Carolyne Honey Harrison

Artist Statement:

All representation is an act of abstraction and all abstraction must be conveyed through an act of representation. Both paths are essentially seeking a greater clarity, an expanding consciousness and a constantly increasing vocabulary whereby we discover and declare our presence in the world. My method of achieving this in my painting is somewhat related to automatism in that I don t set out to paint something. The painting takes on reality for me as I work and the picture begins to assert itself. In the beginning it is in the putting on of the paint that things happen. The forms become signs for woman, bird, boat, sea and spirit.. At this point I don t know what it will be and I put it away and let the fire subside. In this way I will work on several canvases at the same time. I may not look at them for some time, then I take them out again, reassess the symbolism that I find there and begin to work again as an artisan; form, line, composition, color and balance. Whatever skills I have acquired in my training and my practice I bring to bear on the picture plane, on the easel in front of me. Colour is my god! Colour: that strange magnificent expression of the inscrutable spectrum of eternity. The challenge now is to transform height, width and depth into two dimensions in a magical experience, wherein one hopes to glimpse a fourth dimension which we all seek. Art is creative for the sake of this realization and for this transfiguration. It is the quest for the self that drives us along this never-ending journey. To borrow a phrase from George Steiner - Art is the human nostalgia for the absolute.  Painting is one way to make the journey.

Education

1975 - 77 École des Beaux Arts, University of Strasbourg, France, L Histoire de l Art.

Back to Carolyne's artwork

Selected Exhibitions:

2008 - April 17 - May 02, Solo Show, "Fields of Praise" Gallerie Avenue Art, Montreal, QC
2008 - September 13 - 27, Solo Show, The Leyton Gallery of Fine Art, St John's, NL
2007 - May, Two person Show, Leyton Gallery, St John's NL
2007 - June, Group Show, Leyton Gallery, St John's NL
2006 - May 25th Collective Visions Group Show, Galerie McClure, Montreal
2006 - Sep and Oct Artist in Residence at Landfall Trust, Brigus NL (Rockwell Kent Cottage)
2006- Oct, Group Show, Brigus NL
2004 - May 20th Collective Visions Exhibition at the Visual Arts Centre, Victoria Ave, Montreal
2004 - Nov 18th-Dec18th, Ottawa Art Gallery, Art Rental and Sales, Ottawa
2003 - Solo Exhibition, Galerie Luz, Montreal, March 15, "Carolyne Honey Harrison"
2003 - Part of 3 Person Exhibition, Gallerie Luz, Montreal
1999 - Group Show, North Hatley Library
1998 - Mono Print Show, VAV Gallery, Concordia
1998 - Group Show, North Hatley Library
1997 - One person show, "Adventures in Medium", paintings from Mexico, North Hatley Library
1996 - Group Show, North Hatley Club, North Hatley Quebec
1994 - Lithography Show, VAV Gallery, Concordia University