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Jenny Ouellet
2025 - Red Decline Series
This series explores the destruction and irreversibility of fire. Through geometric compositions reminiscent of mosaics, flames unfold in shades of orange-red, yellow, blue-grey, and yellow-grey, consuming trees and houses. Movement is ever-present, suggesting both combustion and collapse.
As in the series on floods, birds in flight cross the canvases—silent witnesses to the chaos—perhaps hinting at a thread of continuity, a glimmer of hope amid disaster. What once was, will be no more. Beyond ecological catastrophe, the series also resonates as a broader metaphor: a parallel with crumbling structures, notably the weakening of democracy south of Canada.
Incandescent Fall
Acrylic on canvas, 58" x 51"
In this composition where abstraction meets recognizable forms, a row of burning houses stretches across the horizon. Two yellow bands run along the canvas, tracing soft curves that evoke the outline of an hourglass — passing through the buildings like a silent threat or an invisible measure of accelerating time.
The flames emerge from a structure of geometric shapes, at times strict, at times organic like embers, all heightening the tension of the painting. Movements of water, also suggested, overlap without easing the scene. Here, fire and water are teammates of the same imbalance.
This incandescent fall evokes the slow breakdown of our reference points — habitats, rhythms, time — and lets linger the idea of a time that is fragmenting. A fragile balance, suspended in irreversible drift.
In this composition where abstraction meets recognizable forms, a row of burning houses stretches across the horizon. Two yellow bands run along the canvas, tracing soft curves that evoke the outline of an hourglass — passing through the buildings like a silent threat or an invisible measure of accelerating time.
The flames emerge from a structure of geometric shapes, at times strict, at times organic like embers, all heightening the tension of the painting. Movements of water, also suggested, overlap without easing the scene. Here, fire and water are teammates of the same imbalance.
This incandescent fall evokes the slow breakdown of our reference points — habitats, rhythms, time — and lets linger the idea of a time that is fragmenting. A fragile balance, suspended in irreversible drift.
Mire de feu (Fire Target)
Acrylic on canvas, 56'' x 58''
Mire de feu (Fire Target), part of the Red Decline series, offers an aerial view of a burning forest. The fire unfolds as a blaze composed of both organic and rigid geometric shapes, embodying the violence and precision of the phenomenon. Amid the flames, birds in flight — recurring symbols of hope and resilience throughout the series — cross the composition. This confrontation between destruction and vitality evokes the chaos of wildfires and nature’s persistence in the face of environmental upheaval. Through its elevated perspective, the work invites viewers to take a step back from the catastrophe, to grasp its complexity and scope.
Mire de feu (Fire Target), part of the Red Decline series, offers an aerial view of a burning forest. The fire unfolds as a blaze composed of both organic and rigid geometric shapes, embodying the violence and precision of the phenomenon. Amid the flames, birds in flight — recurring symbols of hope and resilience throughout the series — cross the composition. This confrontation between destruction and vitality evokes the chaos of wildfires and nature’s persistence in the face of environmental upheaval. Through its elevated perspective, the work invites viewers to take a step back from the catastrophe, to grasp its complexity and scope.
Red Whisper
Acrylic on canvas, 65'' x 48''
Part of the Red Decline series, Red Whisper evokes a forest fire in an atmosphere dominated by shades of gray, as if frozen at the threshold of calm. Organic geometric shapes in red, orange, and yellow unfold along the scorched outlines of trees. A yellow ribbon, taking on the appearance of a face, overlays the scene — a reminder of human presence at the heart of environmental disruption. The ground, exposed and burning, reveals roots intertwined with strict geometric forms in warm tones. This quiet piece captures the fragile moment between chaos and resilience.
Part of the Red Decline series, Red Whisper evokes a forest fire in an atmosphere dominated by shades of gray, as if frozen at the threshold of calm. Organic geometric shapes in red, orange, and yellow unfold along the scorched outlines of trees. A yellow ribbon, taking on the appearance of a face, overlays the scene — a reminder of human presence at the heart of environmental disruption. The ground, exposed and burning, reveals roots intertwined with strict geometric forms in warm tones. This quiet piece captures the fragile moment between chaos and resilience.
Étreinte Embrasée (Blazing Embrace)
Acrylic on canvas, 67'' x 51''
Étreinte embrasée (Blazing Embrace) is part of the Red Decline series. In this work, a forest is consumed by flames — not depicted literally, but through vibrant geometric forms. A few tree trunks remain visible within the blaze. The flames appear to reflect on the surface of water, creating a disturbing duality between destruction and memory. In the shadow of the fire, a curled-up figure embodies fear and fragility. Above, birds cross a smoke-filled sky — recurring symbols of resilience and hope throughout the series. The contrast between abstraction and figuration invites reflection on the emotional and ecological impact of fire, both as a natural force and as a metaphor for societal decline.
Étreinte embrasée (Blazing Embrace) is part of the Red Decline series. In this work, a forest is consumed by flames — not depicted literally, but through vibrant geometric forms. A few tree trunks remain visible within the blaze. The flames appear to reflect on the surface of water, creating a disturbing duality between destruction and memory. In the shadow of the fire, a curled-up figure embodies fear and fragility. Above, birds cross a smoke-filled sky — recurring symbols of resilience and hope throughout the series. The contrast between abstraction and figuration invites reflection on the emotional and ecological impact of fire, both as a natural force and as a metaphor for societal decline.
In the Shadow of Fire
Acrylic on canvas, 66'' x 48''
In the Shadow of Fire, part of the Red Decline series, depicts the remnants of a still-active blaze. The composition, structured in three distinct planes, offers a layered reading of the disaster. In the upper section, burning buildings are consumed by flames; the fires are represented through geometric forms, in line with the visual language of the series. In the middle, a more stable zone evokes the ground: a mosaic of static shapes in warm and gray tones that echoes the chaotic movement of the burning structures. In the lower section, a gray couple, motionless, appears to be waiting—curled up in a kind of cavern. This superimposition of planes invites reflection on the human position in the face of catastrophe — between exposure, withdrawal, and waiting.Acrylic on canvas,
In the Shadow of Fire, part of the Red Decline series, depicts the remnants of a still-active blaze. The composition, structured in three distinct planes, offers a layered reading of the disaster. In the upper section, burning buildings are consumed by flames; the fires are represented through geometric forms, in line with the visual language of the series. In the middle, a more stable zone evokes the ground: a mosaic of static shapes in warm and gray tones that echoes the chaotic movement of the burning structures. In the lower section, a gray couple, motionless, appears to be waiting—curled up in a kind of cavern. This superimposition of planes invites reflection on the human position in the face of catastrophe — between exposure, withdrawal, and waiting.Acrylic on canvas,
Burning Oscillation
Acrylic on canvas, 31'' x 58''
Burning Oscillation is the first work in the Red Decline series. Entirely abstract, it explores the power of a wildfire without using any figuration. Fire is expressed through a vibrant composition where energy, violence, and the raw force of combustion unfold. Smoke, ever-present, rises in swirling forms, while the flames spread with an almost rhythmic motion. In the lower section, a relative calm begins to emerge: gray and pinkish shapes evoke the ripples left on the water’s surface by a thrown stone — an image of resonance and propagation. This piece sets the tone for the series: an inner fire, restless and in constant transformation.
Burning Oscillation is the first work in the Red Decline series. Entirely abstract, it explores the power of a wildfire without using any figuration. Fire is expressed through a vibrant composition where energy, violence, and the raw force of combustion unfold. Smoke, ever-present, rises in swirling forms, while the flames spread with an almost rhythmic motion. In the lower section, a relative calm begins to emerge: gray and pinkish shapes evoke the ripples left on the water’s surface by a thrown stone — an image of resonance and propagation. This piece sets the tone for the series: an inner fire, restless and in constant transformation.
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