Leichner, Pierre

Although we live in a period of great wealth, there continues to exist poverty and hunger; although we are increasingly aware of our environment, we continue to damage it incredibly; and although we have made great strides in understanding human diseases, we struggle to provide person centered care and promote health. There is now growing evidence that participation in the arts promotes health and well being in individuals and their community. It is therefore critical that artists explore collaboratively within their communities the issues that confront people of all ages. I describe myself as an interdisciplinary research artist. I am a full-time artist since finishing my MFA studies in 2011. My practice has now evolved to be a composite of socially engaged art, environmental art, and installation art. I use various mediums as needed to explore an issue and because of my interest in creating multisensory works to better understand and communicate. I work on two intertwined tracts: a socially /politically engaged one and one of personal inquiry. I believe art has lost its place to science, business and entertainment as a way of knowing. Most of my research focuses on our environment, and mental health and consciousness. I am a member of the Gallery Gachet and the Art Is Land Network artists’ collectives, on the board of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver and on the Emily Carr Alumni board.