Bio

Olivia Richardson grew up in Whistler, British Columbia where she was always out exploring within the nature. Richardson now lives in Vancouver, where she graduated from the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual Arts program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in May 2016.

She mainly explores themes that relate to the effect that people have on nature and consumerism.

Richardson works with a variety of different mediums, which include printmaking, ceramics, and photography. She works with these mediums for the hands on effect and techniques, giving the work a sense of the artist’s hand being present. 

Artist Statement

           Having grown up in an outdoor community, I have felt that my practice has been leaning towards environmental issues, namely the impact that people have on the environment and mass consumerism. Since moving to the city, I have noticed a decrease in how humankind treats nature. They are throwing garbage away on the ground, when in most cases there is a garbage can not too far away.

            My medium of choice is photography. I use both digital and film, however, prefer to use film. I choose to work with film for the quality. I enjoy the process of film photography because the artist’s hand is present; this comes from the development of the film to the printing of the photograph itself. Film also has a texture to it, due to the grain; this makes film more unique and rough looking, versus the sharp look from digital photography. This to me adds character to the piece, adding an interesting element that cannot be seen in the crispy, cleanliness of digital photography.

            Mass Assemblage (2015), is based on the theme of mass consumption. For this work I went to a local transfer station and documented the items left behind in the metal yard. These items ranged from barbecues, to fridges, to paint cans. I wanted to show with this piece a sense of nostalgia in how these now out of date items are now a thing of the past. I felt this commented on how today’s society always seem to want to newest item on the market, despite items that may still be in perfectly good shape. These items that are left at the dump may be older, but are usually still functional in some way or another. I took inspiration for this piece from Edward Burtynsky, a Canadian photographer who looks at similar themes that I do. I find that I want to capture the beauty of garbage, just as Burtynsky does. By doing this I am making the items once again look appealing and presentable to the viewer.

            A Walk in the Woods (2016), looks at environmental issues and the impact that society currently has on nature. This work is a photographic installation, which includes large-scale photographs of landscape, smaller documentation style shots, and found objects. The found objects are garbage that I have collected from hiking trails all through out the lower mainland. By incorporating all these elements, I am hoping to bring awareness of these issues to the general public; people say they are conscious of these issues, however, they end up not doing anything to help reduce waste. If people do not start to realize how big of an impact these issues are, the natural environment will decay.

My most recent work, Environmental Endangerment (2019), looks at the impact that we, as humans, have on the environment and how we are not only destroying it, but also to other beings that live on the Earth. This work is a photographic installation, which includes 11x14 documentary photographs and found object sculptures of animals local to the Greater Vancouver area. All the found objects were garbage I documented and collected from near my house in North Vancouver. I am hoping to get people to understand that we are not only putting our own lives at risk with all the debris we are leaving behind, but also the lives of the wildlife that we share this planet with, as well as the beauty that the Earth has to offer.

            I am continuing to look at these issues and to develop the idea into something more concrete. These issues are something very personal to me, as it is an issue that needs to be addressed, for when people throw their garbage on the ground, or throw something out to buy a newer, faster gadget, it is destroying the world we live in. If people do not start to help clean up the world we live in and take better care of nature, it will soon be too late to fix it.

            Environmental issues and mass consumption are issues that people take for granted. In the end, they do not realize how much of an impact all the garbage we are leaving behind has on the earth. The fumes from the transfer depots go into the air we breathe, while other items are sent to landfills, where they are buried and left in the soil where they cannot properly decompose. These issues need to be addressed fast, for it they are not recognized, it will destroy the beautiful nature this planet has to offer.

CV

Education:

BFA 2016 Fine Arts - Visual Arts, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC

Highschool Diploma 2010 Handsworth Secondary School, North Vancouver, BC          

Group Exhibitions:

2022 Diving In: The Art of Cleaning Lakes and Oceans, Travelling Exhibition along the Sea to Sky Corridor, BC, Canada.

2019 CONFLUX, (Inaugural KPU B.F.A Alumni Exhibition), Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC.

2016 Disjointed Narratives, (BFA Graduation Exhibition), Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Cloverdale, BC.                                                    

2016 Thinking Through Process: Works from Ceramics and Sculpture, Arbutus Gallery, Surrey, BC.

2015 Phase II: Ways of Seeing, Kwantlen Fine Arts Gallery, Surrey, BC.

2015 Phase I: History and Memory, Kwantlen Fine Arts Gallery, Surrey, BC.

2014 Untitled (Open Studio 3100), Kwantlen Fine Arts Gallery, Surrey, BC.

2013 Untitled (Ceramics 2330), Arbutus Gallery, Surrey, BC.

Collections:

Public Commission, Installation, Surrey International Children’s Festival. Surrey, BC

Private Collection, Printmaking, Photography, and Ceramics. North Vancouver, BC

Private Collection, Printmaking and Ceramics. North Vancouver, BC

Private Collection, Photography. North Vancouver, BC

Private Collection, Photography, Vancouver, BC

Private Collection, Photography, Surrey, BC

Private Collection, Photography, Burnaby, BC

Private Collection, Photography, Vancouver, BC

Professional Experience:

2018 Photographer, Theatre West Van’s 2018 Christmas Production, West Vancouver, BC

2015 Station Leader, Richmond Children’s Art Festival, Richmond, BC   

2014 Volunteer, Messors Art Restoration and Conservation, Altamura, Italy    

2014 Photographer, Ringle Partners, Vancouver, BC  

Published Works:

2016 Kwantlen Polytechnic University Fine Arts 2016 Calendar, Photography  

2015 Kwantlen Polytechnic University Fine Arts 2015 Calendar, Photography    

2010 Handsworth 2010 Graduation Pamphlet Cover, Graphic Design and Photography