Introducing the art of Caroline Bacher (Interview)

CAROLINE BACHER

DESTIG TORONTO - ART | DESIGN | TRAVEL - ISSUE 09 / JANUARY 2021

BEST OF 2020 | TODAY'S GREAT CANADIAN ARTISTS | SPECIAL ART FEATURES | HOT PICKS

"HOW MARVELOUS THAT THEY BROUGHT FORTH SUCH MAGNIFICIENCE FROM THEIR BRUSHES AND CHISELS." - ANONYMOUS

"I’m always inspired to find beauty in everyday life — unusual plants, architecture, movies, other art, people on the street that I see, even stains and spills are all constantly generating ideas and feeding my process...

My art is very much a product of my everyday life — the books I’ve read, things I’ve encountered, and the emotions I’m processing."

0202 FO TSEB GITSED

With influences including Hieronymus Bosch, Carl

remains sparsely populated in the winter months

Jung, traditional fairy-tales and mythology, Caroline

especially. While I certainly enjoyed the outdoors, and

Bacher's mixed-medium work presents recurring

close friendships, I suppose my introverted personality

dichotomies,

relationships

naturally dictated that I spent a lot of time observing,

between the individual and facets of the self through a

which fostered both a love of drawing, sculpting and

personal lens of metaphor and symbol.

story telling.

Please share with us your background.

My paternal grandmother was very artistic, and she

I’ve become a bit of a nomad since, but I spent my

very much appreciated and nurtured that within me. I

formative years as an only child, on the outskirts of

spent many of my childhood summers alone with her in

Algonquin Park, in the little village of Dorset, smack dab

Germany. Although she was in her 70s at the time, she

between the Haliburton Highlands and Muskoka. The

was very active, and I really got to experience city life

region is known for its many pristine lakes, boreal

with her, exploring galleries, historical sites and urban

forests and abundant wildlife. It’s changed quite a bit

culture, which was a very exciting contrast to the

since National Geographic hailed it as the number one

solitude of my home town. After completing my studies

Best Summer Travel Destination in 2011, but it still

in the early 2000s at the Ontario College of Art and

confrontations

and

"There are times when I know exactly what I’m going to create and other times where I allow the piece to create itself as I go along — this is probably the most rewarding way of creating for me as chance is a very powerful cocreator."

Design in Toronto, I had considered

where I allow the piece to create itself as I

continuing my studies and career in

go along — this is probably the most

Berlin, but I instead decided to come back

rewarding way of creating for me as

to Toronto, where I began to work as an

chance is a very powerful co-creator.

artist,

GIA

I’m definitely a huge advocate of sleep! I

Graduate Gemologist. Both my art and

find that I get a lot of creative solutions

jewellery has been exhibited across North

either in dreams or in the meditative

America, and I’m proud to say has found

period just before drifting off. If I’m

homes across the world.

struggling or indecisive about how to go

jeweller

and

eventually,

about a project, I almost always wake up Share with us some insight into your

with a solution if I relax and take a good

process.

rest.

I’ve definitely gone for long periods without

creating

anything,

but

I’m

How would you describe the unique

typically very creative on a daily basis—

DNA of your art?

it’s my natural state of being, and I’m

My art is very much a product of my

always inspired to find beauty in everyday

everyday life—the books I’ve read, things

life—unusual plants, architecture, movies,

I’ve encountered, and the emotions I’m

other art, people on the street that I see,

processing. I find there is always lightness

even stains and spills are all constantly

to the darkness and darkness to the light,

generating ideas and feeding my process.

and that duality is paramount for me. I

There are times when I know exactly what

believe that we are spiritual beings, and

I’m going to create and other times

that the 80 or so years we are generally

prescribed in this life is only part of the picture. It’s easy

feel about the work of other artists that I’ve brought

to forget that we are all so much more than our jobs, our

into my life. Personally, I try to avoid reading the write-

roles, our bodies, ages, trials and successes, yet on the

up the artist puts forth with a work if I’m really drawn to

other hand, we are but a series of elements producing

it and considering purchasing it, at least until I’ve made

chemical reactions! There is endless joy and sadness on

my decision. There have been a few instances where the

this planet and in this life — it’s all intricate and

stance of the artist has been a disappointment, and

complicated, yet simultaneously so perfect and simple.

doesn’t just let the work speak for itself. So I try to

My art isn’t unique, but it is uniquely mine, and it’s a

speak from my own experience, not that of the work,

wonderful feeling when it resonates with someone else

and allow it to breathe and stand on its own.

enough to add their own story to it.

What do people say when they discover your work?

How do you want your art to impact the viewer?

Conversely, it’s often very interesting to hear what

At root, the artist creates so as to exist within their own

other people see and feel from my work. It ranges from

creation. Both art making and art appreciation are very

the ridiculous to the profound and everywhere in

personal, and I really believe a piece of art is only as

between, and I try to respect it all. Sometimes it’s

good as the viewer. I think of my pieces as children — I

incredibly insightful and far more intelligent than I am,

put my best intentions in, but ultimately they go on to

ha ha. I’m often pleasantly surprised at how diverse my

live their own lives and gather their own stories. It’s up

audience is as well — people of all ages and backgrounds

to the audience to find beauty or meaning within them,

have purchased my work — everyone from scientists to

or not. For the people who’ve collected my art and

yoga instructors to death metal drummers to lawyers to

brought it into their homes and lives, I’d hope that my

writers, and occultists!

work is an on-going conversation and relationship. I hope that their evolving experience finds new elements

Share with us some of the themes you have explored.

within the work to reflect on, comfort, inspire, and

When I was a teen, I was fascinated with all things

enjoy, just as they would with a good friend. This is how I

medieval, including the medieval science of alchemy —

"At root, the artist creates so as to exist within their own creation. Both art making and art appreciation are very personal, and I really believe a piece of art is only as good as the viewer. I think of my pieces as children — I put my best intentions in, but ultimately they go on to live their own lives and gather their own stories."

the belief that one substance could miraculously transform into another. While modern science has disproved this notion, I do believe that alchemy exists as a metaphorical concept— our thoughts, experiences, actions and emotions are all catalysts for creation and interpretation. So, metaphorical alchemy is something I explore in my art. My work is absurd, so my depictions

"I do believe that alchemy exists as a metaphorical concept— our thoughts, experiences, actions and emotions are all catalysts for creation and interpretation."

of time, destruction, rebirth and the lifecycle often

have a surreal, symbolic and mythological element to

Symbolically baldness represents a sort of purity and

them—I love to create anthropomorphic characters for

spirituality—who we are when no one else is looking,

this reason. We do, after all, play a variety of roles in

when vanity and the excess of existence has been

our own stories and those of others. I’ve often been

stripped away.

asked why most of my human figures are bald as I’ve gravitated towards this since I was very young. From a

What are you currently working on?

stylistic stance, I suppose I always felt that the look was

I’m really excited to share a little about what I have in

cleaner, less frilly, and allowed for the face and body to

store for 2021! I’m sure there will be new paintings, but

more readily expressive.

I’m currently designing, and sourcing gems for, some

"I love colour, beautiful geometric patterns and fabrics, so I’m also working on converting elements of my work into wearable art."

beautiful

one

of

a

kind

jewellery pieces in gold. The line of earrings I have in mind will

be

versatile,

interchangeable

with

components,

to be worn in a variety of ways.

I

love

colour,

beautiful

geometric patterns and fabrics, so

I’m

also

working

on

converting elements of my work into wearable art — I’m especially looking forward to some of the silk scarves I’m currently designing. I hope there will be some surprises in store for me as well, some inspiration that is yet unknown to me — collaborations and commissioned work is always amazing for me in that regard.

I’m planning to be at The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair in July 2021 so do stop by if you’ll be in Toronto at that time! www.torontooutdoor.art

What directions are you interested in exploring?

I really want to do some clay work. I find that process to be incredibly tactile and soothing. I keep trying to find the facilities in Toronto to do this, but these classes and spaces are very popular and fill up quickly, sometimes within minutes. The ideas I have for clay keep coming, so it’s definitely something I have to be proactive with when Covid restrictions lift. I’m always learning from a jeweller’s and gemological stance as well—it’s a very diverse industry that’s always evolving.

I learned technical drawing in school, which has helped me plan pieces more effectively, but it definitely has limitations. I’m horrible with computers, but I’m willing to totally frustrate myself and learn CAD at some point in the near future too.

What attracts you to your preferred mediums?

My paintings are typically a mix of acrylic, coloured pencil and graphite. And when I first encountered wood panel in 2005, it was life-changing, ha ha.

Unlike canvas, wood panel is very smooth and sturdy, so it really allows me to attain a certain level of detail and precision. I find my trio of materials to work really nicely together in many versatile ways — I can layer, blend and play with opacity very easily. Acrylic paints don’t have the range of really vibrant colours as oils do, but I appreciate that acrylic dries very quickly, which is usually a good thing in my process. I’ve used coloured pencils and pencil since childhood, and these materials hold a special sentiment for me and make me feel very connected to my journey and evolution as both a person and an artist. In a sense, I feel like a survivor—most children are natural artists and it’s a beautiful way for them to explore and make sense of the world. But I find most people give up drawing at around the age of 11, and a certain self-consciousness develops, as

"I think people are similar to gemstones in many ways.

When I look at a beautiful gem, I think about my own resilience."

well as a shift from fantasy, to an adherence to the “real world”. I feel that I’ve beaten the odds in my 40s by not losing this gift and appreciation, and that at least a part of me has retained the purity of childhood. Gold and silver are very special materials to me, both from metaphysical and physical perspectives, and I love working with them both. There is a certain power to manipulating metal, and these materials truly stand the test of time from a practical standpoint. I’m always incredibly humbled when working with gemstones—some of them are billions of years old, and some formed before life existed. I like to think that they have had a rich “life” of quiet contemplation before they were unearthed and shaped by human hand. I think people are similar to gemstones in many ways. When I look at a beautiful gem, I think about my own resilience. A beautiful Chinese proverb comes to mind, “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”

Tell us about how Toronto influences your art.

I came back to Toronto in late 2017, after 10 years of being away. It felt like I had come full-circle at the time, but I do feel that I will probably move again in the future. For a young city, Toronto is wonderfully diverse, and there is always something going on. But, for all of its pluses, Toronto hasn’t been kind to artists and other creatives over the past decade, and in a sense, that’s because Toronto is such a desirable place to live.

A robust housing market and sky high rents have eaten away at affordable studio spaces, and even living spaces that are large enough to accommodate an artistic practice are out of reach for many. I came of age here, and Toronto really was a fantastic place for that to happen—it will always feel like home to me.

How has the COVID-19 affected your creative expression?

Covid has undoubtedly affected myself and many others in some difficult and uncomfortable ways, but it’s been pretty great for making art! I’ve been really able to channel everything into some beautiful pieces, as well as find a lot of uninterrupted time to really focus. I’ve also really enjoyed cooking and I tried many new recipes during the lockdown!

Website: www.cbacher.artspan.com Instagram: @carolinebacherstudio Facebook: Caroline Bacher-Artist / @carolinebacherstudio TikTok: @carolinebacherstudio