Biography
Christine Flynn is an artist living in Toronto working in photography and mixed media. Flynn is known for her landscape photography imbued with abstract elements, creating works of art that exist in between two mediums. In doing so, Flynn elevates the potential of what it means to be a contemporary photographer. The relationship between the photograph and abstract elements is nuanced: the abstractions do not distract from the photograph, but instead appear as if they are part of the image, enhancing it and adding depth.
In a series of cyanotype prints, Ferlito is inspired by the activity of ‘mothing’ or attracting moths with light for observation. Using UV light, she lures insects to land on a gridded sheet. Working overnight until dawn, Ferlito photographs the moths highlighting fluctuations in weather, location and lunar phase. Staying faithful to the insect’s composition, she then combines the photos to create a transparency negative. The final artwork serves as a portrait of local biodiversity, a constellation of activity suspended in the field.
Ferlito’s wildscapes turn plant materials into mark-making tools and brushes. After collecting and identifying, the materials are pressed and flicked onto wet muslin after dipping in a combination of natural dyes Ferlito makes, acrylic paint and ink. The finished paintings reflect the exuberance of the plants, flowers and life that Ferlito encounters. The opaque quality of the muslin captures light and hints at the internal stretcher bar structure, creating a counterpoint to the lyrical compositions.