Caroline Mousseau | Joseph Plaskett Award in Painting
Alum Caroline Mousseau (BFA, 2012) is the 2019 recipient of the $30,000 Joseph Plaskett postgraduate award in painting. Originally from Winnipeg, she is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting at the University of Guelph in Ontario. The award will allow her to spend six months in Europe upon completing her graduate studies.
This period of great freedom will allow Caroline to focus on her artistic practice and to discover the masterpieces to be found in European museums. “I will base my work in Berlin and take advantage of short travels to the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark, to further examine the contemporary relevance of craft in art,” shared Caroline. “I am especially interested in seeing design or folk art next to original modernist works such as those of the Bauhaus and De Stijl.”
The jury for the Joseph Plaskett award stated that they were impressed by the artist’s technical mastery and by her clever deconstruction of the abstract expressionist brushstroke through slow, deliberate gestures. Caroline’s remarkable understanding of conceptual issues in painting allows her to confidently deal with the tropes of abstraction.
From Cydonia Gallery: Caroline Mousseau finds a reason to continue working in a manner that is uniquely her own. The lines are deliberate. The movements are controlled. Her process is unique: by drying out the oil paints and adding wax to the oils, Mousseau is able to achieve an identity that translates to a new perspective anchored by the canvas but clearly yearning for movement beyond the optic surface. The artist aims to embody contradictions. Her lines curve vertically and horizontally, and slightly towards the viewer, as paint spills over the edges of the brush marks.
The Joe Plaskett Foundation was established in 2004 by the artist Joseph Plaskett to facilitate the selection of a recipient for the Plaskett Award. This award provides $30,000 to help fund an emerging Canadian painter who will live, create artwork or travel in Europe for a required minimum of six months.
The candidate chosen for the Plaskett Award will be an outstanding emerging Canadian artist in the field of painting. In addition, candidates must meet the requirements outlined in the application process.