I hold great sway with the weeds, the junk, the waste. It is a throwaway society. I throw things together. I am a keeper. I look with intent. My art is, in part, an act of appreciation with an experimental bent – but it is 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? What lurks here is playful transformation.

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.

 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