Nature and Humanity: Art by Monique Blom
Saskatchewan artist Monique Blom creates artworks that express the tension between nature and humanity, and the influence one has on the other. The artist’s works often have a collaged aesthetic.
Monsanto's Dirty Dozen (Agent Orange)
I really enjoy Monique’s recent works, many of which incorporate cut-out figures from vintage advertising and magazines. A number of these images comment on the agricultural industry, and the humans’ instinctual reactions to certain types of food. The artworks offer cutting commentary on a number of particularly topical issues, and the lightness of the mock-advertising imagery adds a deceptively sweet coating over this slightly ominous tone.
Monique's gallery of recent projects
Monique also creates works on performance and video, like her recent public performance as part of Politics of the Absurd in New York. In one piece, She-Wood...Steal, the artist sets up her performance on a sidewalk in front of a gym and sets about chopping firewood while wearing a red dress and a bizarre mask. The effect plays off the artist’s surroundings and lives up to the absurdity of its name, while still offering ample space for contemplation.