a sense of place in time

No paintings to share-currently in transition mode-a necessary evil.

In the meantime, I've been working on the 'land mark' series and thought I'd post my findings as well as formal statement about the inspiration.

(FB post) the late afternoon light was beautiful and my coat pocket had been holding this duck wing far too long.... I was amazed at the structure of the wing (before I dismantled it)-perfectly engineered for flight, and warmth I suppose as there were tiny downy bits close to the break. these white feathers are from the under-wing.





 formal statement: land mark

A connecting aspect of my practice has been informed by altars and alter-ability in the land. After spending time at an international residency in 2011, I have become more and more interested in the human connection with a sense of place and how we are all compelled to alter the land in some way, shape or form, even in remote, sparsely populated regions of the world.

I am driven to leave my own land marks in these places and find myself making portals from discarded vineyard wire, arranging red sumac in  spirals on blue snow shadows and lining up rows of  milkweed pods into migration patterns.

Remnants found in fallow fields such as vine, carcass, nests, litter and wild flowers are altered to become symbolic human connections to a specific sense of place in time. They are left as temporary markers for others to encounter (or not) before being reclaimed by the natural world.

I am intrigued by the processes happening in nature over time and it’s unpredictability that affects the work. The uncertainty of working with the weather, the connection between land and light, uprooting and unearthing hidden things and hidden life are all elements that motivate my practice.



Building three dimensional work using only materials available from my immediate surroundings is something that continues to take shape.

 

see more works from this project

please do not use any of these images without permission from the artist

all rights reserved- copyright Jan Yates 2015

a sense of place

As I write, wolves and coyotes are being persecuted in the US and Canada. There are coyote killing contests and bounties; they are hunted down and torn apart by hounds; they are being trapped to trim winter coats.

As an advocate I do my best, but then I feel helpless and just can’t stomach the awareness, so I turn to making art.

 The artwork below represents winter where I live on the Niagara escarpment. There are coyotes up here, and although I rarely see them, I hear them at night and it is a privilege. 

 Beautiful Vagabond (winter), encaustic on found panel, 6x16in, 2013, available

While working on this, I was thinking about urbanization and whether we will ever live harmoniously. As well as a sense of place and connection, I hope the imagery conveys a wee bit of optimism…