Art World
Rebecca Sullivan, "Quiet in a Surreal World"
Marica Villeneuve, a first year Bachelor of Fine Arts student at York University, was kind enough to share with me a very personal and beautiful piece of artwork she completed for a visual arts project in high school in 2010. This piece called Untitled represents a moment suspended in time when Marica feels utterly alone and full of inspiration. A meticulous realist that likes to experiment with surrealism, Marica tells me that this particular work reflects her identity. The darkness of the cityscape is significant because of its relation to her own artistic world.
“I do my best work at night,” she says,“when everything is quiet and time seems to stop.” The broken clock of the clock tower represents time stopping and the balloon symbolizes a spark of inspiration. Marica explains, “There is always an interesting tension between peace and excitement when I am creating something. On one hand, I feel completely calm. On the other hand, I am enjoying myself so thoroughly that I can’t contain my energy. Art is an essential outlet for me.” I ask her more specifically about the meaning behind the balloon. She tells me that red is her favourite colour, but that it is the image of the man inside the clock that excites ideas about identity, who we are in this age of constant hustle and bustle. "What motivates us?" "What binds us?" "Who are we?" These are some of the questions Marica is striving to address in her art. |