Celeste Drouin Davis’ practice is personal and observational in nature, drawing upon her diary writings to create poetic works. The diary is a deeply personal place, where richer emotions are expressed, but are hidden amongst meaningless small talk.
Celeste is heavily inspired by Walter Benjamin’s theory on the aura of works, as well as John Cage’s lecture on nothing. Working within the realms of the digital and physical, with a pencil or a stylus in her hand, Celeste creates works which are either in the relatability of the human, or in the distance of digitalisation.
Equinox to Equinox (2021-2022)
Artist book: waxed thread, canvas, inkjet print
Equinox to Equinox is a six-month project that spanned from September 2021 to February 2022. Over a period of six months, coinciding with Equinoxes (changes in the sun’s path in the horizon) the artist logged each photograph and each diary entry taken. These diaries and photographs turned into an archive from which Celeste would make work. This book is a collection of the haikus, reflections of each month, and illustrations inspired by photographs taken during this time.
07:23 1/10/2022 (2022)
Artist Book: Tracing paper, thread, typewriter, water soluble crayon, corrector tape.
Amongst the mundanities of everyday life is the task of waiting for the bus. This poem reflects on the sudden realisation of being alive and appreciating the moment. Taking the time to listen to the birds, cars and watching the sun rise on an autumn morning. The book develops progressively alongside the poem, with colour and text becoming a symphony to the subjects mentioned. Greater emphasis is given to the poem by the materials and their fragility.
Untitled (2023)
Printed digital collage. (framed)
Celeste’s work has always had a deep relationship with her personal life. This collage is a collection of some images from her archive. This piece was inspired by the low moods experienced by the artist during winter, with one of the lines of the poem reading ‘the only Christmas lights I see are traffic lights’, a quote which deeply impacted the use of bold and dark colours, a regular occurrence of traveling home at night.
