Existing comment:
Art and the Arctic
Exploring and painting the Canadian Arctic plein air has been challenging and awe-inspiring, bringing me face-to-face with some of our planet's greatest natural wonders. These experiences have created a desire in me to connect others with this remote northern wilderness through my paintings and films, which are assembled for the first time in this exhibition.
There are a number of artists who have influenced me in this endeavor and whose work I admire greatly. Among them are Thomas Moran, whose Western landscape watercolours helped motivate the United States Congress to establish Yellowstone as the first National Park in North America. I admire the photography of Ansel Adams which has raised public consciousness about our wild places. And of course, Canada's Group of Seven, particularly A.Y. Jackson, whose artistry contributed to the establishment of the Killarney Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, thereby protecting its unique and important landscapes.
I hope my work might spark awareness and conversation about Canada's Arctic, and instill greater appreciation and concern for the future of these changing landscapes. |