Low Down Articles
Artist Profiles - Marie-France Nitski
Article 52 of 73
From the book Artists of the Gatineau Hill by Catherine Joyce. This article first appeared in the "Artist Profiles" column in the May 18, 2005 issue of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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Celebrating the Energy of Life
Marie-France Nitski is known for her larger-than-life exuberant paintings yet at times she creates a delightful and supprising celebration of small. Suddenly this wild and open spirit funnels down into the simple, well-loved objects of everyday life - baking pans, muffin tins, cookie sheets. The brilliant colours, swirls of energy, playful animals and children, which are her signature, come to life on these enamelled surfaces. Here she offers that 'Nitski' essence - a glimmer of myth, a gift of whimsical fun.
The third child of seven, Marie-France was born in the south of France, where she was free to run through the forest, roaming hills reminiscent of the Gatineau. Her mother never worried; she trusted her children to follow their sense of adventure out into the wider world. Marie-France took this freedom as her life's motto, believing in the power of children to explore and to express Life. She studied psychology and pedagogy at the Universitée Catholique in Paris, where she confirmed her desire to work with 'difficult' children.
"I teach them how to play. I have never stopped. At first I worked with theatre, dance, music, puppetry, then masks and mural painting - all the elements I use now. I have not matured away from that passion for play, for free expression. I have intensified it. That is my art."
Life for Marie-France has been a continual exploration of this art and of the artistic expression of diverse cultures. She has travelled widely, living for a time in Chile, Bolivia, and Brazil, later visiting Mexico to research masks, and Spain to study Roman bestiary. Wherever she has gone, she has arranged exhibitions and exchanges with local artists. She is fascinated by myth, by the archetypal roots of humanity's need to express the Mysteries - Birth, Life, Death.
"I have always loved Cave Art. Those primitive drawings. Their simplicity. You can feel the bond between men and women. You can see the power of animals and children. There is a mystical connection here for me. You create something but there is always more than what you create. Children know this. They are this."
A winner of the top prize in Visual Arts at Algonquin (1982) and at Ottawa University (1991) and a regular on the Studio Tour, Marie-France has exhibited every year through myriad venues. She longs to bring art into the lives of everyday people, to take it out of the museums and galleries to where it is easy to see.
"Art helps us to live, to go through life. It must be accessible." "If more people were educated about art, they would buy it. They would be moved and know that they need this emotional connection to colour and imagery. Artists would then develop in a world where they are appreciated, each for his/her unique gift. They would be free to express themselves, to celebrate the world around them - with the wonder, trust and passion of children."
Large or small, the Nitski touch celebrates the energy of Life!