Relics | Cameron Zebrun

My evolving fascination with exploring ideas about our environment in visual, abstract, and non-traditional ways energizes and motivates me. By observing and collecting images, experiences, and emotional responses, my artwork records the patterns and forces that nature enacts on the environment; the essence of nature's abstract forms interests me the most.  

Recently, my engagement with the natural world has introduced a wide range of sources, including an examination of geological time and its effects on the land, our human need to catalog, interrupt, and conquer our environment, and the impacts of climate change brought on by our activities.  

My practice focuses on sculpture and collage. My sculptures are neither wholly paintings nor sculptures, although they embody both processes. They are made from wood and painted with oils and watercolors. My sculptures utilize the color and textures offered by their wooden surfaces. I often incorporate colored plexiglass and collage elements as well. Working with my hands to create my sculptures is satisfying, recognizing the importance of fine craftsmanship to strengthen my statement. My audience responds to my sculptures’ coloration, mysterious abstract compositions, and unique forms. The convex shapes I use suggest abstract representations of kayaks, surfboards, and arched forms found in nature, like the edge of a waterfall, the profile of a mountain ridge, or the crest of a wave. I also reference the language of cartography and topography on my sculptures’ surfaces.  

As for my collage work, I have accumulated a vast catalog of photographic images over the years, both original and found. I create compositions on a computer that manipulate and combine elements from my photographic collection. My collage-based work explores ideas about our environment in an open-ended way, allowing the audience to provide their own stories. Through the beauty of the objects, images, and presentation, my role with these works is to draw the viewer in and let their experience with the work evolve.

Image: Summit by Cameron Zebrun, 2024 Oil, Wood, Watercolor; 52H x 12W x 4D”