It's this artist's favourite moth of year (and probably her favourite month too)
Winnipeg's Joanna Turner is our featured logo artist for May
Every month, we feature a new take on the CBC Arts logo created by a Canadian artist. Check out our previous logos!
Florals for spring? You bet. But here's an original twist: did you know that moths are a sign of the season? They are for Joanna Turner, a Winnipeg-based creative who contributed this month's logo design, and she told us a little more about that when we reached out to her by email.
Name: Joanna Turner
Age: 40
Homebase: Winnipeg
Let's talk about your logo! What's the concept driving the design?
The white flower moth! This endangered species can be seen again in May/June in the Spirit Dunes, a culturally and ecologically significant site in Manitoba's desert. They are a beautiful white moth that signifies spring.
Fun fact: did you know a grouping of moths is called a universe?! I have been obsessed with that idea since I learned about it last summer.
What's the project you're most proud of?
Likely my portrait collaboration with the League of Kitchens in Brooklyn, N.Y. The project intertwined my interests in the role of food as an intercultural relationship builder and the role of women in preserving cultural traditions through cooking and storytelling.
Anything new that you can tell us about? What are you working on these days?
I am in the process of licensing my art for a collection with an Australian fabric company. It's an explosively colourful piece with big, blobular flowers and lots of movement. I can't wait to get some of it and make a sun dress for the summer. I'll get to wear my own art. (I hope that's not gauche.) How cool is that?!
I'm also doing a lot of portraits of remarkable women, and lots of pictures of fresh herbs in little pots. Oh! And I am drawing a lot of vintage cars from the 1970s and 1980s with my four-year-old son.
What's your favourite place to see art?
I would have to say Qaumajuq, the new gallery building at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Qaumajuq means "it is bright, it is lit" in Inuktitut. It is such an incredible space, not to mention home of the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world.
Who's the last artist you discovered online?
I discover new artists daily, and I love that community! Nelly Edwards, Sharon Nullmeyer and Rebecca Bradley are some of my favourites right now.
What work of art do you wish you owned?
An original Wendy MacNaughton. Strawberry Thief by William Morris for wallpaper. Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.
Where can we see more from you?
My portfolio and my Insta (which is updated almost daily).
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
