Having specialized in printmaking at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, artist Heather Kocsis found that this technical foundation led her to a very distinctive technique that she now incorporates into her work. Using reclaimed, weathered plywood to construct three dimensional representations of industrial buildings, Heather layers the pieces similarly to the way she would have constructed a plate to be rolled through a press. “The layering involved in printmaking and the resulting impression of textures on the final print was what I appreciated in my studies at University, but I was looking for something more physical. With my current technique, I find the building process a catharsis and I strive to challenge myself with the problems of perspective to create a juxtaposition of strong dynamics within each piece. Architecture fascinates me; the denseness and the stability of buildings are captivating, and I attempt to shed light on these structures in an innovative way.”

While an Artist-in-Residence at KOR Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Heather gave instruction to other artists in varying printmaking methods. It was at this time that her signature style began to configure itself and she began to work with wood. The result was a solo show where Heather produced 14 substantial and stunning pieces. The subject matter was early 20 th century local warehouses and factories. Her show was incomparable to anything anyone had seen before and the integrity and reverence she infused in the depiction of each of these derelict and neglected buildings was identified by the viewers. She received encouraging press and the collection was purchased in its entirety by a Toronto collector.

Heather’s work has been aptly described as “possess(ing) the subject matter of photojournalism, the compositions of paintings, and the tactile quality of sculpture.”1 It is this tactile quality that most compels the viewer to come closer and look in and around and through her pieces. The effect of light playing on the three dimensions of the pieces allows the perspective to reconfigure and renew. The strategic use of oil paint and/or acrylic on the wood’s surfaces also adds to the illusions recreating sun or storm, clarity or clouds.

In years past, the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit has given Heather the chance to interact on a one-on-one level with the viewer and gather up responses and reflections. There seems to constantly be a motif of nostalgia that her works stir up. Heather attributes this to the fact that “we don’t have a connection to what is new, and we often feel alienated and isolated by contemporary architecture, but the old industrial buildings with their stone, brick, and wood are accessible to our collective urban experience.” And perhaps it is the use of stone, brick and wood in these old buildings that are accessible to a collective conscience that stretches further back to a time when as human beings we constructed our personal dwellings with our own hands using humble and found materials.

Her current work is a collection based on the industrial buildings of New York. She is pursuing ongoing research of important factories in all five boroughs that have strong community relevance and historical value.

Heather Kocsis is currently represented in Canada by the Petroff Gallery in Toronto, Ontario and Harbinger Gallery in Waterloo, Ontario.

1. Marshall Ward, “Kocsis’ Back Alley Blues”, Echo Newsweekly, Vol. 6. No. 2, 10.10.02

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