Exhibit Opening - Inglewood Fine Arts

Patricia Lortie

Veronica Funk

Please join us for an exhibit opening of new work at
Inglewood Fine Arts
Friday, April 15, 5.30-8pm

ENTANGLEMENT

“Entanglement: a situation or relationship that you are involved in and that is difficult to
escape from.”

Whether referring to the theory of quantum entanglement in physics, synesthesia in medicine,
conformity in psychology, or fear pheromones in biology, everything in our universe reacts to
forces of repulsion and attraction that generate perpetual movement.  In this new series of paintings, Patricia Lortie explores the theme of entanglement as it involves relationships and connections among us, both the tension that separates and the attraction that bonds each of us to one another as well as to our environment.  Her work is an abstracted expression of those forces. It celebrates our privileged awareness of being, our existence and interaction with a world that is in a perpetual state of change,  where we exist in balance and flow. Through this collection of paintings, a unified celebratory feeling is expressed with daring colour combinations and captivating movements. The work draws the viewer in with its movement to ponder the sense of the life entangled within each piece. The perpetual movement created by the flow of the colours and the gentle curves guide the viewer through this experience.

NORTH OF ‘56

The beauty of the boreal forest and the Churchill River that surrounded her in her youth
served as the early inspirations for Veronica Funk to become an artist. The wolves, ravens,
bears and other animals that were prevalent and often visited her community were the
impetus for a year-long series of 52 small paintings. This was followed by another year-long
project that consisted of wildflowers and their medicinal properties. Recently, she decided to
enlarge some of those previous works while pushing herself further in the exploration of
colour and mark-making.  Now living in a rapidly urbanized area, she is once again witness to wild animals in her city – from a coyote in her alley to a porcupine in her lilacs. This has led to a desire to incorporate an urban quality in the paintings through the use of hand cut stencils and hand carved stamps.  Both past and present are reflected in this collection of paintings, inspiration that came from north of ’56 and the qualities of urban art to reflect the place she resides today. Her goal is to continue to study the beauty of nature and culture to honour the place she came from while integrating the freedom of graffiti inspired methods of layering bold colour and pattern.