Mixed Media by Pegi Eyers
>CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE< "Descent II/Water" by Pegi Eyers // "Rosca de reyes" (Mexican baby figurines), cut paper, fibres and collage elements 16x30"
Artworks created entirely from cut paper are fascinating! From this simple and humble material, surprising effects can be achieved with texture, detail and shading. Each piece is painstakingly cut out with scissors, and like a mosaic, individually glued into the composition. I have explored cut paper techniques in smaller pieces, and decided to expand to a larger format with the work "Descent II/Water" that is part of the Art Gallery of Northumberland collection.
Working with positive/negative space and colour values, the many shades of blue were planned ahead of time, to form an "underwater spectrum." I also enjoy working with mixed media, and incorporated other elements such as fibres, stitching, grommets and small plastic figurines into the work. Many of the papers has been heavily textured with paperclay, gesso, layers of mark-making, paint and pigment. My overall concept was to honor the water as sacred ("Water is Life"), and to depict a series of underwater shrines. The black overlay offsets the original poetry, and suggests the motion of energy lines.
Hidden treasure in a grotto
Depths of illuminating wisdom
Stored in the subterranean caverns of the soul
Depths of illuminating wisdom
Stored in the subterranean caverns of the soul
The narrative for "Descent II/Water" enlivens the spiritual importance of water to the natural world, our human identity, and our entire Earth Community. "Descent/Fire" and "Vessels" are the other works in this cut paper series.
>CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE< DETAIL "Descent II / Water" cut paper by Pegi Eyers
Art Gallery of Northumberland, July 20, 2022
Art Gallery of Northumberland Collection
WINDOW WEDNESDAY
It's #WindowWednesday, where we share art and objects from our Permanent Collection! This week we are looking at Descent II/Water by Pegi Eyers.
In her mixed media work, Eyers celebrates the energy and beauty of the natural world while contemplating the connection between the self and nature. In this piece, Eyers uses cut paper, fibre and collage elements to explore themes relating to water.
Each vertical strip of paper is reminiscent of layers within a body of water; the ends are a deep green/brown, like the muddy bottom of a lake. The colours lighten as your eye moves closer to the centre of the artwork, before passing onto another set of rich blue and green strips of paper. This illusion of vertical symmetry feels like a mirror image, similar to a reflection you might find on a still body of water in the right conditions.
The text that splits the artwork horizontally reads, "Hidden treasure in a grotto / Depths of illuminating wisdom / Stored in the subterranean caverns of the soul." Black paper tendrils extend above and below these words, reaching towards the other elements like seaweed searching for light or flames devouring what lays in its path.
The artist created a related piece, 'Descent/Fire,' that shares a similar composition. While these natural elements often work in direct resistance to one another, Eyers examines them with an eye that recognizes the coexistence of seemingly opposing forces. This contemplation of the way nature interacts is typical across her body of work and speaks to her fascination with discovering the sanctity of the world around her.
Eyers has deep roots in Orillia, Ontario. In 1988, following a corporate career in Toronto, she attended the Fine Arts program at Georgian College. In addition to her art practice, Eyers is also an author and independent curator.
Pegi Eyers
Descent II/Water, 2006
cut paper, mixed media collage
Gift of Laurie Vandewater and David Seale in memory of Alison Seale, 2010
The AGN gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Trillium Community Building Fund.
>social media link<
It's #WindowWednesday, where we share art and objects from our Permanent Collection! This week we are looking at Descent II/Water by Pegi Eyers.
In her mixed media work, Eyers celebrates the energy and beauty of the natural world while contemplating the connection between the self and nature. In this piece, Eyers uses cut paper, fibre and collage elements to explore themes relating to water.
Each vertical strip of paper is reminiscent of layers within a body of water; the ends are a deep green/brown, like the muddy bottom of a lake. The colours lighten as your eye moves closer to the centre of the artwork, before passing onto another set of rich blue and green strips of paper. This illusion of vertical symmetry feels like a mirror image, similar to a reflection you might find on a still body of water in the right conditions.
The text that splits the artwork horizontally reads, "Hidden treasure in a grotto / Depths of illuminating wisdom / Stored in the subterranean caverns of the soul." Black paper tendrils extend above and below these words, reaching towards the other elements like seaweed searching for light or flames devouring what lays in its path.
The artist created a related piece, 'Descent/Fire,' that shares a similar composition. While these natural elements often work in direct resistance to one another, Eyers examines them with an eye that recognizes the coexistence of seemingly opposing forces. This contemplation of the way nature interacts is typical across her body of work and speaks to her fascination with discovering the sanctity of the world around her.
Eyers has deep roots in Orillia, Ontario. In 1988, following a corporate career in Toronto, she attended the Fine Arts program at Georgian College. In addition to her art practice, Eyers is also an author and independent curator.
Pegi Eyers
Descent II/Water, 2006
cut paper, mixed media collage
Gift of Laurie Vandewater and David Seale in memory of Alison Seale, 2010
The AGN gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Trillium Community Building Fund.
>social media link<
| Pegi Eyers is also the author of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change. www.stonecirclepress.com |
