Persona

Kurt Connell

'Deuce'

Michelle Neilson

'The Puppet Academy'

Elizabeth Wood

'Portrait of the Artist'

Who are we & how do we present ourselves? Artists Kurt Connell, Michelle Neilson & Elizabeth Wood engage in explorations of identity, consciousness & the expression of one's inner self through their individual voices & styles.

Kurt Connell is a North Shore based abstract symbolist painter interested in our subconscious drives & perceptions. Connell’s work starts with spontaneous scribbles which he then interprets & transforms into surreal shapes & symbols, building into dynamic & colourful surreal images. Through this process of discovery, he develops a system of symbols usually revolving around themes of time, sex, fear, love, nature & the effects of current events. Allowing his subconscious mind to drive his creativity, Connell’s process of interpretation & ultimately his finished works provoke questions from the artist & the viewer such as ‘what is?’, ‘what could be?’ or ‘what should I really be seeing?’.

Michelle Neilson is a Gibsons based artist whose paintings explore questions of consciousness & the human experience. Working in black acrylic paint on wood, Neilson’s MIND series sees organic forms emerging from & connecting with one another, often with stylized eyes looking out at us. The eye symbolizes the need for introspection while also urging us to see & connect with others. Neilson’s eyes & interconnected imagery also invite us to question what/how we are seeing – what does it mean to be conscious? Is there a collective consciousness we share?

Elizabeth Wood is a West Vancouver photomontage artist exploring  the dichotomy of the private & public self. Wood’s works takes the forms of portraiture but eschews representation for symbolism. Suggestions of figures emerge from images of feathers & flowers or are broken down into fragmented shapes & colours. These ephemeral figures act as markers of who we are in private – our inner thoughts & emotional landscape – versus who we present as in public. For Wood, capturing the complexity of this duality is an invitation to connect with others, recognizing that we all have individual narratives under the surface.

Artist Talk Livestream

Sat. Jan. 17, 7 pm

Join us for an engaging & enlightening conversation with the artists as they discuss their inspirations, processes & techniques, while answering questions from viewers live.