Art, my art, is an act of appreciation with an experimental bent. It is an intervention, a sometimes playful transformation, it questions. I meld themes of water, time and tradition and throw things together. Words, plants, paper and clay. The work is, as many of us are today, fueled by a fear of disappearance brought about by climate change.

My process stems from noticing, gathering and experimenting. We ignore things: they are plentiful, dirty, robust, delicate, fragile. Do all things have agency? Where does natural end and manmade begin? The rust on metal, the bramble over the fence?

Plants play a significant role in the larger narrative of eco-regeneration. They are survivors, stubborn and clever, finding a way to grow between human intervention.   Some look like little groups of creatures; others banners for attention. I try to find the essence, character, potential of the materials. Plants are misunderstood; I guess that’s why I like to investigate them.

 My work has a contemporary baroque aesthetic. It was about spotlighting, blending, exaggerating, hiding things in the folds. And it was a time of great change: with the invention of the printing press and the discovery of a new world and all that this entailed, came an excess never experienced before.  This excess is directly relatable to the acceleration of our relatively new digital age and I try to bring that energy into my work.

Through my art, I invite you to look at the world from a different perspective: a terrestrial fiction. If we look at the world through a lens of curiosity and wonder, we can interact with it in a different way. This for me, is what it means to pay attention when everything feels like its falling apart.

To help me ground my thoughts for the day, I practise creative writing.  This sometimes generates a piece of art or takes it in another direction.

You’ll find a selection of artwork below. Click the photo to find the detail. For more about my research scroll to the bottom of the page.

Contact email: aquestionofart@chantalferrer.com