Heart of Glass, Lisa Hebden, 2009

November 18 – December 17, 2009

Legacy Maltwood (at Mearns Centre – McPherson Library)

Victoria-based artist Lisa Hebden explores the transformation from childhood to adulthood with a series of paintings of young girls, capturing the feelings of being small both physically and psychologically.

Influenced by film and drawn to media images of adolescent girls who appear both vulnerable and strong, Hebden says the foundation of her work lies in the fragility of childhood.

“I am captured by the moodiness of film lighting, the long pauses that focus only on a subject’s face or eyes, the expression pregnant with thought or emotion,” says Hebden.

“Being a child is fun and overwhelming. Children endow their environments with meaning and imagination. A large empty room can be intimidating and magical. The big wood floor beckons for sliding across, while the shadowy corners are dark and ominous. An open field is an opportunity to get lost in the tall grass, an adventure both thrilling and scary.”

-Lisa Hebden