Madison Tyrell

Madison Tyrell’s journey as an artist began with a deep curiosity about the unseen workings of the world around her. 

Growing up in Canada, she was heavily influenced by the Group of Seven, particularly by artists like Lawren Harris, Emily Carr, and A.Y. Jackson, who captured the dramatic beauty of the Northwestern landscape. This early exposure to the possibilities of light and movement in art, combined with the inspiration she drew from contemporary artists like Alex Kanevsky, Adan Lee, and Edwidge Fouvy during her university years, motivated her to pursue art as a means to explore and express her spiritual nature. The natural environment of Canada, with its vast forests and dynamic seasons, provided inspiration that continues to inform her work today.

Tyrell primarily works with oil paints. Her process begins with priming her linen and building her works from the ground up. She uses large brushes, oil pastels, medium washes, and rags, often scrubbing away previous ideas to reveal the final form. She also creates digital collages from her photographic archive, which serve as a starting point for her compositions and color palettes. This approach allows her to remain open to inspiration and adapt her work as it evolves.

The evolution of her style over the years reflect her ongoing exploration of the deep connections between humans, nature, and the spaces we inhabit.

Her creative process is fluid and intuitive, often driven by the unpredictable arrival of inspiration. Tyrell's method involves quickly capturing these moments of inspiration and guiding them into place, starting with loose ideas and allowing the work to develop organically. She carefully balances control and spontaneity, pushing her pieces beyond their initial state to uncover hidden potential. This dynamic approach has helped her refine her technique, enabling her to create informed and cohesive works that convey a clear artistic vision. Each piece is a journey, beginning with a digital collage that mixes different moments and memories, which then evolves through various stages of layering and refinement until the final composition is achieved.

The central themes in Tyrell’s work revolve around the spiritual sensations experienced within natural settings and the interaction between these spaces and urban environments. Her paintings express the otherworldly aspects of nature, using scenes, perspectives, and transparent figures to evoke the sensation of recalling a dream. Her works often feature traces of man-made elements, representing the spatial divide between human constructs and the harmony found in nature. This motif underscores the tension and interplay between the natural world and urbanity, prompting viewers to reconsider their experiences and connections to these spaces. By exploring these themes, Tyrell encourages a deeper reflection on how natural and urban environments coexist and influence human perception and memory.