Forces Of Nature 2012 to 2019

Angelique Lafreniere
Forces of Nature
"Art is Art, nature is nature, you cannot improve upon it... Pictures should be inspired by nature, but made in the soul of the artist: it's the soul of the individual that counts." - Emily Carr.
Artist Statement
These new paintings explore the visual phenomenon of human/environment interaction. I'm drawn to investigate visually how various types of terrain affect people and, in turn, how a place is affected by human presence. This image can be minimal yet can also cause total destruction. This interaction experience is the foundation from which my imagination springs forth. Images of nature and images of humankind's impact, like ghosts, appear and disappear in my work. 
Intense, saturated colours are selected to convey the formidable intensity of power of nature and its ability to actively break down left-behind human elements through the process of decay and the dynamic forcefulness of re-growth. I enjoy exploring the rhythmic interaction of the bright colours and open space, allowing for an expression of breath and the silence of nature. The movement of time is represented by the fluidity and distorted physicality of the forms created through many transparent layers of paint. 
My process involves reconstructing various images of one place in one painting. Geography, history, anthropology, and archeology have all contributed to the development of this conceptual theme. The abstract temporal landscape represents the entirety of this human/environmental interaction through time. 
Angelique Lafreniere

Artis Biography
Former Woodstock resident, now living in Aylmer, Angelique E Lafreniere has dedicated her life to art. As a child, her grandfather taught her how to weld, paint and work with wood, and her grandmother taught her how to work with fibres, crochet and make costumes. Lafreniere graduated in 1999 with her diploma in Interior Design from the IAD and received her BFA in painting from OCAD University, Toronto, in 2008. She has travelled extensively across Europe, the USA, and South America, collaborating with several artists on various projects worldwide. In 2012, Lafreniere won the Visual Elements 54: Annual Juried Exhibition Juror's Choice Award.