Tanya Nicole Wood

"In all of my work, the goal is perhaps to evoke an introspective reaction from the viewer, one that is unscripted and personal. I believe that the character of the materials that go into the creation of a work of art are combined with the experiences of the artist. It is my hope that viewers will interpret my work in relation to their own personal experiences and therefore be able to draw something meaningful from it in that way. It follows that my work doesn’t begin from a plan or take on a representational form. It comes from me in the same way that I hope it will be read by the viewer: through intuition and an exploration of objects."

Artist Statement

"For what is creativity other than the affirmation of one's unique individuality
in the primacy of the moment?"-Max Blechman

Beginning with a preconceived plan or concept has never been a comfortable working method for me. There is immediacy, a connectivity that permeates my process. I am most inspired when I am surrounded by my materials: the mixed bag of possible media, found object and otherwise, I have chosen for its inexplicable magnetism. When the materials speak to me about their histories, suggest their characters, I can get lost in the whispers. It feels like small sparks lead my eye and my mind from one object to the next, and then the compositions are drawn together piece by piece. I have a longstanding relationship with steel and its varied characteristics; it is soft and structural, particular and immediate, deliciously organic and industrial. But I have been known to be seduced by fabric, wood, junk, paint, wax, whatever the available material and space. It seems that whatever the medium, in the end the fantastical and the everyday are combined to evoke a sense of familiarity and nostalgia.
I continue to redefine my individuality through my work, and as such there is no script or proper reading. Through it I am always asking questions for which I don't expect there is a right answer. Communicating a message is not primary; the experience of wondering is more important. What others perceive in my work is as much a reflection of their unique creativity as it is a reflection of mine. The questions are changing constantly and lately I am beginning to think that the only ones worth asking are the ones that are distinctly human. For example, if one isn't making art about humanity, our triumphs, flaws, emotions, fears, desires, our quest for meaning and spirituality, the guts of our existence, the very things that distinguish and divide us from the rest of the living world, then what is the point?
As an artist I feel more challenged and pushed by my surroundings every day. On a global scale we are struggling with cruelty and indifference, ignorance and deception, depersonalization and disillusionment. The most vital characteristics of our existence are being overshadowed and lost. My visual musings and interpretations attempt to both reflect and escape that simultaneously.

L’instantanéité et la connectivité imprègnent ma démarche artistique. Entourée de mon matériel, je me laisse attirer par le magnétisme inexplicable de matières et d’objets pour atteindre le sommet de mon inspiration. Je me perds dans les chuchotements du matériel qui me confie son histoire et me dévoile son caractère. Je me sens comme si des étincelles me promenaient les yeux d’un objet à un autre en esquissant une œuvre un trait à la fois. J’entretiens depuis longtemps une relation avec l’acier, amalgame de douceur, de structure, de particularité et d’instantanéité au caractère délicieusement organique et industriel. Mais, je me laisse aussi séduire par les tissus, le bois, la ferraille, la peinture, la cire et par tout autre matériel qui s’adapte à l’espace qui m’est disponible. En bout de ligne et ce, quel que soit mon choix de médium, il me semble que le « fantastique » se joint au « quotidien » pour évoquer un sens de familiarité et de nostalgie.

Je me sens à la fois défiée et motivée par mon environnement tous les jours. Je suis convaincue qu’en traitant passionnément des triomphes, des failles, des émotions, des hantises et des passions de l’humanité, mon art me rapproche du sens de direction et de spiritualité que je recherche. C’est par le truchement de mon art que je questionne le motif de notre existence et que je mets en cause la qualité même qui nous distingue et nous sépare des autres être animés. Mes songeries visuelles et leur interprétation tendent toutes deux à refléter mont état d’âme et à vouloir s’en échapper.