There is a strong tradition of landscape painting in Canada; Canadian artists (both historical and contemporary) have long been preoccupied with the variety, the beauty and the occasionally hostile terrain of our geography. As Canadians we are defined by our landscape; it is a very deep and rich vein of content and identity for many, and is particularly relevant to me. However the landscapes most of us see today are made up on highways and traffic, not pristine lakes and forests. To me this is a poignant development in the evolution of our relationship to the land. I feel a strong impulse to represent this authentic and contemporary landscape as a counterpoint to the rich history of landscape painting.
I also see the subject-matter as archival: I believe that (if not now) there will be a future where such consumption and disconnection will be remarkable. I predict future generations will be aghast at the societal choices we make: the failures of urban planning; why we choose to continue to develop cities in ways contrary to human values; why we are always moving around; and by the frank and unapologetic consumption of finite resources.