Baby Yikes

Grace Bridgman

January 2007

Most of my first two decades were spent studying music: piano and string bass. The next ten years found me playing the string bass professionally with the National Ballet, The Canadian Opera Company and others. At thirty I left that life to find one that didn’t include so many long tones and so much beer. And once I stumbled into the world of visual art I stopped looking—I had found what I was looking for: a process that felt meaningful, a way to speak.

But instead of grabbing a paint brush or an acetylene torch I got responsible, paid off debts, saw some of the world. And another decade passed. The good news is there’s nowhere else I need to go, no more stones to overturn, credentials to chase. Now it’s time to do the work, enjoy a process that felt like a breath of life, years ago.

This work, Baby Yikes, comes after a twelve year hiatus from making sculptural/installation pieces. The inspiration for this particular Big Baby came out of play done with rhythm and words, a long ago dream, and the materials.

In 1994 I made a number of what I called Big Babies. They were psychological, dark and emotionally heavy. With Baby Yikes I wanted to go a different road—to use the same materials but aim at different feelings: delight, curiosity, absurdity, fun. To create an initial impact that needs no figuring, analysis or thought.

Grace Bridgman was born in Toronto. She has a Performance Diploma in Music from the University of Toronto. After that she obtained a B.F.A. from York University, and another Artist Diploma, this one in visual art from Georgian College. Three years ago she came back to Canada after spending seven years teaching English in South Korea and travelling in Asia. She now calls Durham home.