Kaitlin Lysager
Kaitlin Lysager is a Student at the University of Saskatchewan and is Currently in her Fifth year of their Bachelor of Fine arts degree and is her second year partaking in Nuit Blanche Eve
The Creature and the Donut
The intent behind my project began as an impulse to bring a creature to life as a way of calling back to my younger self. The creature was first conceived in an illustration created for a high school art assignment. The creature, who I will refer to as Iriss, changes appearance based on their surroundings like a chameleon, but not for camouflage purposes, but more to lay claim to or associate with its environment. I was also interested in the idea of observation: Iriss is being observed by the viewer but is also observing their surroundings as well. However, Iriss does not necessarily observe its watchers unless you are standing in a specific spot which gives a sense of false perception for a short period of time.
The donut was an object picked later in the process but adds an interesting narrative connection to the work, for food is something of great importance for survival. Iriss does not really eat the food but guards the donut instead; something that is to be kept safe, to keep watch of. Although the eye of Iriss was originally intended to be attached to the body the fact that it is not can add its own meaning to how often even when something in life does not go to plan it can provide a unique experience to one’s life and shows that we cannot always have control but we can instead adapt. Ultimately, the work is about taking something old from the past and imbuing it with a new sense of purpose, the act of observing and be observing, as well as exploring the theme of self-indulgence.
