no one….in conversation: Richard Dyck and Reva Stone
December 2 – December 23, 1994
a response to the exhibition by Susan Chafe
“Personally, I found the scene gripping: for a good quarter of an hour my thoughts just wanted to be white oats in that thresher. Sometimes a nearby wing, ten times longer than its counterpart, consented to spell out a letter, never the same one, but I was immediately taken with the character of the whole inscription.”
– Andre Breton, Arcanum 17, 1944.
information junkie: a.f. kiendl
November 4 – November 26, 1994
a response to the exhibition by jake moore
The exhibition, a.f. kiendl’s information junkie, is a collection of works arranged in a space and connected physically to it by snaking cords and wires. Buzzers, motors and compressing air complement the sound of your footsteps in the expanse that is Ace Art. Lower case helvetica tells us the artist’s name and states an affliction, information junkie, quotation marks. If this is an admission of his own circumstance we cannot be certain. It is, though, the title of his book.
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Sculptures: Blair Marten
October 7 – October 29, 1994
a response to the exhibition by Bruce Sapach
Upon entering the gallery, one is met by a span of floor space that is dotted with generally small and even miniscule scale objects. They attempt to identify themselves with a significance beyond that which is generally given to a reduced size. Although Blair’s use of materials is obviously still in it’s formative stage, this effort is generally successful. This is due primarily to two aspects that extend beyond the objects themselves. One aspect is their social/philosophical content and origin. The other is the object’s existence in an atmosphere of murky shadow and dim ‘twi-lighting’ that identifies each of the works as a separate presence with their own agendas.
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The Gift Horse / I trust You: jake moore
September 9 – October 1, 1994
a response to the exhibition by Lisa Gabrielle Mark
Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes
(I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts)– Laocöon
After the Deluge: Jean-Yves Vigneau
July 15 – August 6, 1994
a response to the exhibition by A. F. Kiendl
In his installation After the Deluge, Quebec sculptor Jean-Yves Vigneau uses found objects to create a tableau which asks the viewer to consider spatial and temporal relationships. By asking one to consider their place, geographically and historically, Vigneau shows how the act of framing or positioning can have ramifications in one’s perception.
By using common objects from everyday life, he also shares personal reflections on one’s place in Natural History and geological time. To accomplish this he uses daily fluctuations in Earth and Sea, such as low and high tide, as metaphors for terrestrial fluctuations on a grander scale. He places found objects in a context which metaphorically increases their meaning.
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Lies about Betty and The Truth About Zucchini: Lori Weidenhammer
29 May – 27 June, 1998
a response to the exhibition by Lisa Mark
I saw Lori’s performance the night before the beginning of Perf ’94 (the performance art conference sponsored by the Saint Norbert Arts and Cultural Centre) and that has certainly coloured, if not intensified, my initial response to her work. Let me explain…
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Ione Thorkelsson: Ione Thorkelsson
6 May – 28 May, 1994
a response to the exhibition by Jan Horner
The essential qualities of glass – light, airiness, fluidity – appear to be denied in Ione Thorkelsson’s new pieces with chicken, goose, turkey and wild turkey feet. This unexpected impression was as much caused by the dense texture of the surfaces and cloudy opaqueness of some of the glass used as by the imagery suggested by her creations. Fowl are flightless, often domesticated birds and what Thorkelsson emphasizes about them in her work is their earthbound nature. Special attention is paid to the fascinating ugliness and texture of their feet, warts and all. Meanwhile, the airiness of feathers, the span and grace of the wings are glossed over. Although the initial perception might be one of elegance, the feet are peculiarly naked, absurd and at times menacing.
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Languages of sign, medium and figure: Derek Brueckner
April 12 – April 30, 1994
a response to the exhibition by Bev Pike
Imagine Harold Lloyd hanging precariously from the top of an American highrise in the 1920’s silent film Safety Last. Wearing a suit, he’s trying to climb back up into a window – with split-second timing he grabs one thing after another, almost falling dramatically with every move he makes. I believe this film was staged and directed by Lloyd, and was made while he was hanging off the side of a real high building in a real windy location. The precision with which his hands and feet found and clung onto ledges, and clock parts even, was breath-taking. In the end, it was his attention to physical details, and his extraordinary skills, which saved his life and made a fabulous movie.
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Seasons Seasons: Julie Atkinson
12 April – 30 April, 1994
a response to the exhibition by Cecile Clayton-Gouthro
Playfully punning and poking good naturedly at various representations of the female figure, Julie Atkinson presents us with a series of torsos constructed out of fibre and treasured objects. In her Torso Shield series, the artist has taken materials having personal significance, her grandmother’s buttons, remnants of a friends dress, coveted family fabrics, and combined them to create portraits. In place of paint or pencil – threads, beads and buttons become words to describe the person in the portrait. They beg to be read.
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Ken Gregory: performance and audio installation: Ken Gregory
1 April – 7 April, 1994
a response to the exhibition by Jack Lauder
Sound is how the mind perceives the world’s vibrations. Hearing is our one sense that is omnidirectional and sleepless. It is also the one sense that our minds spend the most time blocking out. We hear what we want to hear.
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