Watch an artist at work! Jill Stanton creates her mural for ‘The Scene’ in this behind-the-scenes time-lapse:
Jill Stanton is a mainstay of Edmonton’s vibrant mural scene. Her work graces the walls of public and corporate spaces across the city, including the Varscona Theatre, Kingsway Mall, and Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour School. Her personal vision and skill have also taken her to cities across North America, working on commission and participating in mural festivals in Texas, Oklahoma, Winnipeg, Vancouver and more.
This mural depicts a still life composition in which Stanton has used visual illusions typically associated with landscape painting, such as atmosphere perspective, to make these otherwise banal objects feel monumental. While the composition stretches majestically into the horizon, emulating a vast mountain range, it is in fact made up of colossal piles of garbage. The exaggerated and familiar forms overwhelm and dwarf the viewer, conjuring the quiet action of starting contemplatively across a grand vista, while considering one’s place within it.
Jill Stanton, Grand Vista, 2021. Acrylic latex, 26’ 5”x 15’ 6”. Courtesy of the Artist. Installation view of The Scene, Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, 2021. Photo: Art Gallery of Alberta.