Ann Goldberg is a Vancouver-based painter exploring aspects of Hyperrealism and Abstract Expressionism, seeking to merge these seemingly opposite art-strategies into a coherent whole. She is influenced by the effects of digital photography, which she uses in the construction of her paintings, translating visual outcomes such as light refraction and depth of field from the photograph to the canvas. Goldberg’s work is influenced by her background as a mathematician and architect, and her striving for verisimilitude in the paintings is underpinned by these disciplines.

Perennial Canadians was born out of the Pandemic. Concerned and impacted by bereavement, isolation and fear, she recognized the physical, emotional and mental health issues that were sweeping through large portions of the population. During this period of self-isolation and physical distancing, she began to seek out and develop a greater connection with nature. While isolating during the early part of the pandemic, I happened to be painting flowers for an upcoming exhibition. Forced isolation created a desire to explore the human relationship to plants, and more broadly, our connection to all of nature. I began to see anthropomorphic qualities in these flowers. Human emotion and expression seemed to be revealed to me here, and this was reflected in the multitude of pandemic stories that were unfolding.

These revelations directed me to deeply engage with plants, as a significant source of life, connection and inspiration. This led to a deeply considered exploration of flowers - not only their appearance, but also their biological underpinnings and cultural resonances. I began a deep-dive, and developed a heightened sensitivity to the colours, smells, textures and sounds (or silences) of my subject. I found artistic, social and environmental inspiration in isolation.

Ann Goldberg, November 2022