Sylvie Ringer is a visual artist who works with drawing, print media, and painting to tell stories through landscapes. She captures the essence of a scene while exploring concepts such as the mystic, legends, history, states of consciousness, trauma, and psychology. We spoke with Sylvie from her current base in Germany and learned about the depth of her atmospheric art, her strong connections to British Columbia, and where her work will take her in the new year.

SAD Mag: Usually we feature a local artist, but you’re based in Germany—what’s your connection to Vancouver and Canada?

 Sylvie Ringer: I was born in Kamloops actually, but I split my time 50/50 between Canada and Germany. I was born in Canada. I lived there until I was 8, the majority of my family lives in Canada, and we moved to Germany so I have my formal education here. Most of my shows in the past 3 years and my recent work happened in Canada. Something special happened between the people there and my work. It’s a good place for me to work, but I go where I have opportunities. Right now I am teaching Drawing at The University HAW in Hamburg for 3 semesters, which is why I am here for the moment.

 SAD: Can you tell me more about your work CRAB,ROCK,STICK,LOSS? 

SR: It consists of drawings that I made on Malcolm Island (north of Vancouver Island). The majority of the works were created onsite, and I lived off-grid when I was there, in a very small hut. The size of the works is related to the space I had and my working conditions; I was dependent on daylight. My work is always very much impacted by my direct surroundings. It’s important for me to be in the place where I want the work. Because my work was created in Malcolm Island, it carries something else than creating from photos or after the visit. 

SAD: Why is there a focus on storytelling in your work? Can you speak to the storytelling aspects of what you illustrate or choose to portray in your work? 

SR: When I started university, I studied illustration. I thought I wanted to be an illustrator because I was interested in narratives, stories, and literature. After a couple of years it was clear that I didn’t want to work as a commercial illustrator, and I was interested in my own stories; what I would find in the world. I’m interested in atmospheres, and if something is special about a place, I try to capture what is special about it. I try to research the place where I am, talk to people that live there, listen to stories, and read about the place. If other interesting facts come together, I will integrate that into the story of the image. Some works are personal stories; situations that I experienced, or that friends of mine experienced. In some ways I use landscape as a metaphor for different states of consciousness and different emotional states. 

SAD: Landscape definitely has the power to put you in emotional states or remind you of them.

SR: The idea of looking to landscape as a metaphor for the human condition is very old. I prefer to use landscape than figures because it leaves a bit more space. If you have a figure in an image, immediately all your concentration is on the figure and its facial expression. I like to keep that more open, because a lot of things are more open and not as easily-pinpointed. Something that I’ve heard a couple of times in my work is that people say it touches them in a deep way, or gives them an image for something they feel but don’t have words for. That, for me, is a wonderful compliment. If I can achieve that, that’s perfect. 

SAD: At what point did you realize that you had more room artistically to explore landscape? 

SR: I think it started in my last years at school. I did a project about small garden allotments. I started reading about hedges, gardens, and the idea of paradise. Then I learned that the word “paradise” comes from the old Arabian word “pairi daeza” which means “enclosed space,” which then refers to the fact that paradise can only exist if there is a border and if it’s separated from the rest of the world, which I thought was very interesting. Then I read about hedges and the old German word for “witch,” comes from “she who sits on the hedge.” In the Middle Ages, the hedge was the border between what was safe, and what was on the unknown outside, and witches could go between both. So in that context I started viewing the hedges, bushes, natural element from a different angle. What does it mean if the hedge is tilted to your neighbours garden? The untamed, dangerous outside?

 SAD: Your work seems to create portals to moments or imagined moments of either being there or what could be happening.

 SR: I work a lot from that moment. I do a lot of images that depict twilight scenes, which I find interesting. It’s the border between the daylight, everything is illuminated, safe...then the sun goes away, and your perception changes, nature changes, you see things differently. It’s the time where your subconscious comes up dream-like.

SAD: Are there parts of the world that appeal to you in terms of wanting to spend time there? I know you have a strong connection to BC, but have you considered going elsewhere?

SR: I’m thinking of travelling to Mexico for awhile. It’s a landscape with a lot of history that interests me; it’s landscapes and objects that I add meaning to. I’ve recently started working with tarot cards. Apparently tarot started in Italy during the time of industrialization and illumination. If everything is too rational, people look for the magic. The archetypes in tarot cards can be found in different cultures around the world. I started drawing a tarot card each morning and doing a small drawing in response to it. Usually they’re quick, one or two minute responses. I did an installation in Victoria this summer where I integrated some of these images. It was about mental states, the process of undoing trauma, and images that depict that process. 

SAD: What will you be working on for the rest of the year and into 2020? 

SR: The project I’m researching and preparing for right now is going to bring me back to Kamloops. I read about a resort north of Kamloops that Buddhist monks in the 80s determined was the centre of the universe. Monks from California were sent to find the centre of the universe. They had a bunch of tests and they somehow determined that Kamloops was the centre of the universe; including self-igniting fire, and choirs singing in the air. They offered to buy it off of the person who owned the land, but he said no...There’s a different owner now, and people come and do ceremonies. I want to investigate this place, spend time there, look at the earth, dig up the atmosphere and see what kind of images come up for me. The interesting thing about this project is that, for the first time, I’m collaborating with an art historian. She’s going to come with me and do a similar investigation in a more scientific way. I’m curious about it. 

In February/March 2020 there will be a book launch of CRAB,ROCK,STICK,LOSS in Sointula, Malcolm Island, BC. You can purchase the book on Sylvie’s website, and find Sylvie on Instagram.