Lyell Castonguay, Migration, 2019

Lyell Castonguay: Tributes

June 15 – July 28, 2019
Opening: Saturday, June 15 5-7pm
Artist Talk: Sunday, July 14, 5pm

Lyell Castonguay’s woodblock prints invoke disparate influences including Japanese ukiyo-e, the naturalist works of Audubon and Buffon, and traditional Chinese brush paintings. The artist contextualizes the natural world through the filter of his imagination. Castonguay’s paracosm is filled with familiar animals made beholden with human emotions such as tension, conflict, restlessness, and uncertainty. These bold personalities are seemingly at odds with each subject’s intrinsic wildness. The artist’s distorted narratives often incorporate covert references to environmental decline, natural resource commodification, and displacement.

“Birds make me happy. My pictures tell stories about their fascinating lives. After viewing my work, you will see why birds deserve our respect, admiration, and protection.” — Lyell Castonguay