SANCTUM – MICHELLE MONTAGUE
April 16 – 27, 2014 | Opening Reception: Thursday April 17th, 7-9pm
Cell Gallery
Michelle Montague returns with “Sanctum”, an interpretation of patterns found in Nature.
Using crochet, acrylic and oil sticks, Michelle explores interlocking gestural lines and the arrangement of shapes and colours. These elements serve as metaphors of our own indivisibility and oneness with Nature.
Through this body of work Michelle continues her study of Nature, the life energy and its everlasting cycle of rejuvenation.
Artist Statement
My creative process involves painting images of worlds immersed in mythology and fantasy.
Delicate washes of colours that contrast crude dark lines are some of the drawing techniques I employ to explore patterns we may find in Nature. From the warm embrace of pastel skies at sunrise, to the bitter abandonment of cold winds and hurricanes in the night, with Nature there is always a reminder of her presence.
The organisms depicted in my works are both loved and scorned by their well-being “mother” — much like us I believe. They get jostled about like goldfish in a tiny bowl of water. Sometimes they move gracefully, other times clumsily as they attempt to keep in harmony with Nature. Their world is a place where organic structures, heightened colours, and fantastic skies interlock in a surprise formation of new abstract spaces. It is a world with a veneer of realism, which allows for natural and supernatural elements to take place.
It is this imagery that allows me to further my understanding of Nature, the life energy and its ever lasting process of rejuvenation.
-Michelle Montague