PEIG ABBOTT & JOANNE MACDONALD | BEAUTY IN THE BREAKDOWN
There is no other process that can transform the grit of collapse into a sensual revelry as the creative journey. Every artist knows this passage: the fate of preconceived agendas transformed by the manipulation of self and medium.
The artist who uses natural elements and material faces a greater challenge: to surrender to the properties of the unknown, unstructured, and unpredictable kiss of nature. Metal weathered by time; stone embraced by fissures; clay conditioned by place. Cradled in each work lies the history of nature, and the journey of the artist. Thus the creative process of yielding to, further breaking down, and reassembling natural elements reveals a beauty within.
ARTIST STATEMENT - PEIG ABBOTT
It is difficult to escape the relationship between the historical use of material or subject matter and its use in contemporary art. The figure, for example, is loaded with meaning; the figure represented through sculptural mediums, even more so. It is imperative for me to understand this language of the past so that I am able to communicate with viewers on an individual, collective, cultural and political level.
I am fascinated with the human form. Through material manipulation and exploration, a form of reciprocity develops: mind and memory of hands manipulate the material for an understanding of form. In turn, the understanding of form invites exploration and manipulation of the self. The process is not static but a form of meditation in which mind, body, and spirit are engaged. I search the material for a greater understanding of place and self. The exhibition of my work grants access for the viewer to do the same.
BIOGRAPHY - PEIG ABBOTT
Peig Abbott originally began her artist journey through tactile manipulation of paint, but once introduced to clay, she immediately fell in love with the process of sculpture. In 2001, Peig sold everything she owned and drove from Victoria to Halifax to pursue her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 2004. In 2002, Peig interned as a blacksmith with Huck Fisher Metalworks in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia and later volunteered at a foundry in Amherst, Nova Scotia where she cast her first work in bronze. She enjoys the natural aesthetic and material qualities of stone, clay, wood and metal for her sculptures. Her first solo exhibition, remnants , will be featured in the forthcoming special publication of Atlantis on 'Women, Art, Politics and Power'. Her work has shown in national group and solo exhibitions, and can be found in private collections across Canada. Peig has lived in Montreal, Calgary, Victoria, Halifax and Ireland. She currently resides and owns a studio in Irricana, Alberta.
ARTIST STATEMENT - JOANNE MACDONALD
Through my art I try to evoke an emotional response using familiar objects composed in an unfamiliar way. I use found, natural and recycled materials, in different stages of erosion, to represent our fragile temporal nature. The pieces are often precariously woven and placed in an effort to mirror the beautiful imperfection of life and relationships. With this approach and palette, each artwork captures a momentary glimpse of my often bittersweet perspective.
BIOGRAPHY - JOANNE MACDONALD
I was born and raised in rural Quebec and have always had the inner drive to create. I moved to Calgary in 1980. After high school and college I got married and worked until I had my daughter in 1990. In the year 2000 after much soul searching, my quest for authenticity brought me back to my art. Over the past 6 years I have taken many courses from Alberta College of Art and Design and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to broaden my skill set and bring me to the place I am today with my artwork. In the end my art is cheaper than therapy and a tonic to my soul and that is why I must do it.