Past Exhibition
Letting the Paint Dance
Joanne Anderson
January 2012
There are several words which come to mind upon viewing the art of Joanne Anderson: exuberance, curiosity, storytelling, experimentation, tactility. Anderson is an artist for whom the term "comfort zone" has no meaning.
Self-taught and raised with little opportunity to interact with the art world, Anderson nonetheless has pursued art-making at various times in her life, most recently in the last two years. When asked if she has ever considered art school, she says, "I didn't even know that people could actually go somewhere to study art in particular." Her enthusiasm for experimentation, her compulsion to create, and her independence from conventional art training have resulted in a body of work that includes paintings, many of which contain sculptural elements, and hand-crafted items using found objects and recycled materials.
Anderson does not limit herself in her subject matter, which ranges from strongly narrative and darkly humorous figure work to exuberant, vivid botanicals, electric streetscapes and urban scenes, and highly textured abstraction. Her use of materials is equally eclectic and innovative–acrylic and watercolour rub shoulders with drywall compound, grout and latex paint, as well as any interesting textural objects which catch her magpie eye.
For Anderson, each artwork is a fresh adventure born out of her restless energy, expressive emotionality, and unaffected in its approach to subject and style. There is one other word that encapsulates her work, which crops up frequently in her conversation as well. That word is "fun."
Joanne Anderson lives in Hanover and is a member of the Saugeen Artists Co-Op. She supports her art practice by working at the Village Seniors Community in Long Term Care as a Program Assistant. Visit her website at: www.grasshopperart.com.