In preparation for my exhibition Due Diligence at Christina Parker Gallery in St. John's, NL, my studio puppy Kingsley guards my works in progress.
With an international stay at home order that shaped the past year and a half, suddenly the most impactful thing we could collectively do was remain in our own houses. This time in quarantine has caused many of us to meditate on our homes, and how they could be brought closer to our vision of an ideal dwelling (is it any surprise that hardware stores have thrived despite the required lockdowns?). The questions we asked as a global community reflected my contemplation while making this work: What makes a home a dream home? What makes a desirable place to live (and stay) in? How do aesthetic treatments, like a fresh coat of house paint, impact our appreciation of our homes? Does our home (and in this case, staying inside our home) affect our ability to connect with a larger community? This exhibition is an engaging exploration of these questions during this period of due diligence.
In the resulting body of work, What A View, these concepts are integrated and compounded in the intensity of our shared experience. This series pushes the ideals that fabricate a desirable dwelling or a dream home, drawing inspiration from our ocean-wrapped island province. These works use gradient as a primary tool in the portrayal of landscape: a house on the water depicts abstracted forms on a gradient wash of blues, and a house facing west is drenched in sunset oranges and blushing pinks. The resulting compositions divulge the unique ability that colour has to transform idyllic architectural structures into thoughtful and compelling homes.
The exhibition runs from July 8th and continues until July 31. I'm so grateful to have an incredible partner and family who were able to attend the opening day!
View the exhibition's visual catalog here, which lists the artworks included, as well as their sizes, materials, and prices.
Click here to see more images from this exhibition! Photos taken by M + E Photography