Eryn O'Neill "Urbanism" - Events

Navigation through a city is a personal experience. It varies depending on transportation, routine and lifestyle. Urbanism refers to how people in cities navigate and engage with their environment. It seems fitting for this body of work, which shows O'Neill's interaction with a city, allowing the viewer to see through her eyes.

Urban environments are often praised or criticized for their functionality in getting you from point A to point B, and the beauty is overlooked in the process. These paintings take an unconventional tour of urban locations; by stopping to analyze the forms and surfaces of urban structures O'Neill found herself looking at all aspects of her daily routine in a new way. She chooses to challenge the viewer’s perception of these structures by removing them from their context and creating visual passageways through the lines and rough forms that compose them. She has eliminated people and vehicles to keep a close focus on the structures themselves. The images are not abstracted, but through placement and isolation they become abstractions of themselves.

In her previous work O'Neill explored urban environments through housing and condominium developments, and through studies of street-front and window-front architecture. In each case, she has been drawn back to attempting to capture an unexpected perspective on a familiar object or environment. The structures are no longer only functional, but also visually appealing – creating the sublime out of the everyday.

Having participated in several solo exhibitions and group shows, O'Neill's work can be found in numerous private and corporate collections.She continues her work from her home and studio in Ottawa, Ontario.

Reception: Thursday, June 28, 2012 5 - 8pm

Galerie St-Laurent + Hill is pleased to present a series of new works by Ottawa artist Eryn O'Neill. 

Navigation through a city is a personal experience. It varies depending on transportation, routine and lifestyle. Urbanism refers to how people in cities navigate and engage with their environment. It seems fitting for this body of work, which shows O'Neill's interaction with a city, allowing the viewer to see through her eyes. Urban environments are often praised or criticized for their functionality in getting you from point A to point B, and the beauty is overlooked in the process. These paintings take an unconventional tour of urban locations; by stopping to analyze the forms and surfaces of urban structures O'Neill found herself looking at all aspects of her daily routine in a new way. She chooses to challenge the viewer’s perception of these structures by removing them from their context and creating visual passageways through the lines and rough forms that compose them. She has eliminated people and vehicles to keep a close focus on the structures themselves. The images are not abstracted, but through placement and isolation they become abstractions of themselves.

Born in Ottawa, Eryn completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts at NSCAD University, Halifax in 2008.