Dear Mother,

Maura Doyle
Dear Mother,

Location: Open Studio, 401 Richmond Street West, Suite 104, Toronto

Maura Doyle presents new screenprinted works based on her daily practice of mind-stream journaling and left-hand ink drawing. Doyle brings to her printmaking a background in artist publications (including zines, posters, maps, and books) and a deep appreciation of object qualities of the print medium.

Using the format of “the letter” as a vehicle for an artistic dialogue, Doyle writes to objects, people and ideas. Together, these texts form an ulterior narrative about the artist’s life told from shifting perspectives.

Her Vitruvian Mother (Flesh Knot) (2019) prints are drawn in counterpoint to the classical proportion and symmetry of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. Created through layers of brush strokes and line, the artist draws limbs becoming entrails becoming arms becoming the artist’s self-portrait. From that same line is drawn her baby, hanging like Spiderman overlooking his city.

All of these works are made from and ultimately transform Doyle’s intimate life experiences as an artist and single mother. From a private journal to editioned work, publication (root word: public) aligns with the act of creation: making something out of messy, illogical and childlike emotions, in contrast to the controlled, rational adult word of acceptable civic behaviour.

Maura Doyle lives and works in Ottawa. Her multidisciplinary practice has included video, ceramics, sculpture, printed matter and drawing. Her most recent work, titled Gone: Removed public art in Ottawa / Anishinaabeg Aki is an artist’s publication commissioned by the Ottawa Art Gallery. She has exhibited her work across Canada in artist-run centres and art institutions, as well as internationally in New York, Japan, Sweden and Vienna. Doyle is represented by Paul Petro Contemporary Art in Toronto.

The artist gratefully acknowledges support from Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and City of Ottawa.

For more information please visit openstudio.ca