Free Fall

This piece was completed by me but created by the Ad-Lib Collective in Canmore. The other three artists who contributed to this piece are: Hélène Cyr, Jennifer d'Entremont and Wanda Ellerbeck.

As a collective of four artists we are pleased to share this body of work that highlights our collaboration during COVID.

The project began during the pandemic lockdown when we felt the need to connect and share ideas about art and life in general. It started around discussions about the impact of social media on us as artists. We were looking for face-to-face connections, meaningful discussions, the tactility of art and art making.

The process involved each artist contributing to all four panels for each round. When the panel had been through the hands of each collaborator, the final artist resolved the painting.

We held swap parties between each step where the paintings were passed along to the next artist.

On these occasions the rationale for the layer just completed was presented. These meetings were points of discussion, humour, learning, surprise and insight.

We found that this process nurtured openness, vulnerability and trust within the group, yet still we each faced our own inner struggles. Letting go of our own “marks” to uncover what the painting needed was a journey into the life of the work as it appeared in front of us and how the other artists had responded. It became clear to us that learning to work together and listen to each other was markedly different than the superficial transactions we have on social media.

As we learned from each other, this project became multifaceted. We hope to offer a glimpse of the questions, doubts, complexities of abstract art, emotional exchanges, not to mention the babble and chatter that surfaced throughout this collaborative experience.

If you are in Canmore Thursday, join us to collaborate on a painting with us at the opening reception!

Many thanks to artsPlace for hosting this Community Exhibition.