ERIN WHITTEN CRYSDALE
"I work on several canvases and I move between them to keep my mind bright and my attachments to outcomes at bay."
Biography
Erin Whitten Crysdale is a contemporary Canadian artist interested in themes that connect the natural world with the psyche of the individual. With a distinct style that merges naive outsider style with elements of representational and landscape painting, Erin's work blends a sense of beauty while also touching on the darkness that represents the whole experience of being a human. Remarkable for their bold compositions, colouration, and the intense gazes of her figures, her paintings express the human search for meaning in a world that can feel surreal. During the isolation of the Covid pandemic and this intense time of isolation, Erin's figures became more and more enveloped by nature, not as an expression of claustrophobia but as an expression of the increased intimacy with their natural surroundings.
Artist Statement
Throughout the pandemic, I’ve walked in all weather through forests and fields. This outdoor time is what saved my health, my family and my mental wellbeing. Everything I learned about the world has been delivered through the landscape. My art is about that inseparable connection between the figure and nature. I am increasingly merging the two both visually and emotionally.