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/
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Maggie Knaus' Road Trip Polaroids @ Exposure Gallery
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| 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.
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| 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:
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| 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."
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| 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...
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| 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
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