I was born in 1947 in Quebec City, Canada and educated at L’Ecole Des Beaux-Arts de Quebec. I received a M.F.A. majoring in painting and teaching and I moved to New York City in 1969. I have had numerous solo exhibitions in Canada, United States and Europe. My work is part of several museum collections and I have received several fellowships supporting the exploration of my ideas both in painting and sculpture, including facets of photography, a major passion in my life.
In 1980, I finished a body of work, “The Origin of Man,” composed of 8 large paintings utilizing a very demanding airbrush technique. On completion, I felt as if I had nothing left to say as a painter, as if my creative soul had been emptied of all content.
Due to a fortuitous happenstance, I substituted for an art teacher at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, around the corner from my apartment. It was then and there that my energy and focus became engaged, as I became a student as well. For the last 37 years, I have taught art to younger students and figure drawing for adults, keeping my artistic vocabulary alive.
In 2008, I felt very vulnerable and I returned to painting as a way to understand what was going on in my life and in the world. On a personal level, my niece was going through a difficult and emotional transition. Visiting her, we made a pact to connect our spirits through the process of creating art. She is a talented auto-didact. She enjoyed painting birds from her neighborhood and I decided to follow suit, painting birds that I observed in Mountaindale, NY.
At a more distant but as disturbing level, I was riveted by the appearance of Mr. Henry Paulson, the secretary of treasury under George W. Bush. During the financial meltdown of late 2008, his image and presence was ubiquitous in all media as he “rescued” this country’s financial economy. This awakening to the ills of my niece and the country was personally distressing.
Since I had great trouble accepting these two realities, I revisited a reliable method of balancing myself, returning to my artistic nature. On one hand I painted the beauty and simplicity of nature and on the other, I painted the fears and anxieties of my thoughts.
Being among children and collaborating with them through teaching art, I trusted that with a willing imagination and a positive attitude, anyone could create and maintain a balanced emotional level in spite of disturbing problems or situations.
I chose, as a citizen to illustrate my point of view. Becoming pro-active and doing what I do best, I aspire to address and comment on what goes on around me, both macro or micro. I seek to create ways to communicate, depicting my acceptance, and as well, confront my worry.
Teaching in a classroom format, I always enjoy the sharing of ideas and concepts for their own sake. The images of the “Meltdown” are directed to the youth who most relate to advertised images, and the future being sold to them. I feel that the web is a great opportunity for a similar discreet dialogue.
Observing the images I placed on this website, what you, the viewer, see in these bits of information, become your very own to interpret, share or reuse and make your own. A website is a democratic tool for broadcasting differing viewpoints, inviting everyone to communicate and also provides a necessary feedback to the artist who often needs help to further their creative process.
In that spirit this website is a song in the wind and is dedicated to Rosée (1916-2001) and Roméo (1909-90).
In creating this website and examining my creative work from so long ago, I have tried to recall my original intent and ideas tempered by my understandings of today. Each body of work has been edited to contain what I believe to be the best representative examples.
Micheline Gingras
Brooklyn, NY
2009