Artist Statement

Tiffany Wollman is a contemporary artist of Metis and mixed European ancestry. She grew up mostly on an acreage in between wheat fields outside of the city. First she studied Fashion Design before travelling and accepting an invitation to study fine art at the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary/Mohkinstsis.

Motivated by a sensitivity to the passing of time and sense of responsibility to protect the land and water, Wollman’s painting practice is paced between periods of productive energy and quiet reflection. Her art is animated by layers, colours, and staccato-like brushstrokes. Her mellifluous palette is suspended somewhere between the synthetic hues of coloured pencils and subdued tones of the earth, simultaneously referencing the natural and artificial ingredients of representation. Figures floating in water, landscapes, family portraits including assemblies of Metis ancestors and her daughter our handled in a way to evoke the possibility of anywhere or anyone with specificity. For her drawings, Wollman utilizes the ease of control of pencils to develop speed and translucency in her portrayals of innocence, surrender, and desire. These drawings influence paintings and are artworks on their own.

Art Practice

Tiffany Wollman’s painting and public art practices are diverse. Her most recent mural work was this past Summer in Banff at the Whyte Museum. To correlate with the museums exhibition she was given the topic of birds significant to her indigenous culture. After much research and consideration she decided to paint a goose. A secondary wall painted several more birds. She combined various spray paint and brush techniques. The other two sides of the mural cube were painted by artist *****.

Tiffany’s largest mural spans over 130 feet including both east and west entrances to the 64th avenue pedestrian underpass at Nose Hill Park in Calgary. The style is reductive, minimal, vibrant, and colorful. The process involved consultation with the local community organizations, The City of Calgary, and Blackfoot Elders. She produced to scale hand drawings to share her ideas and then replicated the design onto the walls.

The inspiration and influence for the mural were the plants and flowers of Nose Hill that are significant to Blackfoot culture and the idea of Matisse’s cutouts. The colors carefully chosen were influenced with the communities desire to brighten the space to be friendlier and to reduce graffiti. Preparing the surface, priming the concrete, using high quality his pigment outdoor paint, and applying an anti-graffiti coat was important to increase the life of the mural.

Over the last decade she has also trained and worked on various projects as a scenic painter on both film and in theatre. Most recently painting backdrops to be sent to The Met Opera in New York City, Cinderella in Chicago, and for Wicked to tour the UK. Employing many different painting methods and mediums to achieve various affects and illusions at grand scales. This Summer before the film industry went on strike she worked on “The Order”. Accumulating interior and exterior painting experience on various types of surfaces.

This has also occurred with her private commissions to paint signage and logos for local companies usually on the sides of buildings. Aluminum, steel, cinderblock, brick, stucco, etc. are a few of the exterior surfaces she has painted on. Depending on the project she will determine whether to use a grid, projection, a pounce method, or freehand.

Wollman has a studio art practice as well, where she paints with traditional oil paints on canvas. Her preferred subject matter is water, trees and portraits. Her style has elements of impressionism mixed with reductive, minimalist, and graphic qualities. Her palette is usually softer. She studied fine art and painting, graduating with honours from the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary. She recently began working with Calgary Arts Development as a Public Art Project Lead and is looking forward to facilitating significant public art projects and programming to her hometown Calgary/Mohkinstsis.