Dreams and Nightmares – Ryan McCourt

Aug 30, 2021 | Colloquy

Created as part of a larger, wide-ranging, playful deconstruction of art historical imageries, This series is the result of sampling artworks available on free digital archive to offer a new, ambiguous or radially symmetrical view of images that can be viewed in 180-degree flipped orientations.
“Dreams and Nightmares” fits well with not just the surreal nature of these images, their familiar imagery distorted and reflected as if by lens of mirror, creating an inescapable counter vision, alluded in a way to the experiences of those migrating from their homeland to survive war, abuse, or persecution. One moves physically, but often the memories and traumas are hard to leave behind. Much like the infinite mirror vision, they must encounter the old experiences and continue to pit their present against it in a loop, endlessly.

“My artistic process is one of free improvisation within the chosen medium. For most of the last twenty years, I have worked primarily as a sculptor, working in welded steel, or soldered brass. These images employ a similar general creative process, beginning with found objects and then altering and refining them into a new creation.”

–  Ryan McCourt, Artist

Clockwise from the Top  –  Gypsy Curse, Clash, Endless Harem, Big Brother, Mad Man

Edmonton artist Ryan McCourt is best known for his constructed metal sculptures. These works range from abstract and figurative welded steel works, to polychrome reliefs made from crushed aerosol cans, to elegant assemblages and wearable helmets made from soldered brass. His two-dimensional work includes photography, vexillography, and ambiguous illustration. McCourt is the founder of the North Edmonton Sculpture Workshop, a co-operative shared studio, and Common Sense, an artist-run gallery. He has received numerous awards, and his creative works can be found in a number of public and private collections in Canada, the United States, and beyond.

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