Andrew Morrow on CHUO TODAY at 5 pm

I know it’s short notice, but there is an exciting interview today with Quebec painter and video artist Andrew Morrow: Today, Wednesday at 5 pm, on CHUO-FM89. Andrew’s work is currently on view at Patrick Mikhail Gallery.

THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO STOP IT, is an exhibition of Morrow’s recent paintings. That’s his first solo exhibition with the gallery.

http://www.patrickmikhailgallery.com/exhibitions/2011-11-16_andrew-morrow/

Morrow’s classical landscapes and highly sexualized scenes are challenging (sometimes even disturbing) and demonstarte his sophisticated painting technique.

You can find a brief review on Andrew’s exhibition at the CUAG from last Spring here:

http://visualencounter.blogspot.com/2011/01/disturbing-and-energetic-4-ottawa.html


Looking forward to his interview!

Link to CHUO

Sketch @ Saw Gallery

"Sketch" @ Saw Gallery

Great show! On Friday, November 25^th, 2011, the “Sketch!” fundraiser at Saw Gallery was a huge success – according to the crowd! The walls are covered with drawings, prints and collages by more than 175 artists, prices started with $10. Amazing!

"Sketch" @ Saw Gallery

Artists included e.g. Joyce Westrop, Karina Bergmans, Adrian Göllner, Howie Tsui, Eric Walker, Michael ZEKE Zavacky, . There was also a spotlight on Cape Dorset artists in a separate room.

 

"Sketch" @ Saw Gallery

 

 

"Sketch" @ Saw Gallery

"Sketch" @ Saw Gallery

http://www.galeriesawgallery.com/sawgallery.html

The Art of Finding the right X-mas Gift

One month to go: then it’s X-mas! I have to confess I’m already excited about it. And this year I’m actually thinking about buying unique and local works of art as X-mas gifts. The best: In the next few weeks, some pretty amazing X-mas art and craft sales, fundraising events and jewellery shows will take place here in Ottawa.

That’s my list of upcoming art events. It might not be exhaustive, so I’m happy for any comment on other opportunities to buy unique works of art by local artists. So have fun shopping for art!


Jewellery and Fashion Event for Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Program

@ Wall Space Gallery

What to expect: Eco-friendly holiday styles from Green Tree Eco Fashion and jewellery by local jewellery artists, to be exhibited down a “runway” by real-life models in the community. Jewellery designs by Lirical, Tai Knots, Kathryn Rebecca, Fluid, Alexandra Temple, Lover Fighter, JMBCanada and many more!

When: Wednesday, November 23rd, 6-8 pm
Where: 358 Richmond Road, Westboro Village
Entrance fee: A $20 suggested donation is your ticket for entry and a portion of the jewellery sales will be donated to Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Programs.

www.wallspacegallery.ca


Sketch

@ SAW Gallery

What to expect: Artists, non-artists, animators, designers and architects band together for an unique holiday fundraiser. Sketches, drawings and collages - with most works priced affordably, this fundraiser is an ideal place to buy original works of art! The fundraising party will include DJs, entertainment and door prizes, and will feature works by internationally acclaimed artists in a silent auction. All proceeds of the sales will go toward Galerie SAW Gallery programming activities.

When: Friday, November 25, 2011 from 8PM to 2AM
Where: 67 Nicholas Street, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Entrance fee: $5 at the door
www.galeriesawgallery.com


27th Annual Holiday Art Sale

@ Ottawa School of Art

What to expect: This art sale features a wide range of unique and affordable works of art, perfect for collecting or gift-giving. All works are created by the students, instructors and alumni of the OSA in a wide variety of media, sizes and prices. This event provides an opportunity to see the variety of techniques and styles of work that are continually being generated by the Ottawa School of Art community.

When: Opening reception: Dec. 1, 5-8 p.m. Works will be on display from Dec. 1-18, 2011
Where: 35 George St., Byward Market
Entrance fee: Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

www.artottawa.ca


LUCK! 2011

@ Council for the Arts in Ottawa

What to expect: Now’s the chance to get lucky and become the new owner of an original work of art by an outstanding Ottawa artist at the Council for the Arts in Ottawa’s favourite fundraiser!
For a $100 ticket you are guaranteed to get a wonderful addition to your art collection. Works by 40 artists are represented. You just have to come with your ticket and try your luck When your number is drawn you take your pick. Share in everyone's luck! For $25 you can enjoy a fun evening of art, desire and serendipity.

When: December 1, 2011, 6 - 9 p.m
Where: Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave., Ottawa
Entrance fee: Art Draw Tickets: $100
Event Only Tickets: $25

http://www.arts-ottawa.on.ca/events/luck/2011/index-en.php


Seasons Greetings Craft Fair

@ Stittsville Arena

What to expect: This Annual Craft Fair is a fundraiser for the Ottawa Humane Society. The Artisans represent a wide variety of crafts which include fine jewellery, stoneware pottery, wooden toys, quilted hand bags, knitting, stained glass hockey players and other sports figures, candles, Christmas decorations, oil paintings and gift cards. The items for sale range in value from stocking stuffers to high end jewellery and stained glass panels.

When: November 26 & 27th, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: in the upper Hall at the Stittsville Arena, 10 Warner-Colpitts Lane
Entrance fee: There is no admission fee and the upper hall is accessible by elevator.

http://www.craftersnetwork.ca/showlist.htm

“Dunya (Part two)” by Ottawa-based artists Dipna Horra

Dunya (Part two) by Dipna Horra, courtesy by the artist

An old-fashioned, golden dressing table with mirror. A golden chair standing in front of it. On the dressing table plenty of handpicked red roses and yellow, white and orange dahlia floating in a water bowl. The flowers find their equivalent in the light orange flower design of the seat cover. We hear voices and sounds telling the tale of the Hindu Goddess Parvati.

Dunya (Part two) by Dipna Horra, courtesy by the artist

This installation “Dunya (Part Two)” by Ottawa artist Dipna Horra was part of an exhibition at the Pink Gallery, Berlin, this summer. The exhibition "...Into GOLD" dealed with the material and meaning of the legendary Gold. But the main focus was not the solid substance or a pure representation of gold; rather the spiritual aspects of this treasure. In installations of various objects, sound and video, the artists referred to larger narratives.

In Dipna's case, the story of her grandmother combined with the dressing chair and the mirror as symbols of vanity are strongly reflected by the shiny, golden metal. The titel of the work “Dunyā” is the Arabic and Punjabi word for the temporal world and its earthly concerns and possessions in opposition to the spiritual realm.

Based on a parable told by the artist’s grandmother, Dipna Horra’s "Dunya (Part two)" animates a found object with sounds and voices recounting a tale of the Goddess Parvati’s quest for material wealth. Horra’s interest in storytelling is combined with a background in architecture and multi media installations.

Dipna is an multi-media artist with focus on media explorations and interdisciplinary collaborations. She deals with identity issues, hybridity, and transcultural synthesis of materials and thoughts. Areas of primary investigation for the artist are space, time, myth and migration as they relate to cultural identity.

Dipna has completed a Masters of Fine Art at the University of Ottawa, with a focus in sound installations; and is now preparing research for her doctoral thesis. She has worked in architecture and art education in New York and Canada. Her works could be seen in Canada, New York, Dubai, U.A.E., Berlin and London, U.K. I am looking forward to see more of her installations!

To get an impression, take a look at her web site that is an amazing new media experiment: www.dipnahorra.com


About the Berlin exhibition:

...Into GOLD

With works by:

Dipna Horra & Can Henne


Exhibition at Pink Gallery, Berlin:

August 19 - 28, 2011

Supported by Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council

http://www.pinkgallery.de/Exhibit/ig.htm

Ottawa Art Expo 2011

Sara Chivot's booth at the Ottawa Art Expo 2011

Last weekend was the Toronto International Art Fair (TIAF). For 4 days, leading Canadian and international art galleries presented their artists in a dynamic visual art event. And so exciting: The AXA Art event exhibiting Vogue magazine photos by Erwin Blumenfeld from the early 1950’s. Blumenfeld I wrote my Ph.D. Thesis about! (http://webdoc.sub.gwdg.de/diss/2009/werner_a/) But guess who had no chance to go there? Me!

Nevertheless, I tried my best to get some cultural input last weekend and the advertisements for the Ottawa Art Expo caught my attention. Despite the fact that is tiny, tiny comparing to the TIAF, I was impressed with the broad spectrum of media, topics and approaches towards contemporary visual arts. And the artists had the chance to represent themselves!

A few artists in particular caught my attention:

Eryn O'Neill: I love her studio interiors!

Eryn O’Neill

Her interior studies of her studio with canvasses on easels, painting tools, folding chairs, step ladders etc. is amazing. She has been focusing on using the environment of her Glebe studio as the source of her current work. The tranquility and the impact of light that shines through big windows in the open space emphasize the artistic process.

As she states on her web site: “The above body of work addresses my practice through the role my studio plays in the creative process. I am painting the action that occurs before the work is fully realized. The tension that exists between the artist and the blank canvas, waiting to be activated by the artists hand is a moment that requires patience, determination and full autonomy. This is a time consuming and often frustrating experience.” In particular the paintings that show canvasses in verso caught my attention, reminding me at Velazquez’ (Las Meninas of course!) and Rembrandt’s studio interiors…

Also interesting are her oil paintings of reflecting surfaces like shop windows and storefronts…

http://www.eofineart.com/index2.html

Sara Chivot in her booth.

Sara Chivot

Mixed-media artist Sara Chivot, who is also located in Ottawa, presented her abstract pieces. They are rich in texture and color - I love her dark blue paintings! Sara uses natural materials such as leather, stones, handmade paper and sand to create exciting and unpredictable effects on canvas and on wood. The interesting texture of the paint layers are clearly made by using a palette knife.

http://sarachivot.webs.com/

Gordon Harrison in his booth

Gordon Harrison

Talking about the use of palette knifes and strong paint textures: Gordon Harrison presented his Canadian Landscapes at the Ottawa Art Expo. The exhibited paintings in oil are characteristic with his bold use of colour and remind me strongly at the Group of Seven....

http://www.gordonharrisongallery.com/

J.P. Leclair with some of his amazing assemblages

 J.P. Leclair

Really impressive assemblages were shown by J. P. Leclair. As he mentioned, he was strongly impressed by Joseph Cornell. Like this American artist, he’s juxtaposing unlikely objects in wooden boxes like door latches, nails, teeth, jewellery, figurines…. It takes him months to create his unique assemblages. His creations are paradox, ambiguous, and mysterious. He is also influenced by Dadaism and Surrealism, and in particular by the German artist Max Ernst.

http://www.jpleclair.com/

Louis Helbig before some of his aerial photographs

Louis Helbig

I also met Louis Helbig whose Aerial art photography had me already impressed in his exhibition at Exposure Gallery last February. (http://visualencounter.blogspot.com/2011/02/aerial-abstractions-burtynsky-gursky.html) Turns out he has German parents… So we could chat in German for a while. As inspiration for his abstract/figurative aerial shots, he mentioned John Updike’s ability to create images with words in the individual minds of his readers. This point if reception is very important for him. He is also influenced by photojournalism of Cartier-Bresson in particular and the Magnum Photos in general.

http://www.louishelbig.com/

A lot of the artists I talked to stated that the Ottawa Art Expo was a huge success for them and I have to say that there was really a crowd around. And this was Sunday at noon! It looks like Ottawa really has an audience for contemporary art – even though that I always hear that Toronto has an international flair and more dynamic arts scene. Great show and indeed more exciting than I had expected. Next year I will be there for sure!

http://www.ottawaartexpo.com/



Participating Artists:

Hamid Ayoub www.hamidayoub.com

Anne Barkley www.annebarkley.ca

Jane Barlow

Joanne Beaubien

Bhat Boy bhatboy.com

Helene Caron www.helenecaron.com

Sara Chivot www.sarachivot.webs.com

Margaret Chwialkowska www.artistsincanada.com/margaret

Peter Colbert www.petercolbert.com

Sheila Davis www.sheiladavis.ca

Denise Dowdy www.denisejdowdy.multiply.com

Corin Ford Forrester www.corinfordforrester.com

Stephanie Ford Forrester www.stephaniefordforrester.ca

Miguel Freitas www.freitas.ca

Lisa Free www.lisafree.com

Patricia Gordon www.patriciamgordon-studios.ca

Ann Gruchy www.anngruchy.com

Gordon Harrison www.gordonharrisongallery.com

Louis Helbig www.louishelbig.com

Leah Hicks www.lhstudios.ca

John Hiscock www.jphiscock.ca

Barry Hobden www.bhfineprints.ca

Gillian Horgan www.gillianhorgan.artspan.com

David Houlton

Terry Hsu www.oilbyterry.com

Peggy Hughes www.peggyhughes.ca

Garrie Bea Joyce www.garriebea.com

Bill Keast www.paintingsbykeast.ca

Patricia Kirby www.pkirbyartist.com

Simon Koo

Aili Kurtis www.ailikurtis.com

Remi Lacroix www.remilacroix.com

Diana Rosa Latourt www.dianaartist.ca

Jean-Pierre Leclair www.JPLeclair.com

Donna Lynd www.donnalynd.ca

Jamie MacLean www.artistsincanada.com/jmaclean

Martha Markowsky www.marthamarkowsky.com

Christopher Masoure www.studiomazur.com

John Mlacak www.JohnMlacak.com

Sarah Moffat www.moffatbailie.com

Sara Nadeau www.saranadeaustudio.com

Sylvia Naylor www.sylvianaylor.com

Eryn O'Neill www.eofineart.com

Jesse Parker www.photobasedart.com

Nikolai Petrov

Alena Plihal www.alenaplihal.artacadamie.com

Y. Donna Randall www.ydrandall.com

Rosemary Randell www.Rosemaryrandell.com

Anne Remmer Thompson www.anneremmerthompson.ca

Dave Rheaume www.daverheaume.webs.com

Ross Rheaume www.rossrheaume.com

Peter Ripley

Judith Savic www.judithsavic.com

Isabelle Sauvineau www.isabellesauvineau.com

Terry Schaub www.twschaub.com

Monika Seidenbusch www.kaleidoscopestudio.ca

John Shea www.john-shea.artistwebsites.com

Sue Shuker www.omma.co

Mike Smith www.mikesmith.ca

Laurie Sponagle www.lauriesponagle.ca

Charles Spratt www.cspratt.ca

Eric Tardif www.erictardif.com

Ivan Papazov-Vanche www.vancheart.com

Dan Werstuk www.danwerstuk.com

Wayne Williams www.waynewilliams.ca

Lloyd Wilson www.lloydwilson.ca

Steve Wilson www.steveartandimagery.com

Gallery 101 – Every Gallery Needs Walls

We all know about the importance of non-profit artist-run centers in the contemporary art scene. Gallery 101 (together with the Enriched Bread Artists (EBA) I would say) is one of the most important of these locations in Ottawa, with its dedication to professional presentation and circulation of visual and media art. G101 organizes a broad range of solo and curated group exhibitions of Canadian and international contemporary artists every year, like e.g. the amazing show by Daniel Corbeil.

In its 30 years history (!) the gallery has become an integral part of the city’s cultural life. Not only visual artists, but also poets, writers, curators, and musicians were involved in exhibitions, performances and events. Many of them were merging artists who have become internationally known. Unfortunately, G101has been forced to move approximately every 5 years due to gentrification.

That’s a lot – and it has an impact on the continuity of the artists’ projects and their reception. Therefore the gallery needs a permanent, stable location. “We are also looking to increase our size to address community and membership needs for exhibition, studio and workshop space, to create a resource/research room, provide space for public readings of poetry and literature, experimental music, and gallery space for local constituents.” [from the competitions web site, see below] They would like to purchase a building and have already raised $30,000 for a down payment – but that’s just a drop in the bucket with the real estate market here in Ottawa.

To increase the funds, G101 takes part at the Aviva Community Fund Competition. You can vote for the project here:

http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf12110

The aim: to get a funding of $100K – 150K! That would be great – good luck! I keep my fingers crossed!

http://www.g101.ca/

Maggie Knaus' Road Trip Polaroids @ Exposure Gallery

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

The American landscape is shaped by highways and the buildings along them: motels, churches, roadside bars, monuments, strip malls, and suspension bridges. I remember the amazing Lee Friedlander photographic series "America by Car" (shown last fall at the Whitney Museum of American Art). On his road trips, he photographed countless icons of American culture; and it seems like that's the only adequate way to capture the spirit of the American landscape: by car.

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

And that's exactly what Ottawa photographer Maggie Knaus does in her current show "Keep the Car Running: Road Trip Polaroids" at Exposure Gallery. Her large-scale prints were created from various trips across the United States over the last couple of decades and show places and buildings that seem to belong to a long-gone era. This body of work has a personal story, like she says in her artist statement:

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

"Road trips evoke wonderful memories from my childhood: The Volkswagon Squareback station wagon we fondly dubbed Black Mac; breakfasts of hard-boiled eggs and doughnuts; hot, sticky vinyl seats that left imprints on little thighs; fighting for space with my brother and sister; finding relief from them on a sleeping bag in the back hatch; and peering out the window in search of road signs promising ice cream. There were no DVDs or video games to distract us, just hours of playing 20 questions and the view of the passing scenery and the backs of my parents' heads. I remember the image of my father's expansive 1970s moustache in the rearview mirror and the sound of my mother's knitting needles rhythmically clicking back and forth. We all marveled at the mirages of waves rippling from the heat on the roads and how the light at the end of the day made the world outside look golden. At the end of the day, we'd explode from the car with relief."

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

And as a grown-up, she still loves being out on the road. During her travels, she has discovered buildings and reminders of another era well before her childhood: ancient bumper cars, cinemas, Ferris wheels, old-fashioned gas stations and fast-food restaurants.

Whereas Lee Friedlander seems to ingeniously comment on the weird world outside his rental car (and the car itself is seen in his photos, like the steering wheel, the windows and in particular the side and rearview mirrors that work like mise-en- abyme picture frames), Knaus first just seems to document it. The surprising effect then comes from the unique technique she uses and that gives them a look of antique postcards: Her slides are projected onto Polaroid film. After that, she peels the film apart, that's why her pictures gain such an antique look. Then the Polaroid image is transferred onto watercolor paper and hand-colored with pastels and pencils. What a tremendous work! The last step for the works is to be scanned, enlarged and turned into Giglee prints. You see, she uses techniques and materials that soon will become extinct. E.g. the Polaroid film she was working with is not manufactured any more. So, take you chance to enjoy Knaus's artworks as long as you can - not only the objects she photographed (I love the café in shape of a coffee pot!) will disappear soon...

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

Facts:

Keep the Car Running: Road Trip Polaroids

By Maggie Knaus

Exposure Gallery

Curated by Patrick Gordon

September 29- November 29, 2011

Price Range: $325-$2000

Artist discussion with Maggie Knaus:

TOMOROW! Wednesday October 5th, 7pm-8pm

http://www.exposuregallery.info/keep-the-car-running/

http://www.maggieknaus.com/

EBA: Shaken, but not stirred

A while ago, I wrote an article about some of the Enriched Bread Artists (EBA) taking part at the Moscow Biennale, see Link.

Svetlana Swinimer, one of the EBA at the Moscow Biennale

Now, the EBA artists invite all of us for a photo exhibition in the context of the CULTURE DAYS.

That's what they state on their web site – which makes me really curious about their show: “In the aftermath of the storm that blew the roof off EBA we are having a defiant "in your face weather!" photo-based exhibit. EBA is taking part in Culture Days again this year. We are playing host to an eclectic mix of local photographers from the well known to the should be known. Think “Wizard of Oz” meets “James Bond” and you get Shaken, but not stirred an irreverent take on weather with courage and danger and bears, oh my!”

They refer to the huge storm that hit the stage on Bluesfest and also damaged the roof of the EBA building, see on their facebook page.

Some artists' studios suffered from major water damage – but now it looks like they all recovered so far to brave the weather with this exciting exhibit.

Opening Night: Friday, September 30th, 2011, from 6 to 9 PM.

951 Gladstone Avenue, just off Preston Street.

The exhibition continues:

Saturday, October 1st, 11-5 PM.

Sunday, October 2nd, 11-5 PM.

Admission is free.

Participating Artists:

Marion Bordier, Erin Molly Fitzpatrick, Meaghan Haughian, Adrienne Herron, Marika Jemma, Karina Kraenzle, Claude Latour, Catherine Levasseur-Terrien, Gavin McLintock, Don Monet, Brad Snow, Rémi Thériault, Cara Tierney, Sharon Vanstarkenburg, David Westrop, Joyce Westrop, Ted Willis and Justin Wonnacott.

The Culture Days weekend (this weekend) includes – all over Canada – activities that celebrate the creative expression of the communities. Culture Days features free, hands-on, interactive activities and “behind the scenes” experiences. I true chance to discover a world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators and designers.


http://www.culturedays.ca/en/2011-activities

And remember: End of October is the annual EBA OPEN STUDIO! Looking forward to it!

Last Day of Carravaggio @ National Gallery / Copyright and the Re-monopolization of artworks

Today is the last day of National Gallery of Canada's (NGC) extraordinary summer exhibition “Carravaggio and his Followers in Rome” – so take your last chance to see it!

I would love to include a picture of a Caravaggio painting here (e.g. Saint Francis in Ecstasy, c. 1594-1595) and one by his follower Simon Vouet (The Fortune-Teller, c. 1620) that I adore. But I am not sure if I am allowed because of copyright restrictions by the NGC. Of course, this blog has no commercial approach, but publish pictures online has its pitfalls. The NCG policies is unclear in that point, stating “The Materials on this Site are provided for browsing, viewing, downloading, listening where such activities are limited to, non-commercial, educational and personal use only. By downloading, printing or otherwise using text, images, files from NGC web sites, users agree that they will limit their use of such files to fair dealing, and will not violate NGC's or any other party's proprietary rights.” (http://www.gallery.ca/en/terms-of-use.php)

The Canadian Copyright Act states in §29: “Fair dealing for the purpose of research or private study does not infringe copyright.” But does private study also include blogs? I don't think so, and there are huge discussions out there (e.g. see: http://blog.tech-and-law.com/2009/07/copyright-in-photo-of-painting-national.html).

Further, the Saint Francis in Ecstasy (c. 1594-1595) belongs to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art; and the amazing Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (c.1620) that the NCG uses in his exhibition pamphlet, belongs to Contarelli Chapel in Rome, but the photo credits in both cases belong to Art Resource that sits in New York. As far as I know, the international copyright law states that works of art comes into the public domain 70 years after the artist's death. But the question remains, if photographic reproductions of the artworks are also public domain. The National Portrait Gallery (UK) states that the digital reproductions of their paintings are recent works, and due to the amount of work that needed to be done to create them, qualify as copyrighted works. That means by using just reproduction techniques without creating an artistic original, they made a a new copyright, which – in my opinion – is a improper re-monopolization of artworks.

Nevertheless, the Caravaggio exhibit is a unique treasure chest of Caravaggio's master works – nevertheless that the NGC only owns paintings AFTER Caravaggio and not by himself (http://www.gallery.ca/en/see/collections/artist.php?iartistid=7957). But thanks to this exhibition, organized by the NGC and the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, we can see some of his masterpieces for the first time here in Canada.

http://www.gallery.ca/en/see/exhibitions/current/details/caravaggio-and-his-followers-in-rome-64

Must See Exhibits this Week in Ottawa

Tami Galili Ellis
THE COMMAND TO LOOK
@Blink Gallery

Exhibition Dates: September 8 - September 11, 2011

A series of mixed media expressive drawings, inspired by a vintage book from 1937 with the amusing title 'The command to look'. Tami Galili Ellis is an Israeli-Canadian artist. I am looking forward to see her mixed media drawings, because so far I just know her expressive, colorful works in oil. Her nudes are really impressive!

VERNISSAGE
Thursday, September 8, 6–9 pm
www.blinkgallery.ca
http://tamigaliliellis.com/


Bryna Cohen 
9/11 2001-2011
@ Galerie St. Laurent + Hill

Exhibition Dates: September 8 - September 21, 2011
Reception: Thursday, September 8, 2011 5 - 8pm

The Exhibition marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and examines its social and cultural impact. Bryna Cohen’s works are inspired by Picasso’s ‘La Guernica’ and Goya’s ‘Disasters of War’. Interesting remark: The City of Ottawa bought two works in this collection in 2010.

www.galeriestlaurentplushill.com


Mustapha Chadid: Présence /
Joe Fougère: Body & Blood 
@ L. A. Pai Gallery

Exhibition Dates: September 8 – 28, 2011
Meet the artists Thursday, September 8, 6-8 pm.

Mustapha gets his inspiration from transience that occurs in ecosystems. Matter is always recycled in nature and is never entirely lost. He recycles metal pieces in using them for his sculptures. His metal artworks, made of discarded bits of iron, show furthermore the traces that time leaves on metals.

Joe Fougère expresses in his jewellery his critical and often satirical ideas. Under the title 'Body&Blood', he deals with topics like religious conviction and commercial industry. His aim is to challenge ideologies of these existing systems; the exhibit includes e.g. jewellery that refers to rosary and pyramids.

www.lapaigallery.com

Ottawa artists at the 4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art

Svetlana Swinimer: Glaciata

Three Ottawa visual artists will show their works at the 4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Russia’s most prestigious contemporary art event!

Under the exhibition title “Flowing With”, Kenneth Emig, Svetlana Swinimer, and Jean Halstead present some of their artworks, in particular sculptures.

Svetlana Swinimer: Not Green Anymore

All three artists belong to the Enriched Bread Artists (EBA),  an artists' collective on Galdstone. EBA is an art studio and an artistic laboratory, located in a former bread factory - therefore the name.

Kenneth Emig is a trans-disciplinary artist who cmbinates sound, sculpture, optics, dance and technology. He encourages his audiences “to be sensorially observant and curious about the world around them” - like he is saying on the EBA web site.

Svetlana Swinimer: Cosmic Embryo

Svetlana Swinimer is interested in humanity, cosmology, mythology and cutting edge science. She works in painting, sculpture, installation, video, and inventive photography. She collaborated with Jean Halstead on art in public and on mixed media installations.

Jean Halstead started sculpture when working in clay during her time in Japan in the 1950s. In her current work, she is in particular interested in aspects of perception. She uses different media like sculptural constructions, photos, video projections, sounds, words, and colours.

4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Parallel Program:

FLOWING WITH

Organizer: "Blue Apple" Group

Artists: Kenneth Emig, Svetlana Swinimer, Jean Halstead

Venue: Cultural Center The house-museum of Marina Tsvetaeva

Address: Borisoglebskiy per.,6

Opening: September 22, 2011 at 19.00

Exposition date: September 22 – October 7, 2011

http://4th.moscowbiennale.ru/en/program/parallel.html

http://www.enrichedbreadartists.com/

About concepts of time: Time Pieces by Jesse Stewart

Untitled, 2005, glass, sand, installation view, Karsh-Masson Gallery © Jesse Stewart

13,000 pieces of glass, collected over the last 20 years from various shorelines arranged in concentric circles – marking the passage of time. One piece of glass for every day of the artist's life, and one circle for every year; this is one of the stunning works by Jesse Stewart in his current exhibition at the Karsh-Masson Gallery in Ottawa. The title of the exhibition: “Time Pieces”.

Keeping Tabs, 2011, plastic on canvas, installation view, © Jesse Stewart. This installation consists of 365 plastic bag closures that you would find on milk and bread bags, which he has collected over the past 8 years. Stewart arranged them in form of a calender.

Jesse Stewart is both: percussionist and conceptual artist.

As percussionist, he creates sounds out of virtually any resonating object or material. Even materials as glass, stone, ice, and cardboard were used by him to built instruments! As an conceptual artist, he is fascinated by the conceptions of time and how to make time - hardly tangible - visible and audible.

Untitled, 2009, clock hands on paper, installation view, © Jesse Stewart

Stewart describes his approach: “One of the major points of intersection between my work in the visual arts and music/sound is my ongoing interest in different conceptions of time. For me, time isn’t just a linear sequence of events with the future continually becoming the present and then slipping into an ever receding past. Rather, time is intimately connected to patterns of growth and decay, to ritual, memory, rhythm, cycles, and impermanence. Suzanne Langer famously wrote that “Music makes time audible.” With this body of work, I have tried to make time both audible and visible in a variety of ways.” [Catalogue excerpt]

Wheels of Time, 2003, sand-blasted vinyl records, installation view, © Jesse Stewart

Jesse Stewart plays with the intangibility of time and music; and he creates stunning results. Not linear is his concept and understanding of time, but rather related to memory, cycles and rhythm. Talking about rhythm: There is a musical performance by Jesse Stewart coming up in September (Musical Performance and Q & A (in English): September 18, 2011, at 2 p.m.). You can check his striking and impressive percussions out on his web site: http://www.jessestewart.ca/

Untitled, before and after, Karsh-Masson Gallery, installation view, © Jesse Stewart. These pieces of paper belong to a video that shows how the artists makes sounds out of them by scrunching, tearing, rolling them up...

Facts:
Jesse Stewart - Time Pieces
Karsh Masson Gallery
August 12 to September 25, 2011
http://www.ottawa.ca/rec_culture/arts/gallery_exhibit/karsh_masson/index_en.html

The Nude in Nature – and in Photography

Exhibition view arts & architecture gallery, Ottawa

Since photography is my academic specialization, I was very excited to see the current photography exhibition “The Nude in Nature” at the arts & architecture gallery in Ottawa. It shows some of the impressive results of a workshop that was let by the accomplished photographer Karin Rosenthal in Maine last year. The exhibit shows a broad spectrum of stylized depictions of the nude body with emphasis on the line and form of the human figure as part of the nature and landscape. 

Karin Rosenthal's works in "The Nude in Nature"

Rosenthal's (www.krosenthal.com) photographs have been published internationally and are represented in numerous museum collections, like e.g. the Yale University Art Gallery. She has received several grants and prizes including Grand Prize in the 2010 Renaissance International Photography Competition and First Prize in Nudes for the Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. Like the web site of the gallery states “Rosenthal’s work expands the concept of nude from the erotic to the metaphysical, seeing our bodies as vessels of Being within all of nature’s components.” Her black and white photographs that show a detail of the human body in front of a black background, and that gain geometric balance through reflecting surfaces, seem to refer to Man Ray. 

Photographs by Len Ward "Origami"

Indeed, most of the photographs in the exhibition seems to be inspired by renowned photographers of the first half of the 20th century. For example Len Ward's photo series of a model standing on a rock and holding a long, white scarf in the wind that creates astonishing effects, reminds me on German photographers of the 20s and 30s like Horst P. Horst, Erwin Blumenfeld and George Hoyningen-Huene. These photographs are examples for a classic elegance and style.

Photographs by Steve Schmidt

Steve Schmidt's nudes in landscape, curled up in a rock ledge covered with thousands of Balanidae reminds me strongly at Edward Weston with his photographs of female nudes, landscapes and vegetables. In his artist statements Steve writes that he wanted to explore the relationship between human and natural form, between people and environment, and people and their own image. 

Photographs by Tony Schwartz

This weekend the Nude in Nature photography workshop takes place once again, this time in Wakefield. Again it's led by Rosenthal and I am already pretty curious to see the results at the arts & architecture gallery soon...

Facts:

arts & architecture gallery

The Nude in Nature

August 17-28, 2011

1181 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON K1S 3X7

http://www.artsandarchitecture.ca/

Works by:

Karin Rosenthal
Judith Monteferrante
Tony Schwartz
Trish Wright
Steve Schmidt
Sukumar
Len Ward

Summer Mosaic - Ottawa Printmakers Connective

Exhibition view of the Britannia Art Gallery, Ottawa

That's my personal tip for this summer: The first public exhibition of the Ottawa Printmakers Connective. Why? Because the exhibition at the Britannia Art Gallery shows not only a broad range of print techniques, but also of artistic sujets – and it offers original artworks by local artists for decent prices. Exhibited techniques are: woodcuts, linocuts, etchings, monotypes, drypoints, intaglio, collographs, aquatints, stone lithography and silkscreens. 

Woodcuts and linocuts at the Britannia Art Gallery, Ottawa

The woodcuts and linocuts with their formal simplicity caught my eye in particluar. In ther strong black and white contrasts and subjects like cityscapes and birds they reminded me on the German Expressionist movement. In particular Deidre Hierlihy's, Rozemarijn Oudejans' and Keith Bells' prints are worth to be mentioned. Their prices range from $100 to $350.

More colorful are the collographs by Paule Fournier that play with the concepts of abstract and figurative. Collographs are created by applying materials to a rigid substrate like cardboard or wood. In Fournier's case, the interesting structure in the print is made by using substances such as textiles, and leaves in creating the collograph plate. 

The prices of prints in the show range from $85 (e.g. for a small etching by Jeanne Vaillancourt) to $750 (a stone lithography by Lynda Turner) and include the frames. These decent priced works of art might be a good start for an own art collection. The Connective has also a blog: http://ottawaprintmakers.wordpress.com/

Artists in the exhibition:

Leigh Archibald

Mary Baranowski-Lowden

Keith Bell

Manon Boulet

Kathryn Davis

Paule Fournier

Leonard Gerbrandt

Deidre Hierlihy

Maya Hum

David Ladouceur

Louise Lépine

Rozemarijn Oudejans

Debra James Percival

Rod Restivo

Nathalie Roy

Jen Simpson

Denise Tremblay

Lynda Turner

Jeanne Vaillancourt

Shirley Yik

Britannia Art Gallery

Summer Mosaic

August 4 – September 6, 2011

2728 Howe St.

Ottawa

Tuesday thru Saturday 10 am to 5pm

Sunday: 1 pm to 4pm

Monday: Closed

http://www.britanniagallery.ca/

kipjones - interstices: an intervening space

interstices (installation view), 2011, mixed media

“Space is not unlike a living organism. It can change or be changed, affect our moods, be mysterious and even ambiguous.” [From the City Hall Art Gallery exhibition booklet]

The current exhibition at the City Hall Art Gallery opens our senses for space by moving through the installation by kipjones. His intensive installation connects the gallery walls with long, wooden horizontal and vertical wands – and it feels like the room became alive.

interstices (installation view), 2011, mixed media

In particular the walls seems to breath and move because their surface was furnished with organic, round shapes from which the lines reach into the space. The title “Interstice” refers to the space created between two objects and events; and that's what the exhibition is all about: The spatial environments between linear lines in the room, and the relationships between mental and physical spaces.

interstices (installation view), 2011, mixed media

From the gallery's website:

linear gesture

A question of place as it relates to a uniquely defined space.

The modular long thin line gently emerging from an intersection,

a point, diverging,

re-focus,

into a long arcing waves,

defining boundaries, spatial edges.

A delineation of space, a dimensional gesture,

bound to the parameters of the temporal place,

a linear gesture

The experiential movement through the gallery leads to stunning perspectives of the installation that also illustrate movements itself by wavelike forms. We also seem to become a part of the space when we discover the installation from different angles, experience the interstices and become aware of interspace and spatial relations.

interstices (installation view), 2011, mixed media

Facts:

kipjones

interstices: an intervening space

Ottawa City Hall Art Gallery

July 1 to August 21, 2011

Stephen Frew's Colour of Flesh

Stephen Frew at Orange Art Gallery

Ottawa based artist Stephen Frew opened his impressive show with mainly recent works at the Orange Art Gallery last week. I really enjoyed talking to him and he gave me an enlightening insight in his artistic working process. Stephen draws from portrait photographs mostly in the middle of the night. That's why he doesn't use live models so often; and it is the most convenient way for him, as he mentioned.

Orange Art Gallery: Exhibition view

He also doesn't work often with professional models – most of his expressive portraits are actually friends and family. Frew is interested in particular in portraits; but he also tried recently some abstract work. Unfortunately, this is not included in the exhibit.

But he included some of his very impressive self-portraits in the show. Strong lines (in drawings) and almost pointillistic colour dots (in oil paintings) take an expressive effect. The self-reflection is an important part of his oeuvre.

Self-Portraits by Stephen Frew

Stepen Frew holds a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the Concordia University, Montreal; and he mentioned that the etching technique – nevertheless he doesn't use it any more – strongly influences his drawing skills. The base of each work of art is indeed drawing; in strong, energetic lines.

Stepen Frew: Why Not Two

He is interested in precise streaks and therefore prefers wood and strong paper as surfaces, rather than canvas. Some of his recent works oscillates between figurative portrait and abstract geometries – also a reference to Francis Bacon by whom is strongly influenced.

The two works in the centre are also self-portraits.

The Colour of Flesh by Stephen Frew

Orange Art Gallery
July 6 to July 31, 2011

http://orangeartgallery.ca/

More about Stephen Frew on his website