We stopped by Anya Tonkonogy’s borrowed summer studio where she’s been working on a series of portraits of workers from the Alberta oilfields. She told us about visiting their worksites and what she hopes to do in her paintings. See her show in the Incubator Series this week—and catch her artist talk on the Patio, Thursday at 7:30 pm.
This week’s Incubator artist, Anya Tonkonogy, is installing her work in the Community Gallery today. She’s also sent us lots of extra info about herself and her show!
Anya Tonkonogy is an Edmonton-based artist with a focus on drawing and painting. Born in Eastern Ukraine, Anya came to Canada at the age of 11. She finished her undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta, and went on to complete her master’s degree at Concordia University, Montreal. She looks to Old Master paintings for inspiration, incorporating classical traditions into contemporary subject matter. Anya’s recent work has centered on portraiture, and she regularly takes on portrait commissions.
Artist Statement
At a recent Latitude 53 Fundraiser event, I had a conversation with a man working “up North”. We didn’t have this conversation face to face, as this man was still in Fort McMurray at the time of our chat. His friends were in attendance and were sharing his texts with me. Through these texts he informed me that he would like to commission a portrait of himself, in the grand style of ‘old school’ paintings, and that he wanted himself pictured with a wolf and a bottle of vodka as props.
Price didn’t seem to be an object, but time was. Turns out he wanted a mural, painted on the wall of his mobile home and he thought it shouldn’t take too long.
I have not painted this mural yet, but I did get to thinking…
Are there others who work ‘up North’ who would want their portrait painted? And if so, what kind of objects/props would they want to include in these pictures? How would they want to be immortalized? I was starting to form an entire project in my head that revolved around the concepts of identity, industry and the interdependency we all share in Alberta with the ‘bubbling crude’ that comes out of the ground.
My thoughts on this subject were also bubbling, so I thought I would start with simple portraits for now.
The paintings in this Incubator exhibit are studies — a chance to engage with those who work ‘up North’. Through these unsolicited portraits I had a chance to visit remote work sites where every day, 24/7, oil and gas is extracted from the ground by men and women. I have never been to an actual rig, and was humbled to find out that it’s not easy to gain access to these sites. I also visited a training workshop, where tech operators were learning to use specific equipment that pumps oil out of the ground.
I quickly noticed that most people I met seldom let the top of their head show. Whether hardhat, or baseball hat, heads were covered.
The faces seen on these walls are just some of the people I met. Everyone was incredibly open and willing to participate in these ‘unsolicited’ portraits, and I am very grateful to them.
Eventually, I would like to take this series further – to arrange time for those who work ‘up North’ to sit for a portrait. My hope is to have each person tell me how they want to be portrayed, what ‘props’ they would want to have in the portrait with them and let the painting process unfold as a conversation between us. The human face is magic, and tells a story. As an artist I feel it is a true honour to be in communion with that magic, and the responsibility that comes with such story telling is a privilege.
The story of oil, Earth’s ancient resource is a global story. However, brining it home I hope to explore the impact ‘oil’ has on present-day Alberta; I would like to tell this story through the faces of those people whose livelihood depends on what the Great White North has coursing through its earthly veins.
Ultimately, I hope to create a moment of dialogue between the face looking at a portrait and the portrayed face looking back, pausing to think about the legacy we all leave behind.
Our friends Anya Tonkonogy and Dana Holst are selling these works as part of a brunch-and-auction fundraiser for Brian Webb Dance Company this weekend. Find out more at Tix on the Square.
![This is one of several works still on display after The Works festival this year, part of the Downtown Banners Project. We spoke to artist and Latitude 53 board member Anya Tonkonogy about the Jasper Avenue banners she created along with Tim Rechner, Nickelas Johnson, Pearl Rachinsky. She was recruited to the project by our good friend Carolyn Jervis on behalf of The Works and then-Poet-Laureate Roland Pemberton, whose verse appears on the banners and who was “instrumental” in finding artists “who he thought would compliment his poetic vision”.
Tonkonogy says her greatest challenge was working within the terms of an unfinished poem:
“I had a few brief chats with Rollie about where he was going with his poems, but ultimately it was an abstract idea of a theme of ‘The city vs. the city’ that I had to work with, which was a bit of a blessing and a curse!
“Over the past few years I have been busy painting commissioned portraits in Edmonton. So, this idea of ‘publicly displayed work’ is slightly foreign territory for me, and was a challenge to visualize.
“We were asked to submit a minimum of 20 images, …[that] fit the theme of ‘The City vs the city’. I did create 8 or so new pieces for the Banner Project specifically, but some of the Banner images displayed around Edmonton are actually from work I’ve completed in the past. The work for this project was very individual, as each artist worked independently on their pieces. It was not until the banners were hung that I got to see [the other artists’] work for this!”
Anya had a little more to say about those other artists:
“I only know of Tim Rechner’s abstract painting work through visiting ArtsHab galleries, and attending an artist talk at the AGA a year or so ago (where Tim discussed the paintings that came out of his collaboration at the zoo with Lucy the Elephant). I find his paintings command attention. The scale he works with, and the rhythmic/geometric qualities of his mark making are very compelling.
“I am more familiar with the work of both Pearl Rachinsky and Nickelas Johnson, as we have been rolling in the same social and artistic circles in Edmonton for quite some time. I think they are both incredibly talented, and have a unique voice in the Edmonton Arts scene… I actually own a few pieces by Pearl, and look at them fondly every day! Nick and I had both had the pleasure of being involved in the National Portrait Gallery project” .
Anya says she is “endlessly proud to be in such good company with these artists”. You can go to see the Banners themselves on Jasper Avenue between 97 Street and 109 Street—a perfect stroll on the way to see the latest nearby at Latitude 53.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lobm7qoqnS1qb3lcmo1_500.jpg)
This is one of several works still on display after The Works festival this year, part of the Downtown Banners Project. We spoke to artist and Latitude 53 board member Anya Tonkonogy about the Jasper Avenue banners she created along with Tim Rechner, Nickelas Johnson, Pearl Rachinsky. She was recruited to the project by our good friend Carolyn Jervis on behalf of The Works and then-Poet-Laureate Roland Pemberton, whose verse appears on the banners and who was “instrumental” in finding artists “who he thought would compliment his poetic vision”.
Tonkonogy says her greatest challenge was working within the terms of an unfinished poem:
“I had a few brief chats with Rollie about where he was going with his poems, but ultimately it was an abstract idea of a theme of ‘The city vs. the city’ that I had to work with, which was a bit of a blessing and a curse!
“Over the past few years I have been busy painting commissioned portraits in Edmonton. So, this idea of ‘publicly displayed work’ is slightly foreign territory for me, and was a challenge to visualize.
“We were asked to submit a minimum of 20 images, …[that] fit the theme of ‘The City vs the city’. I did create 8 or so new pieces for the Banner Project specifically, but some of the Banner images displayed around Edmonton are actually from work I’ve completed in the past. The work for this project was very individual, as each artist worked independently on their pieces. It was not until the banners were hung that I got to see [the other artists’] work for this!”
Anya had a little more to say about those other artists:
“I only know of Tim Rechner’s abstract painting work through visiting ArtsHab galleries, and attending an artist talk at the AGA a year or so ago (where Tim discussed the paintings that came out of his collaboration at the zoo with Lucy the Elephant). I find his paintings command attention. The scale he works with, and the rhythmic/geometric qualities of his mark making are very compelling.
“I am more familiar with the work of both Pearl Rachinsky and Nickelas Johnson, as we have been rolling in the same social and artistic circles in Edmonton for quite some time. I think they are both incredibly talented, and have a unique voice in the Edmonton Arts scene… I actually own a few pieces by Pearl, and look at them fondly every day! Nick and I had both had the pleasure of being involved in the National Portrait Gallery project” .
Anya says she is “endlessly proud to be in such good company with these artists”. You can go to see the Banners themselves on Jasper Avenue between 97 Street and 109 Street—a perfect stroll on the way to see the latest nearby at Latitude 53.
