Contemporary aboriginal artist Karen Goodfellow presents her latest vibrant, dynamic, uniquely peculiar and unconventional paintings, genie gourds, figures, and assemblages. Observe this collection and you will find it is easy to see why Goodfellow considers herself an "eccentric artist."
"I suffer from 'shiny object syndrome,' meaning I rarely stick to one thing (hence the need for a solo show)," she says.
Goodfellow's inspirations come from her love of American Southwest art (after living in the Colorado Rockies for five years), enlightenment, spirituality and Steampunk. Steampunk, you say? Steampunk is that sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history and speculative surrealism that was first popularized in the '80s, featuring steam or spring-propelled gadgets set in the Wild West era. In Goodfellow's case, it's the Wild Southwest.
Goodfellow's fictional assemblage pieces are innovative sculptures of found objects clustered to create futuristic-looking caricatures. "I have collected rich, rusty things and delightful doodads for years and finally decided to recycle them into assemblage. They feel like American Southwest relics and the series are Sun Dancers. I like to think I was out on Route 66 in New Mexico and found them buried," she says.
Goodfellow's Pow Wow Princess Torsos are native-looking outfits with plasticized fabric embellished in simple painted strokes and graphical suns - examples are entitled "Counting Coup" and "White Deer Walking." She admits that her stimulation came from an accident when she messed up on the process of using a new product called Paverpol (a fabric hardener) and inventively thought to just cover up her mistake by plasticizing the fabrics and adding adornments.
Goodfellow's "Innocents" series of paintings are candid and na茂ve - a romantic view of what Native Americans and First Nations peoples must have been like when first encountered by the colonials.
She says, "My intention is for the viewer to experience an emotion difficult for them to access on their own: timelessness, wonder, sadness, knowingness, or playfulness. I am always fascinated with the way a viewer resonates with a painting every viewer bringing their own unique knowingness to the work."
Goodfellow doesn't plan out her paintings. She starts a piece by under-painting layers and layers (sometimes up to 16) and then she stops and stares until the piece starts to spiritually emerge - which may happen within 20 minutes or three years. Once Goodfellow senses what the painting wants to be, only then does she finish the painting.
In the glass display cases Goodfellow excitedly exhibits her freshly painted gourds - thought provoking, a cheeky take on the idea of a spirit lamp capturing a mischievous genie!
Knowing Goodfellow, I can describe her personality as energetic and lively. She is a go-ahead kind of girl who experiments intuitively and takes on life in full force - which reflects precisely in her art. Her work is constantly evolving by adding new media and repurposing old things. Juxtapositions are prevalent ,such as an indigenous feel mixed with hip colours or modern consumer products with an aged look.
Other than art, her passions include reading fantasy books, tea collecting, figuring out ways to fit large amounts of stuff into small spaces, travelling off the beaten track, being an aunt, and assorted collections (kaleidoscopes, rusty things, and heart-shaped rocks).
Goodfellow's artwork will be on display at the Library Foyer Gallery until Feb. 27. Meet the artist at her Opening Reception on Saturday (Feb. 4) from 1 to 3 p.m. You can also learn more about her work at www.karengoodfellow.ca or phone (604) 444-7477.
Toby Jaxon is curator of the Squamish Library Foyer Gallery. She can be reached at [email protected]
