Monique Martin: Context is Everything

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Monique Martin, "Context is Everything – Paper Dandelions," 2020-2021

(detail), ink on various papers, wood and glue, installation variable

In Context is Everything, Saskatoon-based artist Monique Martin exhibits hundreds of realistic paper dandelions in a sprawling installation that carpets the gallery floor. They create an immersive environment that uses symbolism to inspire joy, hope, and optimism.

Sometimes considered a weed, dandelions defy the order imposed around them; a golden infringement on a carefully manicured lawn, a cheerful intervention in a crack in the sidewalk, a silent protest against monoculture, disrupting the status quo. Martin’s dandelions are a hopeful symbol of resilience that encourage us to persevere. Interspersed among her dandelions are multicoloured silk screened butterflies, a symbol of metamorphosis in Martin’s work. She reminds us that throughout our lives, we too are in a constant process of transformation, and that tomorrow we will not be the same as we are today.

Context is Everything at the Seymour Art Gallery is the first exhibition where Martin’s dandelions and butterflies share the same space. Within the gallery, Martin creates an ecosystem where visitors can imagine the butterflies drinking the nectar of the dandelions, floating from one flower to the next, pollinating the plants as they feed. A symbiotic and metaphorical relationship is formed between the dandelions and the butterflies: one where tenacity fuels transformation, and change helps resilience grow stronger. It is a hopeful message, and one that is more relevant than ever.

Monique Martin is a multidisciplinary artist from Saskatoon, Canada. She has exhibited in more than 260 exhibitions in eleven countries.