I'm on Exhibition 3 of Screen 2010 today. There will be fourteen Exhibitions in all with the last one being mounted in March. Over time, I plan to look at each exhibition and highlight one artist from each exhibition whose work appeals to me. It may take me a year to do that with other aspects of my own art popping up as well as responding to new inspirations.
The theme of Exhibition 3 is Competition: Winning Isn't Everything curated by Milena Placentile. Now here is a concept I can sink my teeth into. In the course of my education career I have seen the positive and negative attributes of competition and there has always been more negatives in the drive to be the best, to reach the top, etc. It usually means someone else suffers. I've always believed that as a society we should put more energy into encouraging/teaching how to cooperate, collaborate and develop partnerships. Working together is definitely more difficult than looking out for yourself and moving on up the line.
I was pleased to see Angela Grossmann's work in this exhibition. The general theme of her work is displacement and an examination of the social margins of life.
I first came across Grossmann's name in Canadian Art several years ago and I was immediately smitten with her work. Her backgrounds are often developed through a subtle application of collaged elements that support rather than detract from the finished work. She is also know for painting over images from previous work. The figure features prominently in all her work I've seen. Her figures are delicate and unfinished, hovering on the canvas with a tentativeness that always makes me think that with a few swift marks the whole scene could be changed to highlight something more positive , better or even more questioning. The drips and runs add to the tentative feelings I get. I see this tentativeness as the strength of her work and I'm sure it is not easy to create.
Her work in Exhibition 3 is titled Alpha Girls III which examines the adolescent's need to be accepted and socially popular. The grouping shows all the posturing, rivalry and falseness of this pursuit.
To see more of Angela Grossmann's work check out this link for the Dianne Farris Gallery.
Did you have a favourite in Exhibition 3?
5 comments:
I like many of the works i nthe third exhibition. Some of them are very clever. Angela Grossman's technique is wonderful, and I appreciate her themes as well. This is fun! Thanks, Margaret.
Kathy,
I have to agree that I liked more works in this exhibition than the other two. I am open to viewing all kinds of contemporary art because it shows you the range of what's possible and allows you to place your own work in this broader context. Thanks for participating. I'm pursuing it because it is a good learning experience for me.
I was hard-pressed to pick my favorite in this gallery. So, I'll list the ones I like. Leslie Supnet's "The Nature of Schemes" is a wonderful indictment of pyramid schemes. Mitch Robertson's "Winners & Losers (Boxers) made me chuckle - as did Craig LeBlanc's "The League (Playing with the Big Boys)" I really like the aggressive stare of the middle girl in Angela Grossmann's "Alpha Girls III".
Now that I've gone thru the gallery a few more times as I type this I realize I do have a favorite. There is something very compelling about Eliza Griffiths' "Karate Girl III". I can't take my eyes off of it! Her frank stare and balled fists don't quite hide her soft edges. There are both aggression and sensitivity bottled up into one beautiful work here.
OK, I've extrapolated long enough for one morning...
-Don
I've looked through the galleries and read the descriptions several times. Thanks; I can't pick a favorite.
Don,
Karate Girl III was my next in line . There is something about that image that has made me think about it since I last saw it. To me that is the mark of good work.
Hallie,
I have a feeling I will come upon an exhibition that will cause me to have the same response. In the first three I already knew and liked the work of the artist I chose.
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