Andrée Leduc
 Paintings
 Drawings

Artist Statement

My images can arise from associations and memories, which have personal, contextual or cultural connections. Growing up in different rural parts of Ontario and moving to Montreal have made me realize that I missed and needed the solitude of nature. I have made it part of my life to embark on nomadic treks, such as biking from Vancouver to Los Angeles, and walking in the winter across France and into Spain on the Saint James Way. My personal experiences moving through isolated landscapes allow a dialogue with my surroundings that urban settings do not afford. Although the environments are free from the background noise intrinsic to a city, there is never a sense of loneliness. So, even while I embark alone, the cues that nature offers me are intrinsic to my perceptions and inspire me to create.

These compositions and interactions from my experiences in the nature are presented in paint and the different types of associations that arises from memory allows me to construct and deconstruct imagery. My interest lies in the exploration of the tension between knowing and not knowing precisely what we are seeing. There is a daydream-like quality to my paintings and as with daydreaming, there is a short-term disconnect from reality that acts as a filter, allowing one to entertain irrational possibilities. By accepting imperfect understanding as one accepts a daydream, the viewer of my painting has a simultaneous sense of familiarity and strangeness. The imagery is not apart from this world: the symbols and associations are at once recognizable, perceptible to everyone, but also irrational and dreamlike.