Collection: Cara Bain - Surroundings
In this series by Vancouver artist Cara Bain, paintings of the human figure at rest are surrounded by bedding. While giving us needed comfort, protection, and escape from our daily lives, these surroundings act as soft walls—barriers that protect us from the outside world but also separate us from it. Perhaps at a cost.
In immediate contrast to the soft, comforting protection of cloth, are works painted on found tools. A saw, for instance. A constructive tool of creation, but also a jagged, forceful object, full of friction. A passive hand gently lifts a slack thread – stored potential energy waiting to be unleashed. Can it incorporate friction to build something new, or will it remain in a state of rest?
