Vernissage: Thursday, March 2 at 6 pm
Exhibition: March 3 to 25, 2006
Exhibition Press Release:
The McClure Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of large-format colour photographs created in 2003 and 2005 by Ottawa artist Chantal Gervais. Between Self and Other investigates the vulnerability and resilience of the human body. The images portray anonymous subjects as they emerge from darkness in ambiguous physical and emotional states; the works touch on issues of pain, desire, strength and frailty in relation to aging and dying.
Since 1997, Gervais has produced a significant body of work that deals with the human body and its corporeality. In her recent work, Gervais collaborated with people who, as a result of surgery, accidents or aging have experienced acute physical changes to their bodies.
“The subjects of the works appear to be waiting. In many cases, their poses suggest a state of dormancy, somewhere on the border of sleep and death. In the multi-part works, because Gervais photographs her subjects at different angles, they seem to twist slightly, or move languidly in response to some unknown stimulus. It appears as if the individuals have returned to a womb-like place that is safe and secure. However, any idea of their having regressed to a more new and emergent state is contested by the marks of aging, as well as the scars that reveal a history of the body’s engagement with its own struggles against death… Most importantly, Gervais reminds us that we cannot take these issues for granted, but must acknowledge their importance both privately and in a more public forum, such as offered by the art gallery space.”
Excerpt from text by Andrea Kunard for Chantal Gervais’ exhibition Between Self and Other at Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa (2005).
Chantal Gervais was born in Val d’Or, Quebec in 1965 and currently lives and works in Ottawa. She received a Bachelor in Fine Arts from the University of Ottawa (1993) and an MA in Art and Media Practice from the University of Westminster in London, England (2003). Gervais’ photographic and video works have been exhibited at venues in Canada including Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa (2005), Vidéographe, Montreal (2002), Galerie Séquence, Chicoutimi (2000), Gallery 44, Toronto (1998) and (upcoming) Harcourt House Gallery, Edmonton (2006). Gervais is the recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Ottawa. She was awarded the Duke and Duchess of York Prize in Photography by the Canada Council in 2002. Her work is in the collection of the City of Ottawa and in several private collections.
Annual Student Show
Vernissage: Thursday, March 30 at 6 pm
Exhibition: March 31 to April 22, 2006
Exhibition Press Release:
Students registered in the School of Art’s winter session are invited to exhibit their work in our Annual Student Exhibition. The exhibition, which includes hundreds of works in a wide variety of media, gives students the experience of seeing their work in the context of a professional gallery. It also provides an opportunity for students and public to see the great diversity of creative activity that takes place at the Centre.
Virginia McClure Retrospective
Vernissage and Book Launch: Thursday, April 27 at 6 pm
Exhibition: April 28 to May 20, 2006
Exhibition Press Release:
The McClure Gallery celebrates the career of ceramic and mixed media artist Virginia McClure with a retrospective exhibition of her work on the occasion of the Visual Arts Centre’s 60th Anniversary. Virginia McClure has been a pivotal figure in the history of the Centre since the 1950s, serving both as director and president of the board over the years. As an early member of The Potter’s Club, the Centre’s original name, Virginia McClure was a talented and successful ceramic artist. She went on to develop as a multimedia artist and, most recently, as a poet.
Included in this exhibition are some of McClure’s early experimental works from the 1970s which combine plastics and ceramics. As well, a selection of monoprints created over the last fifteen years, in both large and small format, emphasize the vibrant colour and expressive energy for which the artist is known. Virginia McClure has presented numerous solo and group exhibitions in Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York and Barcelona.
On the occasion of Virginia McClure’s retrospective exhibition, the Visual Arts Centre is pleased to launch its second publication, green jelly beans; poems and monoprints, a book of poetry and monoprints by Virginia McClure
Collective Visions – 60th Anniversary A Fundraising Exhibition and Sale
Vernissage and Gala Evening: May 25, 6 pm
Exhibition: May 23 to June 3, 2006
Ikebana Floral Expressions
Vernissage: Thursday, June 15 at 6 pm
Exhibition: June 16 and 17, 2006
Exhibition Press Release:
The McClure Gallery is pleased to present a special three-day exhibition of approximately 25 floral arrangements by members, teachers and masters of The Montreal Chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana.
The art of Ikebana (literally “flowers kept alive”) is one of the many cultural and artistic exports of Japan. Its connection to all forms of nature and the strong observation of the seasons establishes a much-needed link to the natural and spiritual world.
Ohara, the first of the modern schools of Ikebana, was formed when Ohara Unshin broke from the Ikenobo school in the late 19th century. The Ohara school generally uses moribana (piled-up flowers) in a shallow, flat container. The school was started at a time when Western culture was heavily influential in Japan and the moribana style made good use of Western plants.
The Montreal Chapter was founded in 2002 by Cornelia Singh, who is the current President. Joining Mrs. Singh and members of the Montreal Chapter, is the top Master of the Ohara School of Canada, Mitsugi Kikuchi. Born in Japan, Kikuchi has been a painter and ikebanist for 35 years. He is the founder of the Ottawa chapter and its honorary advisor.
Elena Willis Naturally Human
Vernissage: Thursday, June 22 at 6 pm
Exhibition: June 23 to July 15, 2006
Exhibition Press Release:
The McClure Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of large format colour photographs by Montreal artist Elena Willis.
The series Naturally Human explores the complexity of the unconscious mind and its influence on our perception of reality. Staged scenes based on the artist’s dreams are recreated in landscape settings, forging a suggestive dialogue between the unconscious mind and the natural world.
The artist states “Naturally Human seeks insight from elements and events that unfold in dreams, the most important source of information concerning the content of the unconscious. The dream-based scenes in this series are projected against landscapes, in order to better place human temperament in direct relation with the natural world. Although human hands have altered such landscapes, they continue to flourish independently from human emotional uncertainty (as they always have). Thus, the landscape manifests a sense of clarity and consistency upon which we may reflect.”
Elena Willis lives and works in Montreal. She received a BFA in photography and women’s studies from Concordia University in 2003. In 2004 she was awarded the Stanley Mills Purchase Prize Award, the Du Maurier Arts Council Grant and the Concordia University Special Project Grant. Elena Willis presented a solo exhibition at Espace 306 in Montreal in 2004.