November 14 to December 20, 2015
A Group Show by Member Artists of The Colborne Art Gallery
The Colborne Art Gallery Presents:
“Past, Present & Future”
A Group Exhibition by the Member Artists
of the Colborne Art Gallery
Opening Reception: Saturday, Nov 14, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
For many of us, an important activity at this time of year is to assess our past, looking at what we’ve accomplished. We gaze into the future and devise plans for what to do next. Amidst it all, we have a judicious look at where we are right now and how we got here. For many artists, this is a constant mental exercise, as they attempt to size up their own creative work or find common threads amongst so much which may seem disconnected.
Such is the challenge that the members of The Colborne Art Gallery have taken upon themselves for this, their final show of 2015. The group show, “Past, Present and Future” will make use of all four of the gallery’s rooms to sample each member artist’s work from the past and present, as well as some hints of what the future has in store for them, with respect to their imaginative endeavours.
The concept of Past, Present and Future means different things to different artists. For some, it’s reviewing where they’ve been as an artist and thinking deeply of where they’re going. Others take a broader approach, considering the history and future of humanity, civilization and technology. One could argue there is no past or future with visual art. It only exists in the present. This is because we as viewers can only engage with it in the “now.” As we look at a piece of art, it may evoke in us memories of things past or thoughts of the future, but in order to arouse those emotions or connections, we must actually be looking at the piece right then and there, in the present.
For ceramic artist Lorelyn Morgan, “the ancient idea of cooking in clay has been translated to the present, and the vessels are also used to present (accent on the second syllable now) the food.” She sees the preparation of food as a mindful practice, thereby bringing presence of mind to both cooking and artistic creation. “But,” she adds, “in this increasingly disposable society and world of fast food, will the beauty of a home-cooked meal or a hand-made pot continue to be valued in the future?”
Dorothy Siemens creates art inspired by nature, and for this show she will be including art that reflects the year as she experienced it. Small, simple paintings of a flower or feather document the flora and fauna that crossed her path in the course of the year. A large, four-panel quadtych of birches sweeps through all four seasons, past, present and future, and reminds us that the cycle will continue.
Multi-disciplined artist and gallery curator Jillian Roos-Markowitz will display works of various media, including fibre art, painting and printmaking. “I am still very much a lover of watercolour painting as it allows me to embrace my love of line and colour. My ‘present’ works in the next show will be watercolours I have painted these past two months in the gloriously beautiful Northumberland Hills.”
All member artists, from the long-standing to the most recent, will have an impressive body of work to draw upon, from such varied media as painting, sculpture, jewelry and video. They will carefully select past work which represents their earlier developments, boldly submit examples of their most recent creations, and bravely offer a peek into their sketchbooks, or display experimental and unfinished pieces which may provide glimpses of future masterworks.
It goes without saying that this is the time of year for celebration and the members of The Colborne Art Gallery will certainly have a great deal to celebrate with their upcoming show. Come join in the festivities at the opening reception on Saturday, November 14 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. There will be something for everybody, with a wide variety of styles, sizes and price ranges on offer. “Past, Present and Future” will run until December 20. Regular gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 12 noon to 5:00 pm. All are welcome, admission is free and the gallery is wheelchair accessible. For more information, please visit www.thecolborneartgallery.ca or phone 905-355-1798.
-Monika Devine
Press
- Colborne artists mount members’ show – Northumberland Today
- Colborne Art Gallery exhibit runs through Dec. 20 – Northumberland Today
Scenes from the Opening of Past, Present & Future
Click on any image to view larger
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”8″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_mosaic” row_height=”180″ margins=”5″ last_row=”nojustify” lazy_load_enable=”1″ lazy_load_initial=”35″ lazy_load_batch=”15″ captions_enabled=”0″ captions_display_sharing=”1″ captions_display_title=”1″ captions_display_description=”1″ captions_animation=”slideup” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]