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Women of SubstanceSharalee RegehrThis series of paintings was inspired by my own need for mentors. Living in a small city where I was one of few artists left me feeling quite alone. Being a single parent, I was extremely isolated. At times, I wondered if I was the only one who understood what it was to struggle. I also found it incredibly frustrating as a teacher, to be asked over and over again by my students, both male and female, why were there no famous women artists, scientists, musicians, writers or explorers? Even more frustrating was that as a woman and a teacher; I did not have a ready answer. How will this myth ever change if we do not even know that it is a myth? As I began my quest for mentors through my paintings, then stories were returned to me; it was like the sharing of gifts. I discovered that the paintings I made to save my own soul spoke to others in unexpected ways. I was inspired to investigate new directions that I might never have considered on my own. In many cases, these were ordinary women who found the strength to do extraordinary things, in spite of great obstacles. Inspiration for the work has come from many sources including, the Cloisters in NY, illuminated manuscripts in Notre Dame College in Wilcox Saskatchewan, fashion magazines, fabric and textiles, tapestries, to name only a few. I chose the mannequin form as a basic shape of the series because of the pun on the words, "Man o'Kin". The mannequin became the vessels for the stories of women, my kin. The choice to render the figures without faces allows the figures to be more archetypal, open to greater leaps of imagination, not locked into a fixed form or identity. It is also a comment on the elusive nature of the feminine in historical documents. The combination of the medieval manuscript and the hard, modern form of the mannequin marries historical tale to present day. Words become part of the image as they do in the illuminated manuscripts and texture as in the tapestry. The eye rests on different words or phrases and influences one's experience of the painting. It is a joy to create these works and learn about the women who have been trailblazers in the historical past and in more recent times. This series has spawned over 100 images and continues to have a life of its own. |
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