Burden was an exhibition of large mixed media works on paper that ran from October 27, 2022 – January 28, 2023 in the Waterfield Gallery at the Yates Theatre, Lethbridge, AB.

Artist Statement:  The works seen here were created without any precursor to a theme, but after a repeated image was drawn subconsciously I began to reflect upon the energy and mood that may be influencing my work such as: the resurgent Covid-19 pandemic, the climate emergency, the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism, humanitarian crises, the war on Ukraine and trans-national terrorism.

I let shapes and images come to the paper as I worried myself predominately about the medium and formal processes alone.  Hence ‘burden’ like images arose of a figure stooped and bent forward. The prose attached is my effort to balance and bring hope to an overwhelming cascade of issues in an anxiety ridden world.

The images are mixed media and mainly oil stick on paper and derived from an exercise in studio practice after recently obtaining a space downtown at the Trianon Gallery. I attribute my recent art practice to the Trianon as a place to find refuge after the recent lockdowns during the COVID pandemic. The Trianon Gallery downtown has been an ongoing symbol of arts activity and a gathering of art enthusiasts even before having arrived in Lethbridge in 2000 to attend the university to complete my fine arts studies in 2002. Twenty years later I am grateful for the opportunity to show my new works at the Yates theatre a few blocks from my studio and in the city that continues to feed my art practice.