Gilles, wolf tribute to Gilles Vigneault
My paper works using antique sheet music seek to celebrate and repurpose the best and worst quality music from my great paper era collection of music which spans close to 300 years (1723-1945). My creative endeavours have focused on creating and celebrating language with a particular focus on universal languages, languages of healing and wellbeing. As a multi lingual and multi cultural person music was (and still is) a most tangible link to culture for me. I grew up moving every two years and although we were posted far (Germany, Gimli, Boston, the Gatineau hills etc) and wide, my parents, an Irish mother from the north of Ireland and a French Canadian military man with proud Métis heritage, made sure we were given strong links to our mixed heritage. I also use it because the wealth of printed music from the last several centuries has become obsolete for the most part. It was collected and shared with great care and love, from one generation to another, as such the quality of the paper was essential to its longevity. The greatest paper made over the centuries was made for music, which was to pass from hand to hand to hand. I have collected it since childhood, have a great love for it and have always yearned to use it in my work as an artist and artisan. A few years ago I stood at the threshold of moving from a production based life with my natural works- my twig letters- which focus on the universal healing language of nature and the nature of languages, to one of larger sculptural pieces. It would allow me to delve deeper into the dialogue of healing through artistic practice, and provide me with new challenges of materials explorations and subject matter. I began with a buffalo, a guide to protect me in my journey using a paper mâché technique though this was to be made of music paper that I cared for (and others had too) a great deal. It was very important for me to honour every aspect of each piece of music I used for this work. As such, the inventory of paper composition from different eras (linen, cotton, even “mummy paper” from the 1840’s), margins, print size, decorative whimsy and graphic patterns became components of my palette used to create and adorn my sculptures.
As a storyteller it was important that the journey of discovery in the paper sculptures be not limited to their creative component compositions but that explored other dialogues as well. As such my sculptures all have a male and female side as we must all care for and honour both in ourselves, there is movement, light and darkness and charged contrast due to the diversity of musical scores.
Wolf is about pack, community & teaching. The story of choosing which of our inner wolves to feed is a recurring one for me: the mangy angry hungry one, or the one with the healthy coat and pink tongue. I choose the happy wolf, and rejoice at sharing my love of animal medicine. As I navigate healing there are many flashbacks to uncomfortable memories and it is important for me to continue choosing a positive approach, to continue to learn and be bolstered by the layers of learning (I wanted to make a reference to this through the 3 distinctive pattens/approaches to his fur and the many other moments of light/dark, male /female & watery movement articulations on either side of his face and ears.
Healing is about learning, I give thanks to my many teachers, they are many and come in every shape and size.
Gilles Vigneault is a superstar of French canadian folk and culture. He is one of my most beloved heroes. I have listened to him all my life and have taught many of his songs in many schools and made many a moment merrier in so doing.
My paper works using antique sheet music seek to celebrate and repurpose the best and worst quality music from my great paper era collection of music which spans close to 300 years (1723-1945). My creative endeavours have focused on creating and celebrating language with a particular focus on universal languages, languages of healing and wellbeing. As a multi lingual and multi cultural person music was (and still is) a most tangible link to culture for me. I grew up moving every two years and although we were posted far (Germany, Gimli, Boston, the Gatineau hills etc) and wide, my parents, an Irish mother from the north of Ireland and a French Canadian military man with proud Métis heritage, made sure we were given strong links to our mixed heritage. I also use it because the wealth of printed music from the last several centuries has become obsolete for the most part. It was collected and shared with great care and love, from one generation to another, as such the quality of the paper was essential to its longevity. The greatest paper made over the centuries was made for music, which was to pass from hand to hand to hand. I have collected it since childhood, have a great love for it and have always yearned to use it in my work as an artist and artisan. A few years ago I stood at the threshold of moving from a production based life with my natural works- my twig letters- which focus on the universal healing language of nature and the nature of languages, to one of larger sculptural pieces. It would allow me to delve deeper into the dialogue of healing through artistic practice, and provide me with new challenges of materials explorations and subject matter. I began with a buffalo, a guide to protect me in my journey using a paper mâché technique though this was to be made of music paper that I cared for (and others had too) a great deal. It was very important for me to honour every aspect of each piece of music I used for this work. As such, the inventory of paper composition from different eras (linen, cotton, even “mummy paper” from the 1840’s), margins, print size, decorative whimsy and graphic patterns became components of my palette used to create and adorn my sculptures.
As a storyteller it was important that the journey of discovery in the paper sculptures be not limited to their creative component compositions but that explored other dialogues as well. As such my sculptures all have a male and female side as we must all care for and honour both in ourselves, there is movement, light and darkness and charged contrast due to the diversity of musical scores.
Wolf is about pack, community & teaching. The story of choosing which of our inner wolves to feed is a recurring one for me: the mangy angry hungry one, or the one with the healthy coat and pink tongue. I choose the happy wolf, and rejoice at sharing my love of animal medicine. As I navigate healing there are many flashbacks to uncomfortable memories and it is important for me to continue choosing a positive approach, to continue to learn and be bolstered by the layers of learning (I wanted to make a reference to this through the 3 distinctive pattens/approaches to his fur and the many other moments of light/dark, male /female & watery movement articulations on either side of his face and ears.
Healing is about learning, I give thanks to my many teachers, they are many and come in every shape and size.
Gilles Vigneault is a superstar of French canadian folk and culture. He is one of my most beloved heroes. I have listened to him all my life and have taught many of his songs in many schools and made many a moment merrier in so doing.