Artist Jared Boechler is Saskatoon born but currently based in Norway. He creates paintings that are perfectly uneasy and quietly creepy.
Fear of the unnatural and the unknown flow through Boechler's work. The framing and light reference the use of photography to capture a moment, especially in the unsettlingly simple interior scenes that hint at something unseen. In Boechler's portrait paintings, the face is always concealed or turned away from the viewer, which add to their drama and suspense. They remind us simultaneously of hooded religious figure portraits from the Renaissance and the contemporary subjects painted by Karel Funk.
Jared Boechler's practice encompasses both the surreal and the banal, and manages to execute both in a manner that effectively disconcerts the viewer. Also, the paint handling of each work is impressive and makes each piece a stunning illusion, despite the possibility of its existence. He is taking his practice in a new direction by incorporating scents, and we can't wait to learn more!
