Cape Breton’s art connoisseurs can always count on interesting displays at the Inverness County Centre for the Arts. Starting August 8, the centre will be featuring the works of three different artists. One of the three installations features the large scale, chromatically-layered woodcut prints of Eve Stockton.
The display, entitled Inspired by Nature, is Stockton’s take on landscapes, seascapes, and the objects that inhabit these spaces. In examining nature, Stockton’s abstractions play with size and scale in some unexpected ways. “There’s always some interest in looking at the interest of nature and the structure of nature, how things go together,” she explained. In the print Bloom, a cluster of flowers is encircled with microorganisms. Evolutionary landscape brings to mind either a stormy sky viewed through a window, or a cluster of amoebas observed with an electron microscope. “The interest in science heavily informs my work,” said Stockton.
The Yale and Princeton educated artist worked as an architect for ten years, something that works its way into her art in interesting ways. Bloom measures 3 feet on each edge, and is reproduced in several variations to give the display a very large-scale impact. Having woodcut prints produced on such a large scale is unusual for this medium, but is a challenge that Stockton meets happily. “Because architecture informs part of my brain, I was able to very quickly jet into making large scale prints,” she explained.
Since 1978, the Virginia-based artist has spent part of her summers in Dingwall, Cape Breton where Stockton’s family shares a summer home with another family. For Stockton, her summer residence provides a perfect getaway setting. “It’s the beauty of the landscape combined with the wonderful people and opportunity just to slow down, get calmer and be closer to nature,” she said.
Alongside Stockton’s work will be displays by fellow artists Rudolf Henninger and Joanne MacDonald. While Henninger is mostly known for his work in stone sculpture his display musing moments features a venture into working with wood. His works are about evoking self-contemplation in a fast-paced modern world. MacDonald’s display Very Secret Bears contains paintings of whimsical observation of everyday life. More information on Stockton and Henninger can be found at their respective websites at evestockton.com and rudolf-henninger.com
The opening reception for the art show is August 8, 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Inverness County Centre for the arts, and will be on display until August 31 The centre is located at 16080 Highway 19, Inverness. For more information, visit invernessarts.ca
