The Two Rivers Gallery is hosting Mark Thibeault's exhibit called Succession until May 2.
The exhibit comes from three series called Populated, Elements and Cycles.
Pieces from the Populated series were inspired by the pandemic and explore the conflicting themes of togetherness and isolation.
Elements features Northern BC landscapes and ecology while Cycles showcases constant flux, which delves into the notion that nothing remains the same.
Thibeault said the paintings in this exhibit are connected and were all informed by changes around him.
“Everything is in a state of becoming,” Thibeault said. "My work is about witnessing the changes around me.”
Thibeault’s approach to painting is deeply intuitive, drawing inspiration from the tradition of automatism. Automatic painting, or automatism, is a surrealist technique where the artist suppresses conscious thought in order to create the work.
“Thibeault’s work is informed by change, but so is his process," Meghan Hunter-Gauthier, assistant curator, said. "The automatic approach to painting allows for spontaneity and responsive mark making. In this way, the artist is constantly adapting his approach to making a work and is embracing uncertainty.”
Thibeault said he rarely plans out his paintings.
"The direction of each work is governed by the marks I make," he said.
For more information visit www.tworiversgallery.ca.
