Self Portrait Pike Lake, May 2015
Here I'm sitting on the old white chair Mummu once sat upon.
Below you'll find an up-to-date artist statement I felt the urge to share as I begin this new journey living the space my Mummu was raised:
Carol Kajorinne: Artist Statement
My
heritage and the lands my ancestors and I inhabit are an integral part of my
experience and greatly influence my art. I have been raised (and continue to
live) in rural Gorham Ontario, just north of Thunder Bay on land that has been
in my family for five generations. Continually I explore themes of life cycles
and rebirth – how we are all comprised of the same elements and are vulnerable
to the currents of change. I create emotional driven, idea-based artworks utilizing
various mediums including paint, metal, plaster, found objects, photographs,
light and sound. These various art forms facilitate my exploration of life and
family, its internal rhythm and connections. My physical involvement in the
artistic process is integral to my practice, providing deeper meaning to the
essence of my work. Light, a theme I once painted, I have now translated into
the medium I manipulate: using a torch or forge. The process of blacksmithing
relates to themes of rebirth and connection, as all elements (water, air,
earth, fire) are required when transforming steel. As I heat and pound the metal, my hammering
precision along with my intent and presence in the moment strengthen as I bring
the dead material to life. I began exploring these common themes of connection,
ancestry and rebirth through a documentary process in “Self Portrait as a Sauna
Stove” (2010), and later in the “Preserving Harold Project” (funded by the OAC
in 2012-13); marking the beginning of my journey with steel, and the forging of
ancestral connections. I learn blacksmithing from my mentor Dave Hanson of
Duluth (MN), through the local metalsmith guild I help found, as well as through
attending conferences and workshops.
