Martine Marie-Anne Chartrand

Martine Marie-Anne Chartrand
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

STATEMENT

For me art is a process of discovery, expression, understanding and the healing of human emotions. I have the need to assemble, cut paper, arrange objects to better represent my thoughts. I do so, because like life, not everything is black or white, there are often many nuances of grey and I represent this by the manipulation of images.

When I am not using my camera, I will be cutting paper. My collage work offers me the opportunity of complete liberties. These works happen spontaneously in different manners. To honor these reflections and thoughts, I associate no defined subject matter and it is an ongoing singular process with an open ended body of work. It is more like a collage diary, I like to call “Drôle de ménagerie”. It is where science meets religion, where animals meld into humans and are put in situations that humans put themselves and vice versa. It is where news meets fiction and the absurd collides with reality. It is also where I protest. All of the above mentioned becomes a visual cacophony, which resembles how it sometimes feels to live in the 21st century.

BIO

I was born and raised in rural Aylmer, Québec. The farm and country setting of my childhood has influenced me into adulthood and as an artist. With strong connection to nature I have built strong convictions for the environment. This natural setting as also entertained my whimsical side of story telling. I split my time between scissors, cameras, and family life. I often approach these two different creative process in a similar manner. I stage the components to create a narrative. Collage is like an improv play and photography is like a well planned and rehearsed play. But in both cases there is arrangements whether it is analog or digital, photography or collage. Out of respect for the environment, my convictions for the environment and my more recent journey towards zero waste, I am slowly stepping away from store bought glue and am in search of the ultimate natural homemade glue! In the meantime, my collage work has been created on a light table and photographed afterwards. In this manner both my passions are being utilized and my practice is becoming sustainable.

ARTIST CONTACT

[click to email]
martinemarieannechartrand.myportfolio.com

IMAGES