Heterogeneity Imaged

Can you think of any forms or structures in nature that inspire you? This dynamic piece by Gatineau-based artist Gail Bourgeois is part of a series of conceptual work she created in 2015 in response to sketches found in the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art. Using watercolour, wax crayon, and graphite, Bourgeois draws inspiration from roots, rhizomes and mycelial networks found in nature. Interweaving motifs used by artists like Arthur Lismer, A.Y. Jackson, Edmund Alleyn and Anne Savage, into non-linear renderings representing networks, mass branching and constant connections, Bourgeois explores themes such as connectivity, multiplicity and cartography in compositions that are both organic and architectural.