An Autobiography (The promotional version is on the biography page):
Ruth Nygard is a Canadian artist currently enrolled in the BFA program at UBC Okanagan.
One of the artists current bodies of work focuses on brings and mingling the past with the present. Using the darker characteristics of nightlife and/or including the past masters’ technique of impressionism create dramatizations of the themes. These techniques are often draw from several different art forms and media and tend to create enhanced dynamic images; thus interesting results often occur from this merging of painting techniques, and there is no shyness away from abstraction as the artist pushes the boundaries of light against shadow, or bend the rules of perspective.
Ruth Nygard, "I am presently working on a few different bodies of work and one is focused on the characteristics of the Okanagan and the other is an ongoing body of work that celebrations the present meeting the past under the dark depths of nightlife.
Merging different genres of art styles together such as realism and impressionism hopefully enhances my image's emotional qualities. Exaggerating light against shadows for depth and contrast is done to produce dark dramatic attributes, as in “The Man of Song” painting.
I appreciate artists who incorporate manipulation of linear and atmospheric perspective. It not only intensifies depth but also increases continuity and interest in a painting, thereby significantly transforming a static image into a dynamic work. I first tried this method in a earlier work called the “The Band” painting, the light grid motifs in and around the musicians provides more depth and balance throughout the painting. However, the new perspective also gives the musicians a transparency which raises the question, did they existing or are they possibly apparitions from memory?
My work often reflects my belief that the past is relevant in today’s cultural discourse; therefore I often combine the elements of the present and past which the “Big Blue Buick ” painting demonstrates. The vintage 1953 Buick, with the old Vernon Towne Theater in the background is not only a signifier of the past, it is also a valued and functioning cinema today. The theater’s preserved style of aesthetically pleasing antiquity complements the area's current cityscape. I often represent the past in the darker film noir stylized nightlife because recalling the past is usually full of nostalgic fantasies, and dramatic connotations. Because our emotions are limitless in our dreams and likewise memories conjure up our forgotten emotions, painting is an excellent way to express and work through feeling. It is for this reason I find painting fascinating plus the benefits of creating is limitless, not only for the personal experience of painting but in viewing others' paintings.
A few artists from the past and present have influenced my art style. The French painter Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) intrigues me because he blended realism with impressionism and also his use of perspective in paintings such as, “Un balcon” (1880) invites the viewer into the scene. Another artist I admire is Edward Hopper, the painter of “Nighthawks” for his dark film noir paintings, who best sums up why I paint in his quote, “If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.”
My life experiences have also influenced my current creative style and interests. I had developed an interest in visual arts early in my life, and displayed potential abilities of becoming an artist throughout my school years. That, and graduating with honors, has been beneficial in my development as an artist and in my present academic challenge as a Bachelor of Fine Arts student at the University of British Colombia. I gained experience as a co-collaborator of public art events and gallery administrative duties by volunteering at the Vernon Public Art Gallery. A solo exhibition and several group presentations have resulted in local exposure. I operated a small business where I created anything from business cards to large murals. I also had the honour of being commissioned to paint several paintings for the first Africa D
ays that are held in Calgary each summer. I was also commissioned to complete several murals for Vernon's hundredth centennial. In my youth spending a summer visiting art museums, architecture, and sculptures around Paris, Geneva, and The Hague, was a great experience as it exposed me to many original art works, and it influenced my artistic interests.
ADDED THOUGHTS : I feel paintings serve as windows looking into, or out to, our lives, world, and realities; therefore artists do not only capture just the aesthetic beauty or dreams, but also our pain and our struggles. I feel paintings can open up the walls they occupy, and our minds by leading us into many experiences or other worlds and possibilities. More importantly not only has art been useful in pointing out controversial issues. but recently many artists have strived to create models of possible answers to issue. This is very exiting, as the description of what art is, has become more than just the process of decorating or amusing the world, as it has become a way to solutions. To add even more significance to the role of contemporary art, artist have moved into developement in the digital world.
I used to think that having talent in the arts was a useless thing, although I loved it, but now I realize that without this ability to create we would have nothing, because creativity is what pushes us forward. It builds, it heels, it remembers. All the way back since the cave man created his first weapon for hunting or drew his first image to guide his tribe on the cave walls and stones art has played an important part. Everything we have was conceptualized and created by someone with a vision, so it is not too far fetch to say art has helped us survive and thrive.
In looking through these images, one might notice, my artwork has become quite diverse throughout the years, this in part is due to experimentation and also I am trying to develop and incorporate more multifaceted features within the paintings yet not create confusion but to enhance the focal point. And that to put it simply is one heck of a challenge. Too ofter people think that an accomplished artist sticks to one subject and style. However, celebrated masters worked through many genres, methods, and styles throughout their life’s work, this is evident when studying their entire collective works. Van Gogh painted much more than just sunflowers. Matisse painted more than flat red rooms. All the artists in the turn of the 1900 century, who tried different movements such as cubism, fauvism etc where not expected to stick to the one genre, and if they had, art would not have progressed very far. Also truly fantastic art transfers that excitement and joy the artist has when they are discovering and passionately involved. Therefore I try not to creating a body of work just because I am following some rule that enslaves me to one theme or style, but rather I and I think other artists are often working out and practicing a certain style or theme. Often I am incorporating several methods or genres together to make a vision realized, In saying that however I do usually have a theme or style that is present in a body of work and I appreciate todays exhibits with multi media depictions that have a powerful correlation like a well choreographed dance and I feel the artist must have this goal in mind to achieve success. Gallery curator deserve our gratitude as they can help in this process.
