Presented by C. Parker Gallery

Born in Pincourt, Quebec in 1969, Anne Marie Kornachuk completed her BFA at Concordia University in Montreal in 1993. Kornachuk is interested in looking at states of being; spaces and events that create many questions and answers, and can be viewed in both positive and negative ways. She uses figurative gesture, color, and composition to speak about these internal states. Kornachuk intentionally conveys only small details of the body. These figurative details speak for the body as a whole. The animated nature of the fabric, which overwhelms the figure at times, plays multiple roles. The formal dress (often a wedding dress) on its own is a symbolically loaded thing; it also provides a tremendous amount of visual interest, complex form and beauty for the artist to work with. Kornachuk sees drama in the beauty and energy of the figurative gesture and the fabric, which speaks to her about the internal dramas that are experienced everyday. The formal dress struggles with rigidity and confinement, perhaps societal expectations, internal pressures, as well as beauty, seduction, luxury and sophistication. After choosing an image for its thematic potential, Anne Marie's focus changes to the execution of the painting. She is influenced by Baroque painting and sculpture, and so the drama and dark theatricality influences her choices, and the way she paints. Kornachuk is also intensely interested in understanding and then depicting substantial form on the flat surface. She works in thin layers, building the form with each layer.