Vintage Suite (words to be true), oil on canvas, 11×14 inches, 2011
December 3 – 17, 2011
Opening: Saturday, December 3, 2-4 pm
BAU-XI GALLERY
340 Dundas St. West
Toronto, Ontario M5T 1G5
T: 416.977.0600
E: toronto@bau-xi.com
www.bau-xiphoto.com
Darlene Cole is well known for the ethereal quality of her sof t dreamscapes and the narrative tension within them. Her work focuses on the disappearance of childhood and the loss of spontaneity and innocence as we transform into adulthood. Vintage Suite takes this concept to another place. Inspired by her artist’s retreat, a cottage built in 1909 on the shores of Lake Scugog, Cole taps into the feel of an earlier era. The patina of the retreat’s worn walls, the timeworn red velvet cur tains, and the texture of vintage linens discovered in an old trunk are all brought to life in this collection. As with her earlier works, there is a hint of intrigue behind the seemingly whimsical scenes. Cole relies on loosely rendered figures, curiously of f-centre compositions, and juxtaposition between the scene and its subject to challenge viewers.
About the artist: Darlene Cole received her B.A. in Fine Ar t from Queen’s University, Kingston and her Masters of Fine Ar ts from the University of Waterloo. Cole is one of Canada’s most sought af ter young ar tists, with an impressive exhibition histor y which includes the Rober t McLaughlin Galler y, Oshawa; Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston; and the Kitchener-Waterloo Ar t Galler y, Kitchener. She is represented in collections across Canada, the U.S.A. and the United Kingdom.