“In the Beginning”, by Lea Vivot
September 14 – October 14, 2011
Opening Remarks: Rossana Magnotta, Sept 17, 1:30pm
Artist Talk (Canadian Art/Gallery Hop) Sept 24, 2pm
CANADIAN SCULPTURE CENTRE
500 Church Street
Toronto ON M4Y 2C8
Tel: 647.435.5858
Email: gallery@cansculpt.org
Hours: Tuesday – Friday 12-6; Saturdays 11-4
Radiant Emotions explores the divine energy of creation.
Lea Vivot is an internationally-renowned artist who resides in Kleinburg, Ontario. She was born in Sumperk, Czechoslovakia and is active in sculpture, drawing and printmaking. Presently she creates in Kleinburg, New York, Acapulco, and the Czech Republic.
Vivot studied at the Prague School of Stage Design in Czechoslovakia, the Academia di Brera in Italy, the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, and the Art Student’s League in New York. Her career as an artist began in the seventies when she began working on bronze sculptures. She quickly became internationally known for her over life-size bronzes, such
as the “Lover’s Bench” and has since made “benches” her trademark. Vivot’s sculptures are full of humanity as she often depicts families, couples, mothers, and children. The large scale of her work calls for interaction with her viewers who naturally enjoy occupying the same space
as the bronze figures. On her benches, Vivot likes to include inscribed messages by people from all walks of life. For example, various additions of The Secret Bench, Lost Paradise, found in Montreal, Toronto and New York, all have handwritten messages expressing the hopes and fears of children.
The Secret Bench of Knowledge, which is in front of the National Library of Canada, in Ottawa, bears a message of the joy and value of reading. Writers from Canada and abroad, as well as the general public have left inscriptions on this bench. Vivot’s desire to have her work invite interaction from viewers demonstrates both the importance of sculpture and its role in society. The Secret Bench of Knowledge, like all of her sculptures, tells a story. She once said; “knowledge belongs to all, and what is not written is forgotten.”
Radiant Emotions will showcase some of her more intimate works on public view for the first time.