Short Bio
Welcome to my website!
Click on my Selected Works Gallery in the menu on the left to see examples of my work.
Claire Murgatroyd is originally from Waterdown, Ontario and is now based in Vancouver as a multi-disciplinary artist. Her artistic creations of functional, kinetic, magnetic, abstract, 2D and 3D mediums have gained her recognition as an artist with a distinct voice.
Installation works include: "The Love Your Self Seat", "The Soak Your Self Seat on Livingstone Lake", "Eartha The Snapping Turtle", "Venus and Eartha", "Three Wishes: Seven Psychic Shields" and "The Fairy Ring Cloakroom" featuring "The Owl Strix Wings".
Top Image: "Full Bloom Flowers" Commercial sign work located 831 Commercial Drive, Vancouver.
" promoting confidence and personal exploration in the trades and the arts"
- Claire Murgatroyd
This image is from the Gallery "Out of The Woodwork"
Place des Arts
"The world will give you as much love as you give yourself"
- The Love Your Self Seat
This custom upholsterd "Love Your Self Seat" sofa is richly textured in a yellow honeycomb/hexagon motif. "The Shower of Light" above it casts a deep golden glow. Originally a discarded cast iron bath tub, one side of it has been cut away to create a multi-layered work of functional art.
The "Love Your Self Seat" is intended to inspire positive values and spiritual awareness. If people are conscious of how important their internal thoughts are, in this case, the subject of "loving one's self" this can deeply affect quality of life. The internal "4D thought-form" acts like a blueprint that forms our personal 3D reality.
On a spiritual level our thoughts are brought to life on a moment to moment basis using the electrical charge of our emotions causing either positive or negative results. In applying this theory, the world will give you as much love as you give yourself.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/tricitynews/entertainment/94867824.html
Please visit "Exhibitions" on the top left menu
Awards
"created to deflect negativity and emit truth and love"- The Pentagram "Apple" Psychic Shield
When you slice an apple transversally you discover a five pointed star which is the origin of the pentagram. (Graves, R., The White Goddess, 1948) The upright pentagram or pentacle is a popular symbol from the science of alchemy that has long been believed to be a potent symbol for protection. The Pentagram Apple Psychic Shield was created to deflect and neutralize negativity by emitting truth and love into the multi-verse.
Please go to the Selected Works Gallery on the left to view other Psychic Shields from this series.
Medium: cold formed and cast aluminum
2010 Wearable Art Awards "Olympic" Category winner!
Port Moody, City of the Arts
Please visit:
www.straight.com/article-292917/vancouver/award-winners-art-wears-many-meanings
Best in Show + Best in Category : Wearable Art Competition, Port Moody Arts Centre (2004)
Helen Pitt Award (1997)
Beyond Borders College Art Competition
Western Washington University (1997)
Friends Of Emily Carr Award (1997)
Sculpture Award , Langara College (1995)
Manual Skills Award , Langara College (1995)
Graphic Technician: Faculty Award ,
Conestoga College, Kitchener, Ontario (1980)
Wearable Art
"seek and reveal all truths" - The Owl Strix Wings
The owl is a bird that represents wisdom. With it's superior oracular power, not only can the owl see in the dark and fly silently it can accuratly pinpoint and identify any sound. Symbolically, where others can be deceived, the "Owl Strix Wings" wearer will seek and reveal all truths.
Each feather of the "Owl Strix Wings" has been cold formed from recycled aircraft aluminum. The feathers are attached to a frame of cable developed from aluminum and rubber tubing. This frame allows the wings to have great flexibility. The wings are stabilized to the human body with a cast aluminum "wish bone". This wish bone is the clavicle or collarbone that enables the wearer to carry the "Owl Strix Wings" into flight.
These images are of internationally recognised local dancer Alvin Erasga Tolentino.
http://www.companyerasgadance.ca/en/swan.htm/
Alvin attended the opening of the installation "The Fairy Ring Cloakroom" at the Roundhouse Community Center which included the "Owl Strix Wings". After viewing this exhibition he was inspired to collaborated with me, thus creating his successful work titled "Swan Diva". Alvin performed Swan Diva at the following venues; Reinventing the Diva Festival, Western Front, Vancouver (1998), F.I.D.A. Dance Festival, Toronto and Montreal (1999) and Dancing on the Edge Festival, Vancouver (1999)
The photograph is is by Kiku Hawkes Photography