February, Greenbelt Disaster
oil on canvas
36x48in, 2010
Like the majority of Ontario residents, I was pleased with the Greenbelt Legislation when it came into effect. It was implemented to protect our natural resources and to control urban sprawl. I was all for it but like most of Ontario’s population I wasn’t aware of its impact on our agricultural industry. I live on escarpment land protected by the Greenbelt policy. Although I don’t farm, my neighbours do, and they enlightened me as to the constraints of this legislation and how it has impacted their way of life and livelihood.
It is this response that compelled me to create one series of paintings that will connect to another body of work for this exhibition.
November, Greenbelt Disaster
Niagara Escarpment
oil on canvas
10x30 in, 2009
The ‘Greenbelt Disaster’ series transpired after I caught sight of a hand painted sign of the same name propped up on the back of a tractor. The tractor was parked on the service road near Niagara’s QEW for all to see and behind it was a smouldering vineyard. It was a protest from local growers, whose vineyards and orchards were destroyed or left to go fallow because they could no longer afford to farm them. Since, I have visited and interviewed some of these growers and organizations and this series of paintings is a culmination of that investigation.
Works for the ‘Greenbelt Disaster’ series are primarily rendered in oil and painted on location. For me ‘growing’ a painting this way cultivates a connection to the farmer’s reliance on Mother Nature . Approximately ten paintings executed since Greenbelt legislation came into effect will be exhibited. Sizes of these plein air works range from 8x10in to 36x48in.
Works for the ‘Greenbelt Disaster’ series are primarily rendered in oil and painted on location. For me ‘growing’ a painting this way cultivates a connection to the farmer’s reliance on Mother Nature . Approximately ten paintings executed since Greenbelt legislation came into effect will be exhibited. Sizes of these plein air works range from 8x10in to 36x48in.
November, Greenbelt Disaster
Niagara Escarpment
oil on canvas
16x20 in, 2009
The second body of work, titled ‘Protection’ looks into maintaining ecological integrity within conflicting laws concerning public use of Greenbelt spaces. On one hand, organizations including Friends of the Greenbelt and AGCare, campaign for outdoor public activities for all Ontario residents to enjoy such as 'canoeing and kayaking, hiking, camping, bird watching, biking, trail riding, photography, dog walking, skiing, running and walking.' On the other hand, a policy decision aimed to enhance agricultural land protection and enforce provincial parks as public spaces is now at risk. The same government that created the Greenbelt land protection for the public to enjoy proposes to extend private and commercial land leases. This will undermine park protection, and extend unlimited private and privileged access to ecologically sensitive provincial parks to only a few individuals at the exclusion of all other Ontario residents. Such is the Greenbelt Dichotomy.
The ‘Protection’ project will comprise of encaustic paintings and field boxes, where migratory birds and their habitat are the primary focus. I am hoping to complete a series of at least five by exhibition deadline.
Since moving back to Canada from Southern California in 1995, Jan Yates has been elected as a member of the Society of Canadian Artists and Landscape Artists International. Her work is held in collections throughout North America, Ireland, Italy, France, England and Australia and she has been awarded several grants from the Ontario Arts Council.
Yates has also garnered recognition from selected juried exhibitions and was recently awarded a residency from the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland.
For the past decade Jan has been compelled to create work directly from the land. Inspired by Canada's Emily Carr, she constructs and paints plein air in order to engage in an intimate dialogue with the natural world. She examines the correlation between her own practice and the cycle of harvest- each having faith in what the land will give. Protection and the importance of maintaining ecological integrity concerning protected land also informs her work.
Jan Yates has been an influential figure in the regional art scene, contributing her time and ideas to many community endeavours. Currently the artist is documenting the impact of Greenbelt legislation on agricultural land in Southern Ontario. Yates is also expanding her investigations to include rural communities outside of Canada. Past ventures encompass the Niagara Wine Region Painters' Alliance travelling exhibition series and mentoring at-risk youth for community art projects. She continues to teach painting and her work is represented by the Jordan Art Gallery, of which she is a partner
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