Annus Mirabilis by Monique Martin

Monique Martin

Annus Mirabilis

Site #2

City Hall

Monday-Friday:
8:00am-6:00pm
Saturday-Sunday & Holidays:
10:00am-6:00pm

Annus Mirabilis is an installation of approximately 20,000 silkscreened paper butterflies that considers themes of change, growth, movement and transformation.   


ARTIST STATEMENT

“Transformation is a process within human existence that allows us to live in the continuous present as we know we will not be the same person tomorrow that we were today.

Monique Martin’s artistic practice is inspired by the people in her life, the experiences she encounters, and the emotions she navigates. Her artistic journey flows multi-directionally, weaving forward, backward, and sideways without clear distinctions between beginnings and endings. Her creative path is marked by continuous evolution, where one series of work seamlessly leads into another, exhibitions open and close, and ideas perpetually intertwine and grow. Martin embraces uncertainty in her process and acknowledges the pivotal moments—whether a new medium, an idea sparked in conversation, or an exhibition opportunity—that unexpectedly shape her trajectory. 

The words Annus Mirabilis mean a remarkable or notable year. The phrase is not extremely common, but it is used by writers and historians to denote any particularly remarkable year. Martin uses it to mark the year 2020, when she was creating an exhibition focused on transformation using the butterfly and themes of time and change as images.  

Annus Mirabilis is also a poem written by John Dryden published in 1667. It commemorated 1665–1666, the "year of miracles". Despite the poem's name, the year had been one of great tragedy, including the Great Fire of London. The title may have been used to point out that the events of the year could have been worse.  

In Martin’s Annus Mirabilis, transformation is part of deep time where life hangs like a question mark, fragile and always changing.  A life can be determined by a single moment in time, or it can also take years and decades to be formed. Transformation is a process within human existence that allows us to live in the continuous present as we know we will not be the same person tomorrow that we were today. The arithmetic of life can be looked at as continuous subtraction or as continuous transformation. When we die, there is a universe inside our head that evolved and changed as we experienced life.  When parts of our life run thin like the transparent chrysalis of a butterfly there is room for transformation, change, growth and movement.   


ABOUT THE ARTIST

Monique is an eco-conscious, internationally recognized, multi-disciplinary artist from Saskatoon, Canada with a 25-year exhibition history. She has exhibited her artwork in hundreds of significant solo, invited and juried exhibitions across numerous countries and mostly in public galleries. Renowned international curators have selected her artwork for various exhibitions worldwide and her works are held in numerous public and private collections around the world. Some of the major collections include The Royal Alberta Museum, University of Washington Library, University of California-Los Angeles Library and Bytown Museum-Ottawa, among others.

Her work often uses significant symbols to comment on contemporary social issues. Monique creates bodies of work rather individual pieces to focus on specific concepts. She undertakes extensive research prior to creating her work, incorporating historically significant symbols and images to express her ideas. Her work pushes the boundaries of standard printmaking with their enormous scale and sculptural installations.

Monique Martin (@moniquesart)

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