Written by Alice McClintock Printmaking has been one of my passions for a long time, ever since I started with a volunteer job at Lang Pioneer Village as their resident historic printer. While completing my Masters Degree in Museum Studies, I worked as a collections management intern over the summer of 2013 at Open Studio: Contemporary Printmaking Centre. For readers who aren’t familiar with this institution, Open Studio represents around 150 Canadian and international artists, many of whom are members who regularly make use of their studio. Many of their works are regularly exhibited in their gallery space. Open Studio is the place to find cutting-edge contemporary art, and their roster of exhibitions never fails to delight. Open Studio has three separate gallery spaces, and is therefore able to put on three separate shows. Guest artist and St. Catharines native Carolyn Wren’s impressive installation Dwell is featured in Open Studio’s main gallery. The installation consists of a large linen tablecloth with a linocut print, draped over a wooden table and sidelined by two wooden, stiff-backed chairs. Depicting both a map and landscape of Niagara Falls and the area surrounding it, Wren explores the subject of place as both private and public. Installations are some of my own personal favourite artworks, as viewers can move around the installation and experience it from different angles. The installation feels at once both stark and familiar, the domestic scene is inviting, but the lack of colour makes it visually arresting. On display in the Print Sales Gallery is the exhibition Design in Printmaking, where several works by Canadian artists are showcased for their use of elements of design, including line, colour, and form. I was drawn to Open Studio member Laurynas Navidauskas’ playful reimagining of familiar objects, and, almost for the "wow" factor alone, fascinated by a series of red/blue 3-D images by artist project Yorodeo (a collaborative effort between artists Paul Hammond and Seth Smith). LEFT TO RIGHT: Yorodeo (Paul Hammond and Seth Smith), Item #357, 2016, 3-D anaglyphic screenprint on paper, ed. 4/10, paper size: 22” x 22”, $300 Yorodeo (Paul Hammond and Seth Smith), Item #053, 2016, 3-D anaglyphic screenprint on paper, ed. 2/10, paper size: 22” x 22”, $300 Yorodeo (Paul Hammond and Seth Smith), Item #105, 2016, 3-D anaglyphic screenprint on paper, ed. 1/10, paper size: 22” x 22”, $300 Japanese artist Shogo Okada distills images from popular culture into their constituent parts and forms; his work is as energetic as it is minimal. Accomplished Master Printer Lorna Livey’s monotypes, based on photographs taken from a flight from Indonesia, are intense with marked colour contrast, demanding the viewer’s attention. Top Row Left to Right Shogo Okada Made of Plastic #1, 2016, screenprint on paper, AP [Artist Proof], 26.5” x 21.5”, $350. Shogo Okada, Made of Plastic #2, 2016, screenprint on paper, ed. 3/5, 26.5” x 21.5”, $250. Bottom Row Left to Right Shogo Okada, Made of Plastic #3, 2016, screenprint on paper, ed. 3/5, 18.25” x 21.5”, $250. Shogo Okada, Made of Plastic #4, 2016, screenprint on paper, ed. 3/5, 18.25” x 21.5”, $250. LEFT: Yorodeo (Paul Hammond and Seth Smith), Item #105, 2016, 3-D anaglyphic screenprint on paper, ed. 1/10, paper size: 22” x 22”, $300 CENTRE: Lorna Livey, Orange Crush, 2016, monotype on paper, ed. 1/1, paper size: 43”x 55”, $2,500 RIGHT: Laurynaus Navidauskas, Structure 3, 2015, screenprint, ed. 6/10, paper size: 15”x15”, 120, Laurynaus Navidauskas, Structure 4, 2015, screenprint, ed. 3/10, paper size: 15”x15”, 120 Located at the corner of Spadina at the artist complex 401 Richmond, Open Studio brings greater knowledge and appreciation of a rich and multifaceted artistic practice. Their work is pivotal to the support of Canadian artists, and I am always amazed by the variety and depth of the art that they showcase.
This trio of exhibitions runs until February 11, with gallery hours being from Tuesday to Saturday, 12-5pm. Open Studio rotates their exhibitions regularly, so please check back here for more reviews and updates. Open Studio offers a host of printmaking classes, from etching to lithography to letterpress to screen-printing. Their represented artists' works are also available for purchase. More information on Open Studio can be found on their website: http://openstudio.ca/. Biographical information on individual artists sourced from openstudio.ca All photographs courtesy of Laura Bydlowska
2 Comments
Jennifer Bhogal
2/3/2017 11:00:02 am
Thanks, Alice! This is lovely! I look forward to your next piece!
Reply
Alice
2/4/2017 09:45:21 am
Thank you very much, Jennifer!
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
June 2019
Categories |