Opening Reception: January 9, 2014, 8 – 11 p.m.
Gallery 1313
1313 Queen Street West
ECO ART 2014 explores a number of environmental concerns such as air quality, urban sprawl, water quality and nature preservation. Artists have long filled the role of social activists expressing their concerns about issues important to them. In this exhibition they also mirror the concerns of today. The artists featured in the exhibition include Ghanesh Da, Heather Ahn, Carmen Lee, Dason Pak, Anna Snyder, Lindsay A. Veh, Jenny Li, Paul Brandejs, Arthur Ostrowski, Ruth Hartman, Daniel Sun, Stefan Herda, Adam Filek, Gregory Robin, Tibor Bedi, Katlin Brough, Sandra Herman, Catharine Somerville, Valerie Sabaliauskas, The Department of Biological Flow and Vjosana Shkurti.
The ECO ART Exhibit opened just as things were starting to warm up in Toronto having experienced a cold spell that some could argue was a result of the erratic climate patterns caused by global warming. The annual exhibit true to its traditions contained a variety of expressions drawing our attention to different environmental concerns.
Gregory Robins (left) and John Wiles with their sculpture Whale Coffin.
As you enter the gallery you see the work of Gregory Robins and John Wiles called Whale Coffin. The large sculpture of a whaling ship with a whale in its belly effectively makes its point. A very different sculpture installation by Arthur Ostrawski titled Industrial Migration covers the gallery floor with plastic fish lying on a bed of steel.
Arthur Ostrawski, Industrial Migration
Winnipeg artist, Tibor Bodi took a look at the fast food industry’s use of disposable containers and recreated them using more traditional glass and porcelain moulds. Carmen Lee also used photographs she took with her camera phone to depict disposable objects such as coffee cups and then using an Galaxy S Pen to create illustrated messages on them.
Carmen Lee with one of her works
Medicated by Valeria Sabaliauskas, an Ottawa artist, is a book installation using an old set of children’s encyclopaedias with representations of endangered animals in the centre cut out portion in the books. She reminds us that if we continue our path of treating the earth the way we have then one day our only experience with animals will be in books.
Valeria Sabaliauskas, Medicated
Vjosa Shkurti examines our experience with artificial light from technology in her video work Sundown. The video is a playful interactive performance between a candle and a light bulb.
Vjosa Shkurti, Sundown
Stefen Herda’s The Litmus Tests uses various organic dyes and household chemicals reacting with paper to create his video work. The results are an ever changing canvas of chemical reactions creating abstract forms. Video maker, Adam Flex’s work I will Grow Tall starts with a solitary figure crouched naked in the wild. As the title says, the figure gradually rises and with arms out stretched.
Adam Flex, I will Grow Tall (left)
Jenny Li is originally from Shanghai and she depicts the air pollution preset there with her three oil on canvas paintings including one titled Little Sister.
Jenny Li with Little Sister
The installation by The Department of Biological Flow titled Mon Santos! My Farmville is Burning takes a different approach and uses poetry, video and objects to create its message.
The Department of Biological Flow, Mon Santos! My Farmville is Burning
At the opening new friendships were formed as the artists talked about each others work and artistis methods. And of course they all shared their common concern for our environment.
Now if someone can just explain what’s up with the weather ?!
Text and photo: Phil Anderson
*Exhibition dates: January 8 – 19, 2014, Gallery 1313, 1313 Queen Street West. Gallery hours: Wed – Sun 1 – 6 p.m.