Self-portrait, Laura Kenney

3 Questions: Artist & Curator in Conversation

1. Describe your working process as an artist. 
 
During the pandemic in an attempt to have unity, those in authority would often say, "We are all in the same boat". But, clearly we aren't. The elderly, racialized communities and the homeless have all been affected much more. We are not in the same boat.  

Sometimes Judy, a character who often appears in my rugs,  will come in like a superhero to fix things. To try in her own way to make things right. Maybe she couldn't save the victims of the pandemic but she could do her best to ensure the victims are remembered.

After some time, I drew a small rough sketch, then draw the image onto the burlap and hook it. I try not to overthink it or second guess myself. Often that initial feeling towards whatever I am making is the most real. 

2. What was your source of inspiration for your work in the exhibition? How did the act of art-making help you in reflecting on/responding to the pandemic as an artist? 

I would often read about people in the Health Care profession, or family members describing how hard it was to cope with patients/loved ones dying in isolation. It was heartbreaking. When my kids were little I used to pull them along in a red wagon, and Judy pulling a wagon has often shown up in my rugs. Pulling precious cargo, from lighthouses, to Maud Lewis' house and in this case, the markers for the graves of the people who died in the pandemic. I wanted to let people know that we will remember their loved ones and that they weren't just a statistic and that we feel their sorrow and that they aren't alone in their grief. 
 
3. How do you think visual art helps us understand the complex world around us? 

When people can connect with art, it makes them feel that they aren't alone, that others feel what they are feeling. Images can give a "punch to the stomach" that can be understood by everyone. Art can bring us together and it is needed now more than ever as we are kept apart for safety.