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.