Beverley Reid

catalogue introduction catalogue essay installation photos list of works

Artist Statement
Heart of Stone - Heart of Garden

This exhibition is a selection of fabric, thread and mixed media works completed during the past thirteen years. My prior work with a brush and paint on canvas evolved into using cotton and silk fabrics. I continue to paint with a brush but use chlorine instead ofpaint to remove or alter colour. The colours of the fabrics are further changed by brushing on dyes. Other subtleties are added with the use of various threads.

The fabric hangings are primarily hand appliquéd and hand quilted with some machine piecing. The more recent fabric collages on paper involve many of the same processes with the exception of appliqué and often include other mediums. Some of the works have been inspired by the paintings of Tom Thompson, Egon Schiele, and Gustav Klimt. This has given the work more dimension and subtlety of colour. I love the sense of discovery in making a work of art. There is always something to gain from that discovery, whether or not ‘success’ is the result. Sometimes the focus is on the materials at hand or in hand. The inspiration can come from places and things that are familiar to me such as the garden, rocks, plants, and occasionally other creatures. Sometimes its a poem, or it could be a feeling or observation of something mysterious or disturbing. The fabrics themselves are often an inspiration as well, as in the case of the skull fabric designed by Winnipeg artist Don Reichert and some batik fabrics by Grand Forks artist Elaine Walker Fogg.

Rocks are very apparent in the large hangings and have become the focus of many of the recent works. I became fascinated with the shapes and textures of rock, and have built many rock walls. Seeing a rock that was split open was a revelation to me, as though its heart was revealed. I later found books on rocks and minerals with magnified images that uncovered a very abstract and colourful inner structure. This discovery has inspired a series of collages on the ‘heart of stone’ and the strata of the earth. The rocks are like portraits. It is an exploration of a timeless world of primordial history - one that informs us about ourselves and our world, and serves as a powerful reminder of our connection to the earth and the universe. The Mars Rovers have recently reinforced those notions of our ancient and universal roots. As I work with rock, in whatever form, I sense that presence.

The work represents events in the garden, and are a journey through life, death, decay, rebirth, and especially of beauty and new beginnings - of constant change, much like the seasons.

Beverley Reid
October 2005