Flax Field, 2011

Photography, vinyl, rods

Behind the presbytery, there is a field of pale blue flax blossoms that has been prepared especially this summer’s visitors. A path has been laid out so they can stroll about and admire nature. However, one must not be deceived, for Osborn and Freeman had recreated nature in their own special way. Set up in the grass, this apparent field of blue is actually hundreds of little vinyl squares printed on both sides with flower images. They have been planted in the ground, so as to allow them to sway in the wind, just as a natural flower would. Nature lovers, Osborne and Freeman create here a landscape composed of both natural and artificial elements where poetry holds sway over all. This piece is intended not only to express the timelessness of nature and of life itself, but also its regeneration.

---

 

Originally from Australia, Lyndal Osborne has lived and worked in Edmonton since 1971. She studied at the Sydney National Art School and at the University of Wisconsin, where she obtained her Masters in Visual Arts. Currently she teaches at University of Alberta’s Department of Art and Design. She has participated in more than 300 expositions around the world. Concerned about ecological balance and climactic change, her research deals with nature its timelessness and how it regenerates. Her artwork consists of taking items from nature, as well as scraps of urban odds and ends, and then recycling them in order to create art installations that truly celebrate life.

John Freeman holds a Master in Visual Arts from the University of Alberta (1972). He did teach at the University of Alberta’s Department of Art and Design until 2006. He has participated in many solo and groups exhibitions in Canada and abroad. Numerous collections present his work as the Art Gallery of Alberta as well as the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Lyndal Osborne et John Freeman – BILP 2011 from Biennale du lin on Vimeo.