Artist Reception & Talk: September 15, 6:30 p.m.

We’re thrilled to welcome our 2016 Juried Show 1st Place Winner Elske de Groot back to the gallery this fall to showcase her incredible art and photography.

“Barns” is a two-part study of the local rural landscape featuring photography and encaustic mixed media pieces. The exhibit preserves, in imagery, these magnificent structures for future generations.

Artist’s Statement

Elske deGroot is a photographer and encaustic mixed media artist. With a subtle minimalistic approach, Elske creates work in which a fascination with the clarity of content and an uncompromising attitude towards conceptual and minimal art can be found. The work is aloof and systematic and a cool and neutral imagery is used.

The show “Barns” is a two-part study of local landscapes consisting of barns in their environments. The first part includes a small selection from a much larger project documenting and showcasing barns in Centre Wellington. The long-term project is partially funded, with many thanks, by the Wellington County Historical Society and supported by the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, Guelph-Wellington Branch.

Many of these barns are in disrepair and approaching significant ages. The purpose of this project is to preserve, in imagery, these magnificent structures for future generations.

The second part of the show includes pieces of art that are created using encaustic and photographs. Encaustic is an ancient method of painting with tinted hot beeswax. Photographs of barns and their environs are meticulously cut out and placed on the hot beeswax surfaces and then covered with another coat of beeswax. By exploring the concept of landscape in such a nostalgic way, Elske reflects on the closely related subjects of archive and memory.

Her works directly respond to the surrounding environment and uses everyday experiences from the artist as a starting point. Often these are framed instances that would go unnoticed in their original context. Elske currently hangs her camera in Fergus.

You can find Elske online here:

• http://luxecastudios.com/
• Elske’s Tumblr
• Elske on LinkedIn