Root, Tracy

“Some of my most powerful paintings have come out of tumultuous times that
I could not express any other way. Painting for me is second nature … like breathing almost and sometimes a very healing act.”
– Tracy Root
(ArtCanada.net, Interview by Ann-Marie Cheung, May 17, 2018)

Biography Artist's Statement

Tracy Root was born in Shropshire, England, and immigrated to Canada in 1966 at the age of two. Root attended the University of Windsor where she studied Fine Arts, and now lives in London, Ontario.

Tracy Root was among four London artists commissioned in 2012 to paint murals to combat graffiti in the city. Root’s mural is located along the bike trail beneath the Oxford Street bridge. Depicting a cheerful landscape, the 16-metre wide work took Root nearly 350 hours to complete. Two years later, Root was commissioned by the London Arts Council to paint a mural at the London Convention Centre (now RBC Place). The finished work stretches approximately 1090 square feet (101.2 square metres) across the indoor Pedway connecting RBC Place and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (formerly the London Hilton Hotel).

In 2017, Root held an exhibition at London’s Satellite Project Space, showcasing works focusing on the Old East Village. Root’s goal was to dispel the negative reputation of the neighborhood, highlighting the area’s beauty and the changes it has undergone. Root has held a studio in the Old East Village for 20 years.

Tracy Root’s work, recognizable for its use of bright colours and strong brushstrokes, is found in art galleries in the United States, Canada, and Europe. While Root paints mainly with oils, she employs acrylic when painting murals, and watercolour and ink for her illustrative works.
The subjects of Root’s art are most often landscapes and figuratives, both separately and together.

Biography by Natalka Duncan and Luvneet K. Rana

SOURCES

Belanger, Joe. “On the canvas: The Art of Aesthetic as Form; Landscape and the Figure, a new collection by London artist Tracy Root.” The London Free Press,
March 17, 2015, https://lfpress.com/2015/03/17/on-the-canvas-the-art-of-aesthetic-as-form-landscape-and-the-figure-a-new-collection-by-london-artist-tracy-root/wcm/d51f1401-d8a3-1a25-c947-706e276dc369/.

Boisvert, Nick. “Artist under the bridge, painting over the top \ Public Art: Artist Tries to Strike a Balance.” The London Free Press, October 26, 2012.

Brown, Dan. “Artist Tracy Root aims to portray beauty of London’s Old East Village in paintings.” The London Free Press, September 1, 2017. https://lfpress.com/2017/09/01/artist-tracy-root-aims-to-portray-beauty-of-londons-old-east-village-in-paintings/wcm/7bf3e1f8-5f56-b4ea-deea-9311167c202f/.

Cheung, Ann-Marie. “Tracy Root – Art Canada.” Art Canada (Interview, May 17, 2018), http://www.artcanada.net/tracy-root/.

Daniszewski, Hank. “Attacked by graffiti vandals, four public spaces in London are now showpieces for colourful murals by local artists.” The London Free Press,
November 30, 2012. https://lfpress.com/2012/11/30/attacked-by-graffiti-vandals-four-public-spaces-in-london-are-now-showpieces-for-colourful-murals-by-local-artists/wcm/59305b99-abc6-4d80-d7c7-cda32acafd92/.

Root, Tracy. “Artist Profile, tracy-root-studio.” Tracy Root – Contemporary Fine Artist. https://www.tracyroot.com/artist-profile.

Root, Tracy. “Murals, tracy-root-studio.” Tracy Root – Contemporary Fine Artist. https://www.tracyroot.com/murals.

Sharma, Shobhita. “Works of art replace graffiti tags.” The Londoner, December 6, 2012.

I am an observer, a critic and a narrator. My role, first and foremost, is to visually enhance and emotionally touch the lives of others. If one person can rethink their idea of beauty, reconsider an opinion, avoid making a swift judgement, or gain a deeper understanding or awareness, I have done what’s intended.

“I believe as an artist we should always be evolving both on the canvas and in our perceptions of the life and natural world surrounding us.”

My palette is very important and the use of colour is a strong component in my style. I rarely use black. Instead, I blend colours from the primaries with deep, often obvious brushstrokes directly onto the canvas. I use hues to connect with and attract viewers, welcoming them to forge deeper into the painting, enveloped in the narrative.

Artist’s Statement Courtesy of Tracy Root

CV Courtesy of Tracy Root