Artist Statement
Knowler Figure Show This art show commencing May 12 at Artstream Studio Gallery in Edmonton is a celebration of my ongoing artistic exploration of depicting and recording the human form. Both the Humans and Water series and a new uncategorized series will make up the body of this exhibition. I have always been a figure painter and my love for creating various artworks that depict the human form over the last 30 years is testamont to the authenticity of who I am as artist.
Humans and Water Series My father, Albert Knowler enlisted as a young man in the Canadian Navy in the last year of World War Two. Although he saw little active war action, he was left with a deep love of the sea and ocean. He would get a special light in his eyes whenever we travelled as a family to not only the ocean, but to any open body of water. Water feeds the body and also the soul. It is said that walking by water reduces stress and calms the spirit. This series shows humans and water in a variety of ways. Each piece is a depiction of the relationship between the person in the piece and the water represented.
Birds of a Feather Europe Series I had the privilege of visiting parts of Europe this past summer for the first time. As an artist, I had studied and admired the great art masterpieces all of my life. I wondered how seeing these images in real life and in their own environment would impact me. I was particularly drawn to the sculpture as it made me think about the life and times of the artists and models. How would I translate my feelings about what I had seen and viewed in Europe? It dawned on me that an artist is within and can only authentically create their mark from everything they have experienced; this is universal. Hence the title. “Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to." [MovieMaker Magazine #53 - Winter, January 22, 2004 ]” - Jim Jarmusch
Protected Lands Series I only started driving in 2003. My first car, a little Chevy Sprint could only go about 65 kilometers an hour so I was reduced to driving back roads to escape the city. Thus began my quest to depict and record the lands around Edmonton. I noticed that from season to season, the lands that I painted and drew were disappearing and being replaced by man’s invasive footprint. The Henday replaced rich and fertile farmland. Walmart covered sloughs and bird sanctuaries. Urban sprawl ate up fields of food. I now have a vehicle that can take me from coast to coast, but I am still drawn to the land from which I was raised and continue to live on. “When the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten and the last stream poisoned, you will realize that you cannot eat money.” - attributed to Alanis Obomsaw