Corey Hardeman's art is a work in progress, yet she is so fledged as a painter that the Community Arts Council is showcasing her work as their main exhibit during the Canada Winter Games period.
Fledged is the title of the new Hardeman exhibition being arranged today on the walls of the Studio 2880 feature gallery. Each painting is a 12-inch by 12-inch (there are two larger originals as well) oil image on canvas and each one has something to do with a nest.
"Conceptually, I think this is a really strong series," said Hardeman from her home-based studio in Wells. "I have had this notion in my head for a long time. I have a biology background, and I'm always looking at the world with some of that thinking. The architecture of animals interests me deeply: bee hives, wasp nests, beaver dams, bird nests. I spent a lot of the summer collecting nests - ones that are knocked down, not ones that are in use - and I amassed about two dozen nests. The barn swallow is really good at conforming the construction of their home to whatever corner they choose. I have one nest made primarily out of spiders' webs. There is horse hair; there is synthetic material."
It isn't just the physical components of these nests that muse her artist's mind. It is the symbolism, too.
"I think that they are a great way of articulating love," she said. "There is a purity of purpose in these structure, to nurture and protect offspring. They are just lovely little objects and have all of this emotional resonance. We people respond to these forms from the wild world because it speaks to this need we all have on a primal level to nurture and make safe and protect our families.
"There is a poignancy in the empty nest, too, because they will never again serve that purpose," Hardeman added. "They have been retired from their purpose. I'm not getting at the human empty nest syndrome, but the dignity of construction of a home that is no longer needed. I painted them sort of as ghosts. It is not even about abandonment - it's about a building that was so purposefully and lovingly built that has outlived its purpose, and they are all made with these ephemeral substances."
The Community Arts Council is certainly not making this an ephemeral display. Hardeman was the CAC's artist-in-residence in 2013-14, she won the provincial title and represented B.C. at the national Art Battle event at Maple Leaf Gardens, she has illustrated two books in the past year, and received national media attention for her courtroom illustrations during the Cody Legebokoff serial killer trial. She constantly works on more creations as a full-time professional artist.
"We are keeping her exhibition up until March, so she is in the public eye at our gallery during the Canada Winter Games," when more people than usual, and from all across Canada, will be in Prince George sampling the city's culture, said CAC spokesperson Lisa Redpath. "We are so thrilled to see the results of her work on this series. She has certainly become one of the region's best known visual artists, so we are happy to have this exhibition available."
It was painted especially for this occasion, said Hardeman, and the shape of the paintings was indirectly a part of the commission.
"I knew the room was a small space, and when you paint big there is a tendency to want to step back and observe it from a distance. With smaller paintings there is less of a need to do that," she explained. "When you paint small, the process is just as demanding as when you paint on a large canvas, if not more-so. With small pieces you have to get it right. You have to go in with strong concepts and execute it cleanly."
Fledged opens with a reception Thursday night at 7 p.m. at which Hardeman will discuss the creation of these 12 featured pieces, life as a painter, and feathering the artist's nest. It is free to attend and the public is encouraged to come enjoy the unveiling.
Thereafter it will be available to view during business hours at Studio 2880's gift shop/gallery at 2880 15th Avenue.
