Julie Nygaard's Layers of Meaning

“I’m a photographer-painter,” Julie Nygaard says of her works, featured at Rainforest Arts in Chemainus from June through August.

As a photographer, Julie goes out into the world and captures images; as an artist she digitally adds layers of meaning, that interpret the ‘real world’ through lenses of personal trauma, symbolism, belief and imagery.

Most of us are familiar with the term ‘photoshopped’, a manipulation of photographic realism to make the world brighter, more vibrant and prettier than life; Nygaard pushes Photoshop and other digital media way beyond the limits of subtle tweaking, transforming her imagery into altered realities that often have a mystic quality to them.

“I am inspired by life,” Nygaard says. “Life is art.”

“It means so much to me, that I know my image is giving somebody else hope and understanding and love and support, and that gentle hug that we’re all needing at this time.”

The importance of art to society can’t be underestimated, Nygaard believes. She also thinks there’s an artist in all of us, just waiting to be unleashed.

“For me, being an artist, there’s no word to describe how much it means to me to be able to express myself, and to be able to share my images, and my work with other people,” she said.

Julie Nygaard’s Through My Eyes - A Visual Journey show will be Featured June through August at Rainforest Arts, 9781 Willow Street, Chemainus BC.