Pauline Conley

Brief Biography

 Pauline Conley’s paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout western Canada and Ontario. She has also worked as a curator and administrator for various exhibitions, conferences and colloquiums, as an art teacher and as a managing editor. Her paintings are in public, private and corporate collections.

 Pauline was born and raised in Vancouver, spent fifteen years on Vancouver Island, and now live in Ottawa. Her education has encompassed studies in plastic and fine arts, and English Literature.

 Pauline’s work can be viewed in Toronto at Canvas Gallery, Gallery Gevik and the Art Gallery of Ontario, in Ottawa at Terence Robert and Koyman Galleries, and in Elora at Strata Gallery.

Artist Statement

Three key motifs have been deployed in my work during the recent past:

1. Totems

The 'stacks' that appear are inspired by organic forms. They are the bones of the painting - but also reference totems. The vertical lines are created by gravity through drip lines. The stacked layers are created by applying kinetic marks, which are then carefully edited to retain the abandon of the gestures used to make them. The sum is a complex file that references thought and action at the same time.

 2. Fabric

As I started my working life as a fabric designer the use of pattern still creeps in to my paintings from time to time. These small patches of detailed ornament add a visual pop to the over-all image, while referencing the simple day to day of the domestic.

 3. Xes

The 'x' is a symbol that carries a lot of baggage. It is strong, simple, jagged. It marks the spot and cancels it out at the same time. The ‘Xes’ also create a grid on which I can construct the non-figurative imagery, which is at the centre of my work. In some recent paintings there is an emergence of layers forming networks of mesh or fiber, rather than the flat ‘X’ plane. The mesh, in turn, suggests the organic and/or cellular. It depicts the universe within – both spiritual/emotional, and corporeal.

In summation, the images are evocative in a way that figurative and literal images cannot be. The narrative quality of the work is delivered not through recognizable signs, but rather through carefully retrieved impressions – willfully rescued from the space between awake and asleep, thought and dreaming.