Code Red Series
Brenna George
April 1 – June 30, 2021
Artist Statement
Lockdown is emotionally tough. Watching the numbers of covid-19 cases fluctuate, hearing of deaths and long-term health effects, wondering if I or my loved ones will catch it, worrying about reduced finances, teaching remotely for me, and learning remotely for my three teens, all built an emotionally intense stew that needed to be filtered through and let out in my art in a humorous thought-provoking voice.
I painted this series of compact emotional oil paintings during the pandemic and Code Red lockdown in Winnipeg during the winter of 2020 – 2021. Motifs of the house as confinement, the fridge has a timepiece, Zoom classes as transportation, and us as squirrely beings emerged. I translated these ideas into pencil sketches, then into oil paintings and posted them on Instagram. I love alive brushwork with thick fresh areas, tiny cared for details and soft smeary strokes.
Biography
Brenna George is best known for her thoughtful paintings made from abstracting events in her life. Her work is in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada and the Surrey Art Gallery. She has mentored for the Foundation Mentorship Program at MAWA, the First Video Fund at Video Pool, the Forum Art Center online, the Rural Arts Mentorship Program at MAN and MAWA, and privately through her website.
Visit Brenna’s website here.