Inspired by the Vibrating World

Rhythm is at the essence of Lynn Urban’s visual art—music, pattern, the rhythms of daily life, and the ineffable vibration at the heart of existence.

“Using mark-making, symbolisms, vibrating colour, and repetitive line, my interpretations suggest the rhythms of life and nature, the echo of sound, the roar of the surf, or nature’s stillness. My compositions represent the essential reverberation of the spirit—the life force,” she says.

Lynn’s work straddles the border between abstract and figurative, influenced by Emily Carr, the Group of Seven, and Fauvism. Subject matter ranges from the local—the forest, whales, salmon, and loons of coastal British Columbia—to the international, drawing on impressions from Lynn’s travels around the world.

When travelling in Mexico, Lynn visited museums and excavation sites, spurring an interest in pre-Columbian pottery. When she returned home, she created a series of paintings reflecting the humour in some of the clay figures and pots she saw. The resulting work is brightly coloured and playful.

“I hope people seeing my work can laugh. People don’t need to take art too seriously. We can get humour out of it or simply feel good as we enjoy the composition and colour.”

A classical musician as well as a painter and printmaker, Lynn spends a couple of hours a day playing her violin. She also listens to music while she paints. “Mostly Baroque—everything from Vivaldi to Corelli to Bach to Haydn, and also Spanish and Cuban music,” says Lynn.

“The principles in music are the same as visual art—rhythm, line, colour, form, and repetition,” she says. Both sound and colour are, at their essence, vibrations, she points out.

Contact Lynn: Lynurban@gmail.com

See Lynn’s work on Denman Island: Visit her studio, by appointment only, and keep an eye out for exhibits featuring Lynn’s work.