[ Leesa Bringas ]
__ CONTACT
BIO:
LEESA BRINGAS is a visual
artist working in the areas of photography, video, taxidermy,
drawing and mixed media with an interest in the peculiarity of
nature. Her current projects include the photographic installation
"Halted Migration" and mixed media scultpure and photography
installation "Evidence and Consolation". "Halted
Migration" was displayed at the Thames Art Gallery's 2005
Juried Exhibition, December 9, 2005January 8, 2006. Recently
exhibited works include a large colour photograph "Untitled
Windsor Landscape" taken with a Diana toy camera for the
exhibition "Landscape: From the Ground Up" at the Thames
Art Gallery (Chatham,
ON) from July 29 - September 11, 2005. "Landscape: From
the Ground Up" travelled to Gallery Lambton (Sarnia, ON) in and was exhibited from June 10 -
August 26. "Landscape: From the Ground Up" is guest
curated by Alison Kenzie and examines the development of 'landscape'
over a period of 100 years as documented by works from the Thames
Art Gallery and Gallery Lambton collections.
Leesa recently developed an
expanded series of black & white photograms and mixed media
sculptures (including two works with taxidermy elements) for
her group exhibition "Dos Semanas de los Muertos : Two Weeks
of the Dead" (with local artists and colleagues Margaret
Atkinson, Sarah Atkinson, Christine Burchnall, JoAnne Blackton,
Susan Dingler, Nancy Drew, Laura Gould, and Suzanne Konyha) at
Artspeak Gallery (Winsdor, ON), October 24 November 5, 2005.
Limited edition 'mousie mouse' t-shirts (white photogram of her
pet mouse on black American Apparel t-shirts) were available
for $25 ea. (another addition to be produced in the near future)
and limited edition 1" buttons of 'mousie mouse' and 'bird
photogram' are currently available for $2 ea. Please contact
Leesa at <leesabringas@yahoo.ca> to order or for more information.
Leesa received her BFA from
the University of Windsor, School of Visual Arts in 1999. She
is currently the Artistic Coordinator for Artcite Inc. and the
former Director of Development & Administration and the Smogfest
organizer for the grass-roots non-profit environmental organization,
Citizens Environment Alliance (CEA) of southwestern Ontario &
southeast Michigan.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Through mixed media sculpture,
taxidermy, and various forms of photography my previous and current
work explores curiosity in nature.
This process began for me
in 1997 as a photo project titled Sleeping Doll Series,
where I created narratives for dead birds, animals and insects
by placing them next to an antique doll. The imagery emanated
childhood perceptions of death and loss. By objectifying/extracting
the dead animal from the state I'd found it, I preserved nature
as a way of dealing with death and loss. I have since incorporated
some traditional methods of preserving animals and insects through
taxidermy, formaldehyde solutions, and air-drying. By essentially
halting the state of decomposition, and in some cases restoring
the animal's physical state to the time of its death, I'd hope
to also preserve its story.
CV:
PORTFOLIO:
mousie mouse, 2002
(8" x 10"
black and white photogram)
I found a white and brown
escapee mouse while walking on a sidewalk in a west Windsor neighbourhood
in May 2001. I kept him as a pet until his death from euthanasia
(he was dying of cancer) in January 2002. I made a series of
photograms of him to commemorate his short life with me.
Tale of the Strange Crow
(the beginning), 2001
(taxidermied crows, pigeon and starling, wood display stands,
velvet)
Originally exhibited at Common
Ground gallery (2001); Art Gallery of Windsor for the "Southwest
Open" (2002); Cambridge Galleries "Juried Exhibition"
(2003).
Every time I come across a
dead animal I feel the need to document its existence. It began
through photographing found dead animals such as mice, squirrels
and birds. This particular process eventually was not enough
to suit my views of preserving the animals existence. At that
point I started to collect the bodies of dead animals, photographed
and stored them in my freezer until I could have them preserved
using taxidermy methods. Utilizing this process, I created narratives
through gesture positioning, such as one of the crows staring
down at its belly full of crimson velvet. I am investigating
taxidermy and the museum display and how animals relate to one
another as they might not have done in their living years. One
day I hope to have a full installation of animals ranging from
birds, mammals, reptiles, etc.
Embroidered Baby Bird Series,
2001-2003
(fledglings, specimen jars, formalin, embroidery floss)
The Embroidered Baby Bird
Series continues the exploration of attraction and repulsion
of found dead animals and insects. The absurd act of embroidering
'feathers' on a fledgling is a simultaneous act of adoration
and brutality.
Awakening From A Nap, 1998
(black & white photograph mounted and laminated onto gator
board, approx. 38" x 48").
This is one of two large black
and white photographs series that depict insects in domestic
settings using toy furniture. The cicada casing stands on a stool
over a bumblebee in a baby basket as it awakes from its nap.
This work reflects the absurd gesture that nature is in fact,
nurturing. The small objects have been enlarged hundreds of times
and adds to the distortion of reality.
Untitled, 1997
(Black and white photograph on fiber paper, 11" x 14").
Using three different negatives on three separate enlargers,
I created a strange dream-like image. The image is a loose self-portrait
and reflect some memories of childhood.