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My name is Jana Sterbak.
I am a visual artist and I live in Montreal.
I believe that if we are in the public arena,
we have certain obligations.
For this reason, I believe that to be a hermit,
to be closed to others, is pointless.
Contemporary art is a means of communication.
For me, that communication is not necessarily pleasant,
since my subject matter is not all milk and honey,
but an approach has to be possible.
In order to tackle serious subjects,
they have to be presented in such a way that potential
audiences feel motivated to confront the reality or the
ideas that we want to present to them.
Each work is distinct, not only to make my production varied,
but for my own interest as well.
If I were always doing the same thing,
I think that I would eventually be bored.
But it's also because each idea has to be worked on in the way
that best suits it.
If the idea is cold, there should be ice;
if I'm talking about the aging process,
I want it to be happening right before the eyes
of my spectators.
Thus for each work, the choice of materials is a challenge -
and not only the choice, but also what is done
with the materials.
It is true that the work of the artist demands a lot of energy,
reflection, solitude and discipline.
It is like any research - we become so immersed in the work
that we do not see what is happening in the world outside
of our discipline.
Say, for example, you visit a botanical garden: you enter an
ordinary world and are suddenly amazed by all the details that
you were unaware of during your research and work,
and everything you've been caught up in.
It is true that all of this requires a high level of
energy, and we have a lot more of that kind of energy
when we are young.
With age, I like to think that we bring another type of
reflection to our work - a more profound consideration
of our human condition.
But it is also true that the works
are perhaps less numerous.