Slow Emergencies by Monique Martin
Monique is an eco-conscious, internationally recognized, multi-disciplinary artist from Saskatoon, Canada with a 25-year exhibition history. She has exhibited her artwork in hundreds of significant solo, invited and juried exhibitions in numerous countries. Most of these were solo exhibitions in public galleries. Renowned international curators have selected her artwork for various exhibitions worldwide. Her works are held in numerous public and private collections around the world. Some of the major collections include: The Royal Alberta Museum, University of Washington Library, University of California-Los Angeles Library, Bytown Museum-Ottawa, among others.
Her work often uses significant symbols or comments on contemporary social issues. Monique creates bodies of work rather individual pieces and focuses on specific concepts. She undertakes extensive research prior to creating her work, often incorporating historically significant symbols and images to express her ideas. Her works push the boundaries of standard printmaking; enormous scale printmaking, installation based printmaking and working with three dimensions in printmaking.
She has received grants from Canada Council for the Arts, Saskatchewan Arts Board and Creative Saskatchewan.
Artist-in-Residence positions include; Disneyland Paris, Paris, France (2013), the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival (2013), the Saskatchewan Children's Festival (2012), Bytown Museum, Ottawa, Canada (2010), Spalding, United Kingdom (2008), Nice, France (2006), Vallauris, France (2006), Mount Vernon, USA (2004), Wynyard, Tasmania, Australia (2003) and Coaticook, QC, Canada (2001).
Artist Statement
My art is an intricate fabric woven from all the people around me, the experiences I have and the emotions I feel. Chapters of an artistic life are unlike chapters of a book. An art life flows forward, backward, side to side and not in a straight line, still focussed on the goal, but open to experimentation and learning. An artistic life can be marked by a series of work beginning or ending, exhibitions opening or closing. It is fluid and constantly mocking 'being done' as one idea begins as another merges and builds upon the last. I never know when is the last time I will touch upon an idea or build upon a past concept, as it may remain in stasis for a time to be re-visited and connected with another concept or media. As an artist don’t know when the fork in the road is a medium, an idea, a residency, an exhibition or an image, and often for me it is as simple as a conversation with another person. I follow my brush, paints, inks, carving tools, silkscreens, scissors and glue where they take me. I trust that the trail that is created behind me will be an interesting one.