Engineer's Dream

About Engineer's Dream

This contemporary mixed media wall composition by Rod Mireau is made of oil paint, wood and ink.

The evocative artwork of Rod Mireau has won him many prestigious corporate, domestic and international commissions. The Peterborough-based artist is known best for his masterful woodworking techniques—both traditional and modern. Mireau grew up in farm country—the Saskatchewan prairie. Early images of wheat fields, broken machinery and wooden farm buildings have inspired the form and themes of his own sculptural work. His new work, like this composition, features an inspired mix of media—the top half of this piece is painted and appears to be a moody, cloud-filled gray-blue sky. Below, a highly textured field of intricately woven wood fragments in a rich dark brown evokes images of the earth and offers a dramatic contrast.

“I have begun to introduce new materials, including metals, plastics and paint. While wood continues to be central in my work, this use of a more diverse range of materials allows me to explore new sculptural possibilities and opens up my work to a broader dialogue.” Rod Mireau

Rod Mireau was born in Saskatchewan (1971). Mireau studied sculpture at the Ontario College of Art and Design (1993 – 1997). He has exhibited in New York and across Ontario with a 2018 solo exhibition at The Art Gallery of Peterborough. Mireau received an Ontario Arts Grant in 2006 and the Award of Excellence at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition in 2008. He creates commissioned work for both public and commercial spaces. Mireau’s work is held in private and corporate collections in Canada, the USA, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.