Artist
Biography
S Gervais
I am an emerging multimedia artist. I am influenced by my upbringing in southern Ontario, and the queer community, which I am a part of.
The southern Ontario countryside is full of breathtaking landscapes, and rural decay, which offers a wide variety of subject matter to photograph and sketch. I use my art to inspire awe, by using large canvases and intense neon colours to demand the attention of the viewer. In doing this, I often bring queer struggles and stories to the center of my narratives. I like to incorporate experimentation and play into my art making process by using different materials and techniques, like using clay on a piece to convey depth, or embroidery to emphasize details. I practice in a wide range of materials, utilizing drawing and painting skills, charcoals, chalk pastels, conte, acrylic, pen and ink, and oils.
I am inspired by modern artists, like Kieth Haring, Andy Warhol, and Basquiat. I draw inspiration from styles such as pop art and collage. Using a pop art style for some of my portraits allows me to alter colour and light to intensify the emotion of the piece, while keeping the face detailed enough to portray emotion. Incorporating a ‘basement punk band poster-esque’ style into my collage work gives it an urban grit, and subverts the expectation of perfection by embracing the Frankenstein’s monster that such a piece is, and thereby embraces the monstrous, and the imperfect.