“Afterglow” by Laura Madera at Evans Contemporary
She is as patient in her approach as she is prolific in her output. Her means is an unfolding that must be coaxed into existence, rather than forced into the confines of executing an idea. If being forced up against a wall is where art goes to die, her antithesis to being rushed into conception is its genesis.
Madera’s use of watercolour is the most dynamic application of the medium I have seen to date. The way she masks the creation of light in her images is successively revealed and amplified by each pour of colour she applies.
“You’ll discover something and then of course you’ll have more questions about it,” she explains. “About the way the material behaved on the page, or how you were able to make a certain passage of light in a painting, or what would this look like if it were larger, or smaller, or if it was monochrome? It becomes a generative practice and there’s a strange ethos that happens as you keep plugging away at things.”
The result of this physical engagement with materials is a quality of openness and clarity in the work that reawakens memory to a degree in which it can be felt. The experience of light has an intensity that goes beyond a marvellous representation; you can almost sense the warmth of the sun, or the crisp air of a mountaintop.
“You make the work and then you put it out there … and you let it go,” she says. “I have my intentions when I make the work and then they become, in my most hopeful sense, a potential site for people to have an experience.”
My experience was certainly deeply felt in witnessing this exhibition at Evans Contemporary.
Madera gives credit to gallery coordinator Paolo Fortin for his skill in curating her work. The blazing chandeliers and the warmth of this domestic venue also add an inviting touch of ambiance to this brilliant show.
“Afterglow” is on now at Evans Contemporary (302 Pearl Ave., Peterborough) and continues its run until Sunday, December 21st.
It can be viewed between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday or Thursday evenings, or viewing can also be made by appointment.
For more information, email evanscontemporary@gmail.com or visit www.evanscontemporary.com.
“A Fraction of the Whole” by Joanne Calderone and “Birds in Summer” by Barb Hawthorn at the Gallery in the Attic and Maggie’s Eatery
Through her paintings, Joanne Calderone has been exploring what it is to be a woman for much of her artistic career dating back to the late 1980s. Her latest work is a collection of evocative vignettes that beckon the viewer to enter a moment and consider the story of the woman portrayed.
These images brim with a nostalgic feel and capture fleeting glimpses of character just as they pierce the veil of persona. It is a portrayal of female beauty that paints women as expansive subjects of inquiry into human nature and experience.
“My paintings portray captured moments of physical might, fearlessness, challenging and confident glances, and playfulness,” she says. “I present images that explore what it is to be, and how we chose to function in our cultural settings.”
This presentation is both seductive and inquisitive. The sensuality here expresses personality, strength, and awareness. In drawing us into reflections upon the past, Calderone piques our curiosity to examine the familiar and connect with a human presence.
In a journey through new presentations of old photos, she considers the roles occupied by the woman who was, before she was, her mother.
In doing so, she unpacks the archetypes of how women are commonly (or not so commonly) portrayed in society and how we come to make those associations.
In some case, the assignments given seem to be declarations. In others, perhaps there is more of a questioning about how our perception of these roles is formed.
Both these shows go up at Gallery in the Attic (upstairs at 140 1/2 Hunter St. W., Peterborough) on Tuesday, December 2nd and share the opening date of Saturday, December 6th. The opening reception will take place from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. Refreshments will be served and live music will be provided by Dennis O’ Toole.
Following the opening, Calderone’s “A Fraction of the Whole” will be on display in the Work Room until December 31st, while Hawthorn’s “Birds in Summer” will fly across the street to Maggie’s Eatery (135 Hunter St., Peterborough) where it will be on display until Wednesday, December 24th.
Gallery in the Attic is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m., most weeks. You may wish to call ahead if you plan to visit. For more information, call 705-868-1162, email galleryintheattic@gmail.com, or visit Gallery in the Attic on Facebook.
Maggie’s Eatery is open 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. For more information, call 705-760-9719 or visit www.maggieseatery.com.
On a sad note, after 16 years in business, Maggie’s Eatery will be closing on December 24th. Be sure to drop in to wish Maggie and Al well and to savour a few more excellent meals.
“Anivale” by Lisa Martini-Dunk at Gallery in the Attic
Her signature style of scratch-board artistry unleashes a menagerie of masked and masquerading creatures in her salute to the Italian saying “Ognie scherzo vale a Carnevale” (“anything goes at Carnival”). It is a simple device, but the addition of the masks produces a clear transformation. The animals are instantly anthropomorphized.
Sometimes the scene is set to play at making this quite deliberate. I like the somewhat subtler playfulness of the solo portraits best though. These animals seem cagey in playing at being human, or are even personified by dressing up as another animal. The graphic effect of the scratchboard and watercolour dyes is perfect for this whimsical game of alternating identities.
“Anivale” takes over the Brick Room at Gallery in the Attic on Tuesday, December 9th for a run until January 3rd of the New Year. There will be an opening reception on Friday, December 12th from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.
It’s a most wonderful time of the year for art all around Gallery in the Attic, with a holiday members’ exhibit also running now until Wednesday, December 24th. It features 35 local artists, including brand new members Dianne Latchford, Gordon T. Murray, Hendrik Peters, and Lauren Tregenza. It’s a great place to get a unique gift, including custom cards, limited edition designer t-shirts, and many beautiful curiosities you will not find elsewhere.
“Bender Frame Project” and more by John Marris at Sticklings
This includes several colour and black and white images of his “Bender Frame Project”. Among his many peregrinations around the world, Marris once lived in a community of these structures in the Pyrenees for a summer. His documentation of reconstructing one here in Peterborough reveals an underlying unity in his work, looking at the overlap between natural processes and human constructs.
These photographs are not only beautiful to look at, but also intriguing in their inversion of the typical “man versus nature” dichotomy. Here processes of change and decay become a partner rather than an adversary.
The moody blue acrylic abstract at the back is a nice complement to the natural themes and Marris’ recent foray into lino printing joins the investigation of process-oriented change. His triptych of prints show the development of complexity and colour in the printing process, with a nuanced sense of overrunning complications inherent in the overlapping constructs of modern life.
Sticklings Bakery & Bistro is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sticklings East City is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, call 705-748-3618 or visit www.sticklingsbistro.com.
For information on the exhibition, contact John Marris at johnmarris@hotmail.com or 705-749-9256.
