Jackie McLaughlin is an artist based in the unceded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan people. She works primarily with florals and natural materials at this time; sourcing most of her materials from the local landscape through sustainable foraging or from her private garden.
McLaughlin’s work is an ongoing exploratory practice into the diversity of florals, organics, and at times fruits and vegetables, and their artistic potential. When working with florals, she plays with various design elements, weight distribution and colour theory to create a piece that is both well-balanced and experimental; carefully curated yet playful.
The inherently impermanent nature of the materials plays an important role in McLaughlin’s work. Each piece is meant to be viewed within a short window of time, making them more of an experience, and an opportunity to appreciate the materials and their relationship to the at times “unnatural” space where they are being viewed.
McLaughlin’s exhibition, Solarium, includes ‘Chandelier’ and ‘Self-Portrait’. These works utilize natural materials that have been studied and found purpose through experimentation and association.
‘Chandelier’ is an exercise in repetition and play. The shapeshifting curly willow is tremendously malleable, allowing it to be twisted and formed into various designs, shapes, or patterns. Here, it abstractly makes up the ‘bones’ of the chandelier, while the maple leaves hang draped across their spindly arms like long strings of gems. Time is very relevant in this exhibition. The leaves in ‘Chandelier’ are stacked on top of one another, over and over, and threaded together to create several long strings. One might say that the time invested adds value to the piece, much like a chandelier may be valuable or expensive.
‘Self-Portrait’ directly alludes to representation of the self through floral work using dried clematis, roses, and craspedia. While the creations will vary day to day, each piece is a window into the florist’s soul and mind. Time is referenced in this piece as well. After the portrait is completed and time inevitably passes, allowing the flowers to wilt and die, as does the artist’s mental and emotional state at the piece’s conception. While this is true of any floral piece the artist creates, it is especially relevant in the making of the self-portrait, as we are also constantly changing.
Learn more about Jackie McLaughlin’s work by visiting her website, Instagram, and Facebook.
