queen’s university

Bachelor of Fine Art 2008-2012

queen’s university

2008-2012 [Bachelor of Fine Art]

Dear Art Lover:

Welcome. I am delighted to introduce you to the BFAH 2012 class, and the work we have produced as we complete our four years at Queen’s. We’ve seen a lot of change during our time here, but I believe this catalogue is a testament to the way this group has persevered in art making. We’ve learned together, grown and explored together, pulled studio all-nighters, become friends, and developed individual artistic styles. Our thesis work varies as much as we do, and so I invite you to wander through these wonderful pages and get to know us a little better.

Dear Classmates and Friends:

This is it! It has been a pleasure and a privilege getting to know you and working alongside you during the past four years. I genuinely appreciate

[InTrO[InTrO

[InTrODuCTIOn][InTrODuCTIOn]the encouragement and criticism you have shared. I’m repeatedly told that connections are vital to survival in the art world (really just the world in general), and I feel we have made some good ones here. You’re all incredibly talented in so many ways. I anticipate seeing many of you featured in magazines, or attending your gallery openings, or hearing about the various adventures you’ll take in the following years. I’m glad to have experienced all that studio has to offer with you, and wish you only the best in your future creative endeavours.

Phoebe CohoeFundraising and Show Coordinator

Bfah ‘12

1. Megan Alguire2. Sarah Ammons

3. Mackenzie Browning4. Dera-Lynn Burrows

5. Phoebe Cohoe6. Emma Craig

7. Sebastian Dowd8. Ashley Eagan

9. Charlotte Ficek10. Janghan Hong

11. Scott MacDonald 12. Anya Mielniczek

13. Kaisa Moran14. nevan ryan

15. Heather Smith16. Lianne Suggitt

17. Daniela Tanaka Lo18. Emily Turgeon-Brunet

19. Emily Turner20. Faith Webster

21. Torie Whitehead22. Casey Wilson

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1. Megan Alguire

I am a young artist from Barrie, Ontario. I have been fortunate to have people to support and push me artistically throughout my life, allowing me to make the kind of work I want to. My art-making is based primarily on emotions; it is a way for me to express myself and relate to other people. This year, my painting has been focused primarily through the lens of my own photography, which I abstract and manipulate as I paint. My paintings carry an emotional resonance, which I believe each person is capable of experiencing and relating to.

[DETAIL] Gently (2011), Mixed Media on Canvas, 36” x 48”[DETAIL] Prescient (2012), Oil on Canvas, 48” x 36”

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2. Sarah Ammons

I am a compulsive reader of expressions and their beholders. My art reflects this as well as my other compulsion, self analysis. Through a series of portraits, I’ve been trying to express a postmodern reality of the self existing in a state of multiplicity. My work, in content and rendering, shows an artistic neurosis that I had fought early in my time at Queen’s, but now realize that this honest insecurity is what makes my art genuine. With this very human, persistent insecurity I’ll continue my attempts to figure out myself and everyone and everything – but hopefully never reach a conclusion.

San Francisco Shadows (2012), Oil On Mylar, 60” x 85”[DETAIL] A Glass, A Hallway (2012), Oil on Mylar, 36” x 60”

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3. Mackenzie Browning

Presently my artistic practice pivots on the idea of recreating my entire family history by manufacturing

an idealized visual narrative. My work connects theories of the snapshot aesthetic, found object and vernacular photography. This particular body of work features striking colours and simple geometric shapes, held together by found and discarded photography. I rework these small, intimate images and enlarge them through the serigraphy process. This act anonymises the faces, allowing a clear slate for a new familial narrative.

[DETAIL] Shepherd’s Boy (2012), Serigraph on Canvas, 36” x 24”Three Shepherds (2012), Serigraph on Canvas, 30” x 40”

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4. Dera-Lynn Burrows

The inspiration for the body of work I have created this year is the almost religious practice of hunting that

I have witnessed in my home town of Bancroft, Ontario. I wanted to reflect on that practice, and play with the ideas and themes associated with hunting and nature, including the life cycle. I have used a variety of media in the exploration of my theme as different methods of communicating the same story. The intention of the work is to forcibly engage the viewer in a conversation about how we as individuals experience and cultivate our own relationship with nature.

[DETAIL] Hanging Carcass (2012), Burlap, Tulle and Paper 72” x Variableuntitled (2011), Oil and Encaustic on Canvas, 31 1/2” x 39”

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5. Phoebe Cohoe

My work explores the concepts of imagination, creativity and play. I am particularly interested in how these

ideas manifest in children as they play make-believe, invent their own stories, repurpose objects, and generally live in unencumbered creativity, without fear of failure. These qualities usually get lost as we grow up. I am interested in why that happens, and how I can maintain some of that carefree playfulness. My recent work employs colour and installation as a means for creating physical spaces that promote imagination and curiosity. I usually use simple materials and shapes to create my narratives. I love the versatility of paper, and employ natural and everyday objects to aid in the narrative.

Garden Strings (2012), Woodcut on Tissue Paper, 29” x 29”

[DETAIL] Whim IV (2012), Mixed Media on Paper, 15” x 11” [DETAIL] Whim II (2012), Mixed Media on Paper, 15” x 11”

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6. Emma Craig

I have always had an interest in figure drawing and the human form in relation to identity. In my work I draw upon these experiences when developing the identities of natural objects. My work predominantly consists of large-scale drawings that aim to articulate the relationship between natural objects and the human form, in a metaphorical collaboration and exploration of the natural qualities of my subject and their energy based identities. By focusing on creating a dialogue between gestural drawings and natural objects, I communicate their uniqueness through the exploration of gestural line work, spatial texture technique and mass.

[DETAIL] Cow Skull & Shark Eye on Birch (2011), Mixed Media on Birch Plywood, 96” x 48”

[DETAIL] Thin Plate Coral & Shark Eye on Birch Mylar (2011-12), Mixed Media on Birch Plywood and Mylar, 48” x 96”

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7. Sebastian Dowd

This year, I combined my love of drawing animals with my passion for written verse to create a children’s book

after the fashion of Dr. Seuss. I used coloured pencil on paper to tell the story of a sanctuary where lonely or outcast individuals can find the yin for their yang. It references themes of tolerance. I hope to continue to eloborate upon this work after graduation, with the eventual goal of having it published.

The Mapping Turtle (2011), Coloured Pencil on Paper, 11” x 17” The Tambourhino (2011), Coloured Pencil on Paper, 11” x 17”umbrellaphant and Drizzly Bear (2011), Coloured Pencil on Paper, 11” x 17”

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8. Ashley Eagan

My art explores the relationship of modern buildings and the environments in which they stand. With diverse

influences such as Jan Van Eyke, richard Diebenkorn, and Anja Ganster, I create new synergies crafted from both traditional and modern textures and techniques. By manipulating thin acrylic backgrounds and washes with thick oil surfaces, I produce replicas of unique structures that visualize the process of the art work and the relationship between the buildings’ environment. Ashley’s hometown is Tottenham, Ontario, and she began practicing art at the age of five.

Light Singapore (2012), Oil Tryptych on Canvas, 48” x 72”[Detail} IronBank (2011), Oil on Canvas, 36” x 48”

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9. Charlotte Ficek

My art is inspired by Western society’s fascination with beauty and self-exposure through social media

and the Internet. Through my paintings, drawings, and installations, I explore themes of sexuality, femininity, and luxury that I recognize online and through celebrity popular culture. recently, artists such as Karen Kilimnik, Marlene Dumas, Vladimir Dubossarsky, and Alexander Vingradov have influenced my work. Much of my creative process and inspiration comes from searching the Internet for people and ideas that I find interesting, watching and being fascinated by reality television, and rummaging through thrift stores for items that spark my imagination.

Girl 1 (2012), Ink on Paper, 24” x 18”[DETAIL] untitled (2011), Collage and Paint on Paper, 54” x 36 1/2”

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10. Janghan Hong

I believe that it is the artist’s responsibility to record their world for the future. I feel that the majority of post-modern art has been so removed from the historical context that the artists are making art for the consumption of other artists. The focus is no longer on the art itself, but on the artist, whose job is not to produce art, but to explain how their art is relevant. I am particularly drawn to Art nouveau, not so much in style, but its purpose as the face of a new century. The artists involved in the movement believed that they should be involved in every aspect of daily life, even in the marketing of mass-produced goods. I believe that artists should reach out, rather than wall themselves off from the mainstream community.

[DETAIL] Identity (2011), Woodblock Print, 120” x 60”

Almond Joy (2011), Sweet Smell of Exess (2011) The rookies (2011), Acrylic Transfer and Oil Paint on Canvas, ea. 8” x 10”

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11.Scott MacDonald

This year and in fact throughout my time at Queen’s my work has carried an undercurrent grounded in definitions

of nature. By focusing on woodcarving and woodblock printmaking I endeavour to illustrate, conceptually, my connection to nature, as well as physically connect to the materials that come from it. I am interested in the environmental issues that face our world, and I recognise the paradox that is created by my use of wood for artistic creation. I believe my own clash reflects a greater conflict represented in the relationship between human culture and the environment. This is reflected in the symbols, images and cycles I characterize in my prints, paintings and wood sculptures.

[DEATIL] Fondation (2012), Woodblock Print on Paper, 44” x 30”[DETAIL] roger Bannister (2012) Woodblock and Screensprint on Paper, 30 “ x 22 1/2”

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12.Anya Mielniczek

This past year I set out to create a body of work that comments on the environment and our relationship with it. I took

into consideration notions of sustainability, recycling and consumer awareness while getting my inspiration from garbage and consumption. It was important for me that my work reflect these ideas, therefore my biggest focus was on material use, what I used, and how I used it. I’m interested in the small detail as well as experimenting with different mediums alongside each other. I hope to continue creating conscious art, developing my ideas and exploring this subject matter in future endeavors.

Brain Child (2011), Wood, Varnish, Graphite, Beer Bottle Caps, 40” x 52 1/2”

Garbage (2012), Candy wrappers, ea. 8” x 11”

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13.Kaisa Moran

using various printmaking media, I examine the ways in which society and the military affect interpersonal

relations, especially among family members. I consider how these aspects, in turn, shape individuals’ identities. Many photographs from my family’s collection went into making my current works. Despite the strong connection my family has to the photographs, the artwork is relatable to most viewers because the military uniform is a universal image. Therefore, the viewer can relate to the prints in his/her own way and will form his/her own ideas about the narrative depicted in each print.

[DETAIL] Homemade Coat (2012), Woodcut on rice Paper, 48” x 24”[DETAIL] Handcrafted Wallpaper (2012), Mixed Media on Paper, 24”x 36”

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14.nevan ryan

A true artist is someone who does not have the ability to distinguish art from his everyday life. He is a person whose perception of art is in constant flux, an individual who refuses to be restricted by a solitary idea, mark or medium. I believe that through this approach anyone can create meaningful and truthful art.

What I strive to accomplish through my work, is something that asks more of the audience then to simply gaze or listen. The colours, textures and figures are meant to speak differently to each and every viewer, evoking personal emotions and insights. I’ve decided to flee the tyranny of meaning and leave it to the audience.

[DETAIL] Banana Boat (2012), Oil Slick on Paper, 48” x 24”

[DETAIL] Escaping the Tryanny of Meaning (2012), Oil Triptych on Board, 48” x 96”

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15.Heather Smith

Enamoured with children’s book illustrations, I have been trying to emulate them. I want to suggest a story without

directly telling one. My subject matter is the forest, a specific place from my childhood. I depict it as a storybook landscape because that is how it has always been to me. This is my imaginative and narrative interpretation of a place; an illustration that surrounds you.

[DETAIL] The Woods Behind my House (2012), Mixed Media on Mylar, Variable

The Woods Behind my House (2012), Mixed Media on Mylar, Variable

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16.Lianne Suggitt

My work is mainly inspired by rural life and double exposure photography. I enjoy the simplicity and plainness of the

18th and 19th century rural lifestyle, especially that of early Canada. Lately I find myself using this imagery to create figures that appear as paranormal phenomena and manifestations of imperceptible entities. I create these paintings and scultpures to exemplify my interest in the metaphysical and to explore the relationship between forgotten generations of rural life and those of today. Through my work I hope to present an interesting view of history from a contemporary standpoint.

The Abandoned Home (2012), Oil on Canvas, 66” x 84”

The Twin Foxes (2011), Paper Mache, Fabric, Balsa Wood, Electric Tea Lights, Variable Sizes

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17.Daniela Tanaka Lo

I work mainly in printmaking and drawing, often combining the two and I enjoy mixing textures and exploring the effects of layering in my work. My art focuses mainly on personal emotions and I relate them back to socio-cultural differences I have noticed as someone of Asian descent moving to Canada for university. I mainly work with images from still life and am heavily influenced by the natural forms found in botany.

Blush (2012), Mixed Media on Panel, 48” x 30” [Detail] reflection (2012), Woocut on Panel, 48” x 18”

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18.Emily Turgeon-Brunet

I am interested in examining the relationship between people and atmospheres and the elusiveness in which

they form and manipulate each other. My work is based on 19th and 20th century Eastern Ontario industries and their contribution to the founding of Canada. It is remarkable how such large-scale buildings have escaped our notice over time; they have faded into the background just like the stories of the history they demonstrate. I hope to capture their immensity and intricate detailing, and illuminate the mood and atmosphere they create, as well as their role in our contemporary cityscape. I use oil paint and encaustic to develop a weighty, murky tone to my work, emphasizing time, their age and remaining influence.

Mustard Gas Factory (2011), Oil and Cold Wax Medium on Canvas, 48” x 36”

[DETAIL] Fire Escape (2011), Oil and Cold Wax Medium on Canvas, 48” x 36”

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19.Emily Turner

My work is focussed on the intersection of Christianity and architecture. The church, the material expression

of faith, is an integral part of Christian worship which I aim to show in my sculptural installation. Through the use of paper mache and light, my work becomes a dynamic interpretation of an architectural form and the religion that uses it.

[DETAIL] Agony in the Garden (2012), Tissue Paper, Glue, Acrylic, Variable

[DETAIL] The Good Shepherd (2012), Tissue, Paper, Glue, Acrylic, 42” x 12”

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20.Faith Webster

My name is Faith Webster and I am an artist originally from Scarborough, Ontario, where I grew up in a busy

household with three younger sisters, a minister dad and a stay-at-home mom. I enjoy the practice of art making in all of its forms, but I have a soft spot for drawing and printmaking. For my graduating thesis work I was inspired by the patterns found in nature and by Indian woodblock textile printing. I am keenly interested in the current dialogue between the worlds of art and science, and the exciting possibilities of BioArt. I would love to continue to create and display my work throughout my lifetime.

[DETAIL] Carbon-Based #1 (2011), Carving in Cherry (woodcut), 15” x 20”[DETAIL] Seascape #4 (2012), Transfer and rubbings, 24” x 36”

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21.Torie Whitehead

My work explores the relation between mythology and culture. I am interested in the value placed on collectible items

and their place in modern society. My art creates and catalogues mythological creatues and examines their value through collection.

The Gryphon (2011), Oil on Canvas 48” x 60” [DETAIL] The Gryphon (2011), Oil on Canvas, 48” x 60”

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22.Casey Wilson

I have always spent a lot of time in my own head – a daydreamer, if you will – and lately I’ve been very interested in expressing my headspaces on canvas. This exploration produces dramatic landscapes that are unquestionably influenced by the islands and mountains of my native British Columbia, constructed from a mix of visual and experiential memory. These images are a part of me. They represent my reverence for the natural world, and it’s fitting that they should appear in my graduation show because if I had not left home to study art at Queen’s, I may not have ever truly appreciated the majesty of the places that I’m fortunate enough to have swimming around in my memories.

[DETAIL] All-nighter Morning (2012), Oil on Canvas, 36” x 60”Storm Watching (2011), Oil on Canvas, 36” x 60”

AcknowledgementsThe BFAH class of 2012 would like to thank:

the Department of Art, especially our fourth year advisors: Alejandro Arauz, Sylvat Aziz, Ted rettig, Kathleen Sellars, Otis Tamasauskas and Jan Winton, as well as professors who have taught during our studies here: rebecca Anweiler, Dan Oxley, Brian Scott, Jacob Semko, and Evelyn von Michalofski.

Terry O’reilly, Patricia Kenny, ryan Laidman, Troy Leaman. Christopher Saba, Cynthia Collins and ray Caird for their help and support along the way.

Kate Yüksel for her expert guidance and assistance in the creation and editing of this catalogue.

union Gallery for providing us with the opportunity to exhibit in a gallery space.

Art History professors for enriching our art experience with knowledge and understanding the many artists who have come before us.

Last but far from least, our family and friends for their continuous love and support through the ups and downs of art making. To our fellow students we leave behind: it has been a pleasure sharing studio spaces with you- keep on creating!

Publication Production

Catalogue Design: Lianne Suggitt and Daniela Tanaka Lo

Portraiture Photography: Mathieu Sly

Printed by: DigiGraphics