In the Place Where You Live: Theresa MacKnight Solo Show
October 8 – November 6, 2021 | Opening Reception Friday, October 15, 5 – 7 PM
SHOP HERE | Artist Talk with Music Response by Rick Coates!
“In the Place Where You Live” is a new beginning and a fresh direction in painting for me. It is a group of works about my love of painting itself and the spark and fire that is only quelled by more painting. It is also about Charlotte County, the animals that inhabit and adapt continuously, regardless of our human intentions or wishes.
Through deep family roots, I have always felt connected to this place, regardless of where I went away to study or work. I was taught by my parents and extended family to be comfortable in the woods and respectful of animals. As a girl, I spent a great deal of time with my maternal grandmother who knew how to cook on a wood stove, told stories of the old ways of getting by, and one day taught me how to shoot a small rifle. I knew I could never become a hunter, but I felt it was a strange and loving sort of initiation to an old way of life.
The use of trail cameras and the collecting of images around rural properties is as common as collecting traditional family photographs. I have always found the qualities of this type of photography to be very compelling and mysterious. I purchased a trail camera during the early days of Covid and set it up in my backyard in St. Andrews, curious to see the deer I knew was passing through at night. It became endlessly fascinating and exciting to rush out in the morning to see the inexact, accidental, and sometimes humorous results. They were like awkward family photos of individuals unaware or unconcerned about the presence of a camera.
As I was collecting these images and creating these paintings, one by one, I started to think that they might be coming from this quiet old connection. I felt comfortable with them. Spending time outdoors, in dark, in winter, also had an unexpected effect on my work. The colours changed, the light became invented, and I began to allow my imagination in. This changed everything. – Theresa MacKnight
| Artist Biography
Theresa MacKnight lives in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. She works mainly in oil and encaustic, both in her studio and plein air. MacKnight was trained in Fine Art at Mount Allison University and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.
Theresa exhibits her work in public and private galleries throughout New Brunswick. She has been the recipient of Arts NB grants and several residencies in venues such as KIRA International Residency for the Arts, The River Arts Centre, Florenceville and Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre.
Theresa is active in the New Brunswick arts community including service on the board of Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre. She is a retired high School Visual Art Specialist and continues to teach adult and children’s workshops.
