Vistas
September 10 – October 29, 2021 | Rotunda Gallery
Artist Statement
In 2018, Sean began creating abstract textures in search of spontaneous results to generate ideas for his work. He often compares this process to identifying images in clouds and discovering meaning within them. Although subjects are prompted, they are seldom predetermined. Importantly, he withholds his interpretation of the paintings until all of their elements are seemingly in place. This allows for their meaning to continually evolve in accordance with what gradually unravels on the painted surface.
Landscapes and the beings which inhabit them share a luminous jewel-like quality that suggest an ambiguous time and place. The unfamiliar nature of the set and setting is an important aspect of the work. In this sense, viewers, as well as the artist, may be challenged to determine why these images exist, the messages they may communicate, and how they relate to us personally. Since developing this series, Sean’s interest lies in what is revealed when we let go of expectation and pursue the unknown, and what this can teach us about ourselves and the world we live in.
“Vistas” is the collection of paintings that are connected to various aspects of the artist’s life using this responsive approach. Seeing these works together shows the repetition of particular motifs in different contexts in order to elaborate their allegorical significance and the roles that they play within each individual artwork. While their exact meaning is intentionally left open to interpretation, their titles hint at the position of the artist in relation to the finished result and the phenomena that he has encountered.
Artist Biography
Sean Bourque is an artist currently living in Rothesay, New Brunswick and is a graduate of Mount Allison University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program. In 2019 he attended The Vienna Academy of Visionary Art to study the history, approaches, and techniques related to Viennese Fantastic Realism. He remains involved with various affiliates of this movement through workshops and private lessons to learn how and where its traditions remain alive today. His work ranges stylistically between observational studies from life, to experimental surrealist paintings, both of which are somehow representative of his life experiences. He has worked in the surrounding Saint John area teaching art and music lessons to people of all ages while exploring his own artistic expressions. The most rewarding part of his career as an artist has been helping others to be inspired creatively and find their own voices through art, as well as being a part of his surrounding community.