The Sculptors Society of Canada celebrated their Twenty-first Annual Juried Graduating Sculpture Student Exhibition on Thursday, June 9th. This year there were thirty-nine submissions from seven different institutions that were whittled down to twelve works by the trio of jurors. The jurors were: Gallery 1313 executive director Phil Anderson, independent curator Joshua Burston, and artist J.Mac.
Participating artists (from left to right): Melanie Billark, Anna Ho, Kristina Guison, Rouzbeh Akhbari, Cameron Auld (first row); Jakub Plewa and Laurie-Lynn McGlynn (second row)
The evaluation was ‘blind’ since there was no discerning information of the applicants other than their images submitted on CD and their artist’ statement. With the installation complete, three prizes were awarded. Rouzbeh Akhbari from OCAD University won the A & M Green Charitable Award with his impressive works, “Institutional Stabilizer I” and “Institutional Stabilizer II.” His meticulously constructed works deal with stability and colonial power by using reconstructed wood from shipping pallets.
Rouzbeh Akhbari with Institutional Stabilizer II, reclaimed wood / fork lift, 115 x 160 x 97 cm
Kristina Guison, also of OCAD University, won the Artcast Inc Sculpture Award for her work “Displacement” which emotes the way we are moved physically and emotionally in our travels from one establishment to another.
Kristina Guison and her work Displacement, steelsheets, steel rods, chains, 77 x 260 x 70 cm
Jakub Plewa of York University with his work ‘STUD’ won the MST Bronze Ltd Sculpture Award. Comprised entirely of framing nails, the structure evokes irony of material and mass.
Jakub Plewa with STUD, 3.25″ steel nails, 240 x 8 x 4 cm
Congratulations to Laurie-Lynn McGlynn (University of Waterloo), Anna Ho (York University), Cameron Auld (Fanshawe College) and Melanie Billark (OCAD University) for their submissions.
Laurie-Lynn McGlynn in front of her work, Hospital Corners, metal mesh, latex paint, 50 x 140 x 22 cm
Anna Ho with Exchange, black yarn, 45 x 40 x 30 cm
Cameron Auld with his sculpture, Hunter Be Hunted, mixed media, 228 x 157 x 112 cm
Melanie Billark, Sanctuary, clear acrylic, found moss/soil/rocks/canvas, 200 x 210 x 50 cm
It was a difficult decision for the jurors with such terrific work.
Text Joshua Burston. Photo: Peter Wirün
*Exhibition information: June 9 – 29, 2016, Canadian Sculpture Centre, 500 Church Street. Gallery hours: Tue – Fri: 12 – 6, Sat: 11 – 4 p.m.