From a rewarding career in fine art encompassing international awards and works in public collections, to the corporate world of retail advertising, and recently, academia, Yvonne Wright’s passion for creative and intellectual inquiry has been channeled on many levels. A multimedia artist from Toronto with a Master of Art degree in art history, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing, Yvonne is now living and working in Jim Thorpe.
In fine art, the artist’s language of visualization often draws on the legacy of Surrealism where fantasy and pastiche play an integral part. Whether in paintings or drawings, the techniques applied privilege the narrative of the line; a style of calculated precision that aims at conveying a particular story. Often small-sized and highly detailed, Yvonne’s works acquire a unique relationship with their audience, revealing themselves more intimately at closer inspection.
In the realm of the surreal, an artist sometimes chooses to refrain from explaining works. The argument being that it may flatten the intuitive thought conveyed by the piece, distort its subtle and often personal message intended for the viewer to decipher. In fact, individual interpretation of a surrealistic work is a crucial ingredient in enjoying such art forms.
Tête-à-tête with Botticelli, a pen and ink drawing on paper by Yvonne Wright is a humorous take on the realities of contemporary representational art forever indebted to, and dwarfed by, the legacy of Old Masters. The artist has appropriated work by the Italian, early Renaissance painter, Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510) and inserted herself into the composition as merely a Jester’s scepter in the hand of a young woman. Yvonne’s referentially surreal interpretation of a portrait painted circa 1480 by the Florentine master, shows her technique as a draftsman, with a particular fondness for elegantly braided hair, as well as story telling. The underlining narrative lies in the performative aspects of one’s identity, and how it transcends and informs a contemporary artist. Yvonne’s pictorial satire resonates with 18th century political and sociological cartoons that played a pivotal role in reshaping modern art. By blending Botticelli’s vision of feminine beauty with the rather malevolent bird-like features of the sitter, Tête-à-tête with Botticelli strikes at the cult of celebrity, even those from the distant past, casting impactful shadows and influencing today’s tastes, styles and expectations of art.
Studio YNW • 100 West Broadway, Jim Thorpe
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