypes, symbols, items and images from current or almost forgotten memory merge to form new diverse meanings. Yesterday’s images, filled with multiple meanings are manipulated to deflect synchronic interpretation of past events. 

Creative Process

This body of work is made up of both two and three-dimensional pieces. The paintings are comprised of acrylic, mixed media (paper with drawings, rubbings, prints) and mylar collaged with objects onto canvas. The three dimensional forms include resins, resin dyes, paper mache, plastic, acrylic mediums, fabric and paper (with drawings, rubbings, prints) and wood. Artefacts such as old letters, diary pages, photos, newspaper clippings, bones and objects are embedded in either the two or three-dimensional works. Additionally, art forms created from other materials are floated within the sculptures. Further textures, forms and images painted on the surface present a limitless source of expression.