UP Studio

Website: http://www.upstudio.ca

Patricia Uston: artist statement

When I work, my clay takes me on an extremely sensuous journey, with its primal scent, cool smooth touch, and fascinating formations which give me unspeakable visual joy.

Masks are my passion. Although none of my works actually represent human faces, they have always intrigued me. With absolutely no preconceived plan, or even the slightest idea as to what is about to take place I allow my clay to take me along to mysterious destinations.

The eyes evolve first so that I may peer into them and connect to what might be coming next. A nose, a mouth, cheeks etc. I love how I am able to alter the expression and to change the mood with a little pressure here and a little pinch there. I am constantly amazed at the complex images that emerge from this oh so humble lump of clay. This is what excites me as I move through the entire process leaving behind traces of my being in the form of my finger prints, as I do not use any other tools. It is an intimate experience of solitude and intrigue with the out come being some what serendipitous.

The next phase is quite arduous as the entire mask is glazed three to four times using tiny, bent, and curved brushes so as not to miss the smallest of nooks and crannies.

The adornment of the smoked hides is the final step in the creation of the head wear. The hide is painstakingly heated with a soldering iron. Then it is manipulated to the desired shape which acts as a frame for each individual face. The completed work states its name and that is how the mask is titled.

For me, there seems to be an endless supply of characters hidden in the depths of the clay just waiting to be freed.

John Parnell: artist statement

As far back as my memory will allow me to go I have loved to draw and paint. I have never thought of being anything but an artist. It is my vocation. For the past fifteen years the subject of all my work has been dedicated to the love of my life, Patricia. I paint for myself first, my images reflect my life in a� kind of visual poem. Once I complete the work, then it is up to the painting to speak to the world.

The great thing to me about being a painter now, in the post modern era (or is it the post-post modern), is that there is freedom from pressure to invent the “new”. I can just concentrate on improving my craft, developing my imagery and incorporating my personal visual “vocabulary” into a unique statement. I don’t need to worry about justifying my work’s place in the artistic continuum, but instead I can just concentrate on painting.

My work is about the colour, line, and texture created when pigment is applied to canvas. These paintings are abstract compositions first, with figurative elements to add an additional layer, making the composition intimate and accessible to the viewer. The finished piece has mystique, and depicts an innocent, natural beauty, found in a graceful state of being.

In these latest paintings, painted in 2006 and 2007, the figure combines with the landscape, in a way that morphs each into the other. The canvas is flat with the illusion of depth hinted in the composition. These works combine abstract and figurative elements into a cohesive whole that is rich with pattern, colour and texture. The paintings are imbued with the reconciliation of opposites as a source of poignancy, resonating in the primal subconscious world of the abstract with elements of figuration. Skillfully executed, the work exhibits passion and verve. There is a spiritual aspect to this work as well as a surreal nature to the imagery in the paintings. The meaning contained in the work is ambiguous and ultimately relies on the viewer to complete the statement. This allows the work to change with each viewing and interact with it’s environment.

Painting is a language. It is impossible to successfully translate or interpret through words. It must be experienced.

Hours

Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm

Contact

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