My research in painting is based on the opposition of different codes: I strive to make the pictorial and scientific worlds coexist in a single space.

The standardisation of humankind’s living space and style particularly reflected in contemporary architecture, are subjects that fascinate me. These concepts are directly opposed to the valorization of individualism in our society, illustrating in my view, an undeniable paradox.

In my work, I integrate sewing patterns, photos of gearing systems, architectural plans, anatomy drawings, and a form of technical drawing involving engraving in paste. These items model and standardize the world around us. In my work, I insert them in a pictorial universe that is born out of providence. The slides, the dripping, the texture and the more random incisions reinforce the opposition with the rigid and precise universe of geometric codes. One can also note an element reminiscent of native art:  solid colour backgrounds, and a fine line between figurative and abstract, that are however approached within a more contemporary context.

The notion of space is central to my approach – it presents itself abstractly through the separation of planes that creates depth in the painting. This depth is accentuated by the network of converging lines that bring us back to the representation of vanishing points and horizon lines. The circle contributes to the notion of space and depth by offering, through perspective, a tunnel effect. The circle within the circle becomes a symbol of clans, targets and objectives, but even more so a symbol of perfection – engraved, encrusted, even scarified in an imperfect world.

The intensity of the iconography that emerges from the mathematical formulae and geometric shapes accentuates the ambiguity between the different levels of planes in my paintings. This confrontation of codes amplifies the emotional impact of the painting and transforms these heterogeneous elements into visual poetry. My work consists in testing the expressiveness of the symbiosis of these two codes, the pictorial and the scientific, while placed within a common universe.

Born in Maniwaki (Québec), Etienne Gélinas pursued college education in “visual and media arts” at the Collège de l’Outaouais in Gatineau, Québec, followed by a Bachelor’s degree in art and design from the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) in 2006, and later graduated with a master’s degree in project management from the Faculty of Administration of the UQO in 2012. He has staged numerous painting and sculpture exhibitions, including at the Galerie d’art Époque, at AxeNeo7, at the Casino Lac Leamy, at the Art-Image and Espace Odysée galleries of the Maison de la Culture de Gatineau, at the D’Avignon Gallery in Montréal, at the St-Laurent+Hill Gallery in Ottawa, at the Galerie Montcalm of the Maison du Citoyen de Gatineau, at the Thompson Landry Gallery in Toronto, at the Lanlande & Doyle Gallery of the Shenkman Arts Centre in Ottawa as well at The Chelsea Arts, Culture and Heritage Centre’s.

Exhibition Dates

June 6 – June 19, 2013

Reception

Thursday, June 6, 2013     5:00pm to 8:00pm

Galerie St-Laurent + Hill