“Through the repetition of ambiguous forms as well as the recurring imagery of edges and objects or structures deemed peripheral, I am interested in attempting to reconstruct the complex and fragmentary phenomenon of perception and the desire to recapture fleeting moments which inevitably evade us. My work is engaged with creating environments in which the process of reproducing, abstracting, and translating found images or provisional “models” alludes to an inner psychological, perceptual space which is constantly analyzing, prioritizing, erasing, and substituting. By drawing reference to previous art historical works as well as translating my own preliminary “prototypes” (such as architectural paper maquettes and distorted photocopies) into different media, my work ultimately (and paradoxically) responds to both itself and the grander scheme of the artistic process: that of seeing and, subsequently, the inevitable loss that occurs when representation falls short of reality.”

Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Paula McLean received a Bachelor of Fine Art in Studio Art with a specialization in painting from Concordia University in 2017. Currently an MFA candidate at the University of Waterloo, McLean has exhibited at several regional galleries including Propeller Gallery in Toronto; Art Mûr Gallery, Montreal; the Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant; and Forest City Gallery, London. A recipient of the Keith and Win Shantz Scholarship, McLean was a studio assistant for Ireland-based painter Ciarán Murphy in the summer of 2018.