Bio

Zachary Ayotte is a Canadian artist living in Edmonton, AB.

His practice is rooted in photography. Ayotte graduated from the University of Alberta with a BA in Art and Design and studied photographic technology at the North Alberta Institute of Technology. He has participated in select solo and group exhibitions in Canada and Europe. Most recently, he collaborated with sound artists Nulle Part to create a site specific installation at the Art Gallery of Alberta.

CV

Statement

Transformation is a central theme for my work. Innate to my practice is the belief that humans are constantly transforming and that our natural state is a fluid one. Expanding upon that belief, my photographs represent moments of transformation, both human and energetic. These moments allow me to reflect on how transformation effects the body and on how the ability to change is shaped by the spaces we occupy.

I consider physical space as both a site of transformation and an element of a much large spatial system. It is through this lens and through personal experience that I am able to recognize certain spaces as environments that facilitate rest and change. These spaces - often domestic, natural or nocturnal - tend to be removed from casual observation. For this reason, the idea of intimacy or transformation through closeness often plays a role in my work.

At its core, photography is about light on a surface and how light can change a surface and give it new meaning. I believe that is true of the subject of an image as well. Light allows us to see something, perhaps in a way that we could not before. I enjoy that duality: light transforming paper and light transforming a subject. In this sense, light is also integral to my work and to our ability to translate. It is always my hope that by combining light and surface, I am able to make something into more than the sum of its parts. Through this approach and my understanding of body, light and space, I am able to consider the transitional nature of light and form in spaces and on paper.

Studio, inquiries, commissions: please contact info@zacharyayotte.com

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