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No Thanks, Just the Cheque - Practicum Exhibition
March 29 - April 8, 2021
“Did you save any room for dessert over here?”
We’re confronted by the question that imposes the end of our four-year feast. A question that acknowledges the end of four years of development, four years of discovery, four years of community. We’ve come this far knowing with certainty that we would end up here, confronted with this decision. It’s now that we know with absolute certainty, that we can answer this question confidently.
“No Thanks, Just the Cheque.”
This year’s Practicum Class exhibition, No Thanks, Just the Cheque, accumulates recent works of 21 artists created during the 2020/2021 term. This exhibition also serves as the cumulation of the work that these artists have put into developing their individual practices over the course of their experiences in the Bachelor of Fine Art’s program. No Thanks, Just the Cheque signifies the end of a journey taken into the BFA program.
Tia Bates, Laura Butler, Natalie Chevalier, Peter Dickson, Rachel Elias, Sam Erdelyi, Skye Gibson, Hualei Gu, Aisha Hassen, Kaitlyn Hwang, Jimin Lee, Mackenzie Smith, Ashley Staines, Lili Thornton-Nickerson, Helia Trinh, Felicia Vosberg, Sam Wagter, Jade Williamson, Janelle Wilson, Courtney Wong, Joy Zheng
View a digital version of the exhibition's complementary catalogue, No Thanks, Just the Cheque.
Due to COVID-19 safety measures, the Artlab Gallery and Cohen Commons will be operating virtually. In-person visits are not permitted at this time. We will be posting exhibition documentation, videos, and virtual walk-throughs on the Artlab's website.
Artlab Gallery & Cohen Commons
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2021; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Annual Juried Exhibition: March 2 – 16, 2023
Opening: Thursday, March 2 from 6–8PM
People’s Choice voting: 6:00-6:45pm
AJE Award Announcements: 7:00pm
Celebrating twenty-one years the "Annual Juried Exhibition" continues to be one of the Department of Visual Arts most highly anticipated undergraduate exhibitions. This diverse show supports the production of new work made in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, print, video, and photography. Exhibited works were selected by a professional jury who consider creativity, concept, materiality and technique. This year’s show is indicative of the resilience and dedication our students continue to demonstrate.
Featuring work by: Tammy Abela, Bridget Beardwood, Laila Bloomstone, John Cocker, Giulia Commisso, Stefania Dragalin, Kate Dunn, Sebastian Evans, Cheyne Ferguson, Megan Goddard, Morea Haloftis, Katelyn Halter, Emma Hardy, Emily Kings, Bridget Koza, Victoria Kyriakides, Myles Lynch, Darcy McVicar, Grace Maier, Amy Murray, Venus Nwaokoro, Dhra Patel, Olivia Pattison, Bridget Puhacz, Michaela Purcell, Hilary Rutherford, Chloe Serenko, Abbygale Shelley, Marissa Slack, Maggie Shook, Madison Teeter, Timothy Wiebe, Sophie Zhang
Jury Members: Anna Madelska (Faculty), Jessica Karuhanga (Faculty), Dickson Bou (Artlab Gallery Preparator) Liza Eurich (Artlab Gallery Manager), by proxy Teresa Carlesimo (FCG Director)
artLAB Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2023; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Artlab conservator Anne Dineen pads out the waterlogged child's dress salvaged from the simulated flood water with tulle prior to air drying.
Vernissage: 26. September 2014, 20 Uhr
Laufzeit: 27. September – 30. November 2014
Öffnungszeiten: Fr-So, 14-18 Uhr (und nach Vereinbarung), 31.10. bis 21 Uhr geöffnet.
Sonntag, 28. September, 15 Uhr - Künstleringespräch
Sonntag, 30. November, 15 Uhr - Workshop mit Anna Dumitriu
Die dritte Ausstellung der Reihe [macro]biologies & [micro]biologies wird in Form einer Soloausstellung die britische Künstlerin Anna Dumitriu vorstellen, die sich in ihren Arbeiten im Bereich Kunst und Naturwissenschaft sowohl historischen Narrativen und avantgardistischen biomedizinischen Forschungsfragen widmet als auch mit großem Interesse ethische Aspekte thematisiert.
Dumitriu ist sehr bekannt geworden durch ihre Arbeiten The VRSA Dress und The MRSA Quilt , die beide aus dem sogenannten 'Superbazillus' gemacht wurden. Für diese Arbeiten hat Dumitriu Bakterien auf Textilien wachsen lassen und benutzte dann natürliche und klinische Antibiotika, um mit diesen Muster entstehen zu lassen (vor der Ausstellung selbstverständlich sterilisiert).
„Normal Flora“ ist eine Untersuchung allgegenwärtiger Bakterien, Schimmel und Pilze, die einen wesentlichen Teil unseres komplexen Ökosystems um uns herum ausmachen – unserer Körper, unserer Heimstätten sowie unseres Planeten. Bed and Chair Flora umfasst einen bearbeiteten Stuhl, in welchen Abbildungen von Bakterien geschnitzt wurden, die sich ursprünglich bei ihm angesiedelt haben. Die gemeinschaftlich entstandene Häkelarbeit geht auf elektronenmikroskopische Bilder jener Bakterien zurück, die im Bett der Künstlerin gefunden wurden.
Bakterien tragen aufwendige Kommunikationsfähigkeiten in sich, die heutzutage als eine Form sozialer Intelligenz untersucht werden. Dies wird in der Arbeit The Communicating Bacteria Dress erforscht. Dumitriu verbindet in diesem Zusammenhang die Bereiche Bio Art, historische textile Techniken, wie zum Bespiel die sogen. Weißstickerei, und 3D Video Mapping. Dabei haben sich die verwendeten Stoffe verfärbt, indem pigmentierte Bakterien ihre Farbe änderten, sobald sie Kommunikationssignale ausgesendet oder empfangen haben.
Die Ausstellung wird auch Arbeiten ihrer Serie Romantic Disease zeigen, welche die Geschichte der Krankheit Tuberkulose (TB) aus künstlerischer, sozialer sowie wissenschaftlicher Perspektive untersucht. Dabei werden literarische Bezüge zu TB und Aspekte des Aberglaubens hinsichtlich der Krankheit beleuchtet, aber auch die Entwicklung der Antibiotika und jüngste Forschungsergebnisse über die Erbgut-Entschlüsselung von Mykobakterien zur Debatte gestellt. Dumitriu hat mit ForscherInnen des “Modernising Medical Microbiology Project“ zusammen gearbeitet, um neue Arbeiten in Verbindung mit dieser medizinisch sowie kulturell signifikanten Krankheit entstehen zu lassen.
Anna Dumitriu ist derzeit Artist in Residence im Kontext des Projekts „Modernising Medical Microbiology Project“ an der University of Oxford und Visiting Research Fellow: Artist in Residence an der University of Hertfordshire.
Marvelous Monsters
Tommy Bourque
June 25 – July 16, 2021
Marvelous Monsters presents speculative worlds and speculative figures. This immersive exhibition of installation works by Tommy Bourque evokes physically and psychologically visceral feelings of tension through dynamic, antithetical and aesthetical relationships. Constructed scenarios present subtle and extreme opposites. Sculptural objects and bodies are complemented or animated by digital technology to explore aspects of the (post)human and provoke emotional responses in viewers to contrasting effects, inspiring ambivalence or confusion.
To what extent can we relate to experiences that purposefully elicit adverse and emotional continuums of sensations? Bourque’s scenes are investigations for considering the viewer’s reactions when faced with familiar—yet deconstructed—vessels in which they, too, reside. Visitors are presented with a dilemma of contrasting signifiers and must consciously negotiate the works while discerning their relationships with their own bodies. The fragmented body is the foundational core of Bourque’s practice, and the synecdoche is central, even (or especially) when it is overtly abstracted: (re)enforced by teeth, hair, heads, spines, and/or limbs. Viewers encountering these scenes may succumb to their individual physical reflexes, natural bodily reactions, and unconscious drives.
André Breton asserts in the Manifesto of Surrealism (1927), “[T]he marvelous is always beautiful, anything marvelous is beautiful, in fact only the marvelous is beautiful.” In this regard, Bourque views his sculptural creations as both monstrous and marvelous, as wonderfully frightening. Each piece exemplifies the same overall goal of his practice: Bourque wants his work to mirror what it is like to be alive. He wants viewers to connect and engage with his work to confront their understanding of their own embodiment and of their own lived experiences as bodies and in bodies.
Artlab Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2021; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Continuing Accountability
Kelly Greene
April 21 - May 17, 2022
Artlab Gallery
The Artlab Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition titled “Continuing Accountability” by current Indigenous Artist-In-Residence Kelly Greene. Presented in partnership with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the Department of Arts and Humanities, this exhibit brings together work completed by Greene over the course of her nearly thirty year artistic career.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
This exhibit is a continuation of my exhibit “Accountability” that was briefly on display at McIntosh Gallery for a week in March, 2020 before everything shut down. But “Accountability” has another meaning besides referring to the previous exhibit, as this word was and is the premise for both shows, since it encompasses the concepts of the artworks.
Some topics include alternative viewpoints of historic occurrences once viewed as celebratory by most, though now wondering when history books will be changed. And since recent revelations have been made of resulting conditions from enforced ownership, we may question how reparation can be made.
Yet despite it all, somehow Indigenous cultures, traditions, and languages are still alive. Although they’ve struggled to remain alive, the onus to pass knowledge from one generation to the next is imperative so nothing more will be lost.
Moreover, it is the responsibility all humans must now offer to care for our Earth, our Mother, who has endured much devastation especially during the past century after the industrial revolution and the rise of technological advancements. We are now in a position to make drastic changes to ensure that the future may somehow be free from the current conditions we’re experiencing, resulting from us making strides without heed of repercussions.
My hope is we’ll be able to outrun the machine we’ve created.
Kelly Greene is a multi-media artist whose work includes painting, sculpture, installation, and photography. She is of Mohawk-Oneida-Sicilian ancestry, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, and a descendant of the Turtle Clan.
Greene has lived in London, Ontario since 1989 where she obtained a BFA from the University of Western Ontario. She began her visual art studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where she moved with her family when she was a child.
She has exhibited in Canada and the United States for over thirty years in solo and group exhibits, primarily at the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario but also Banff, Alberta; Vancouver, B.C.; Montreal, Quebec; Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Toronto, and London, Ontario; Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Howes Cave, New York. Her work is in numerous public and private collections, and in 2012 and 2015 she was commissioned to complete two permanent outdoor installations at the Woodland Cultural Centre. She has been awarded grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council and was most recently awarded the first Indigenous Artist in Residence at Western University in 2021.
Her art focuses primarily on environmental and political topics, as well as revealing stereotypes that are still prevalent towards Indigenous cultures, using ironic humour when possible. Recognizing the impact colonization has had on our Earth and the First People who have always lived on the land now known as Canada, Greene specifically refers to the Haldimand Treaty granted to the people of Six Nations, as well as the Mohawk Institute Residential School, or “Mush Hole”, where her beautiful Grandma attended in the 1920’s. Another concern is Colony Collapse Disorder, or the current plight of bees vanishing due to pesticides and monoculture. The ever-alarming condition of our planet has inspired Greene to create works that represent our Mother Earth as human, appealing to our species’ egocentricity, hoping empathy will be instilled and respect given so future generations will continue to be revived and thrive.
Artlab Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2022; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Brazil/Canadá
Curated by Bruno Sinder, PhD candidate
Artlab Gallery
August 5-25, 2022
Opening Reception: Thursday, August 11 from 5:00 -7:00pm
Featuring over 100 family photographs of Brazilian immigrants to Canada, Brazil/Canadá invites viewers to reflect on the role personal photography plays in the process of migration. Also present in the exhibition are quotes from my conversations with the participants, where we talked about their journeys and the stories behind the photographs submitted. While the traditional print family album might be seen as an object left behind in the transition from analog to digital photography, family photography is more popular and prevalent than ever. Where do these photographs circulate and, most importantly, what do they do? Can they help us navigate the difficulties and complexities of migrating to a new country?
In this exhibition, I invite you to circulate alongside the images through three of the spaces these photographs operate in: the gallery walls, the digital world, and the home. Wander the gallery, navigate the database, and sit down with the physical albums.
Artlab Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2022; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Annual Juried Exhibition: March 2 – 16, 2023
Opening: Thursday, March 2 from 6–8PM
People’s Choice voting: 6:00-6:45pm
AJE Award Announcements: 7:00pm
Celebrating twenty-one years the "Annual Juried Exhibition" continues to be one of the Department of Visual Arts most highly anticipated undergraduate exhibitions. This diverse show supports the production of new work made in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, print, video, and photography. Exhibited works were selected by a professional jury who consider creativity, concept, materiality and technique. This year’s show is indicative of the resilience and dedication our students continue to demonstrate.
Featuring work by: Tammy Abela, Bridget Beardwood, Laila Bloomstone, John Cocker, Giulia Commisso, Stefania Dragalin, Kate Dunn, Sebastian Evans, Cheyne Ferguson, Megan Goddard, Morea Haloftis, Katelyn Halter, Emma Hardy, Emily Kings, Bridget Koza, Victoria Kyriakides, Myles Lynch, Darcy McVicar, Grace Maier, Amy Murray, Venus Nwaokoro, Dhra Patel, Olivia Pattison, Bridget Puhacz, Michaela Purcell, Hilary Rutherford, Chloe Serenko, Abbygale Shelley, Marissa Slack, Maggie Shook, Madison Teeter, Timothy Wiebe, Sophie Zhang
Jury Members: Anna Madelska (Faculty), Jessica Karuhanga (Faculty), Dickson Bou (Artlab Gallery Preparator) Liza Eurich (Artlab Gallery Manager), by proxy Teresa Carlesimo (FCG Director)
artLAB Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2023; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Tom hacke une voiture télécommandée @ Artlab
il contrôle marche avant/arrière, virage droite gauche. ajoute des phares lumineux, des enceintes, la customise...
raspberry pi
+ raspberry pi camera board
+ commande via wifi internet
Annual Juried Exhibition: March 2 – 16, 2023
Opening: Thursday, March 2 from 6–8PM
People’s Choice voting: 6:00-6:45pm
AJE Award Announcements: 7:00pm
Celebrating twenty-one years the "Annual Juried Exhibition" continues to be one of the Department of Visual Arts most highly anticipated undergraduate exhibitions. This diverse show supports the production of new work made in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, print, video, and photography. Exhibited works were selected by a professional jury who consider creativity, concept, materiality and technique. This year’s show is indicative of the resilience and dedication our students continue to demonstrate.
Featuring work by: Tammy Abela, Bridget Beardwood, Laila Bloomstone, John Cocker, Giulia Commisso, Stefania Dragalin, Kate Dunn, Sebastian Evans, Cheyne Ferguson, Megan Goddard, Morea Haloftis, Katelyn Halter, Emma Hardy, Emily Kings, Bridget Koza, Victoria Kyriakides, Myles Lynch, Darcy McVicar, Grace Maier, Amy Murray, Venus Nwaokoro, Dhra Patel, Olivia Pattison, Bridget Puhacz, Michaela Purcell, Hilary Rutherford, Chloe Serenko, Abbygale Shelley, Marissa Slack, Maggie Shook, Madison Teeter, Timothy Wiebe, Sophie Zhang
Jury Members: Anna Madelska (Faculty), Jessica Karuhanga (Faculty), Dickson Bou (Artlab Gallery Preparator) Liza Eurich (Artlab Gallery Manager), by proxy Teresa Carlesimo (FCG Director)
artLAB Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2023; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
February 10 - March 3, 2022
Artlab and Cohen Commons Gallery
VASA People's Choice Award: VOTING Thursday, February 10 - Wednesday, February 16
Come by the Artlab Gallery to vote for your favorite work! Ask one of the gallery attendants at the front reception desk for instructions any time during gallery hours: M-F 12-5PM.
Virtual Awards Ceremony: Thursday, February 17 at 6PM
Register for the webinar:
westernuniversity.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FBMUfRFXTXC...
Celebrating its 20th year, the Annual Juried Exhibition continues to be one of the Department of Visual Arts most highly anticipated undergraduate exhibitions. This diverse show supports the production of new work made in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, print, video, and photography. Exhibited works were selected by a professional jury who consider creativity, concept, materiality and technique. This year’s show is indicative of the resilience and dedication our students continue to demonstrate.
Artists: Rain Bloodworth, Michaela Purcell, Hilary Rutherford, Julia Fawcett, Cosette Gelinas, Timothy Wiebe, Jacqueline Lebiadowski, Saskia Orr, Darcy Howe, Abbygale Shelley, Man Nga Ting, Megan Goddard, Hannah Verster, Delaney Philip, Jacqueline Lian, Maggie Charbonneau, Bridget Koza, Isabella Bruni, Rowan McCready, Aidan Takeda-Curran, Xiaoyi Cao, Shane Ackerley, Shelby Sammut, Sebastian Evans, Meg Smith, Yuqing Chen and He Huang
Jury Members: Anna Madelska (Faculty), Teresa Carlesimo (FCG Director), Marla Botterill (Fanshawe Faculty), Dickson Bou (Artlab Gallery Preparator) Liza Eurich (Artlab Gallery Manager)
Artlab and Cohen Commons Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2022; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Tom hacke une voiture télécommandée @ Artlab
il contrôle marche avant/arrière, virage droite gauche. ajoute des phares lumineux, des enceintes, la customise...
raspberry pi
+ raspberry pi camera board
+ commande via wifi internet
Artlab Gallery at Western University is pleased to present "not bad, considering" the second year MFA fall exhibition. Through material engagements with the digital and handmade, mundane and precious, they have discovered that they are driven by a need to ask increasingly difficult questions for which there may not be definitive answers.
What role do garments play in identity politics? How does one navigate the violent spaces constructed by toxic masculinity? What happens when social aspirations are materialized in veneer? How can we see, and be seen if our vision is mediated by screens? In this exhibition the artists consider how it feels to rummage through basements and unpack closets, peer through thresholds, and step into imagined vistas. not bad, considering what awaits.
With work by MFA candidates:
Kate Carder-Thompson, Johnathan Onyschuk, Lydia Santia & Zhizi Wang
Opening Reception:
Thursday, September 27, 2018, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Exhibition Dates:
September 27 - October 11, 2018
About the Artlab Gallery:
Located in the John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, Western University, the Artlab Gallery is a vital component of the Department of Visual Arts. Established in 1994 the gallery focuses on exhibitions, events, and projects that respond to social and cultural issues, supporting the research, and practice of students, faculty and artists from the region and beyond. The work presented in the gallery explores conceptual and experimental production incorporating a diverse range of mediums and methods.
Artlab Gallery
John Labatt Visual Arts Centre
Department of Visual Arts
Western University
London, ON
© 2018; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Continuing Accountability
Kelly Greene
April 21 - May 17, 2022
Artlab Gallery
The Artlab Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition titled “Continuing Accountability” by current Indigenous Artist-In-Residence Kelly Greene. Presented in partnership with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the Department of Arts and Humanities, this exhibit brings together work completed by Greene over the course of her nearly thirty year artistic career.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
This exhibit is a continuation of my exhibit “Accountability” that was briefly on display at McIntosh Gallery for a week in March, 2020 before everything shut down. But “Accountability” has another meaning besides referring to the previous exhibit, as this word was and is the premise for both shows, since it encompasses the concepts of the artworks.
Some topics include alternative viewpoints of historic occurrences once viewed as celebratory by most, though now wondering when history books will be changed. And since recent revelations have been made of resulting conditions from enforced ownership, we may question how reparation can be made.
Yet despite it all, somehow Indigenous cultures, traditions, and languages are still alive. Although they’ve struggled to remain alive, the onus to pass knowledge from one generation to the next is imperative so nothing more will be lost.
Moreover, it is the responsibility all humans must now offer to care for our Earth, our Mother, who has endured much devastation especially during the past century after the industrial revolution and the rise of technological advancements. We are now in a position to make drastic changes to ensure that the future may somehow be free from the current conditions we’re experiencing, resulting from us making strides without heed of repercussions.
My hope is we’ll be able to outrun the machine we’ve created.
Kelly Greene is a multi-media artist whose work includes painting, sculpture, installation, and photography. She is of Mohawk-Oneida-Sicilian ancestry, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, and a descendant of the Turtle Clan.
Greene has lived in London, Ontario since 1989 where she obtained a BFA from the University of Western Ontario. She began her visual art studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where she moved with her family when she was a child.
She has exhibited in Canada and the United States for over thirty years in solo and group exhibits, primarily at the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario but also Banff, Alberta; Vancouver, B.C.; Montreal, Quebec; Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Toronto, and London, Ontario; Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Howes Cave, New York. Her work is in numerous public and private collections, and in 2012 and 2015 she was commissioned to complete two permanent outdoor installations at the Woodland Cultural Centre. She has been awarded grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council and was most recently awarded the first Indigenous Artist in Residence at Western University in 2021.
Her art focuses primarily on environmental and political topics, as well as revealing stereotypes that are still prevalent towards Indigenous cultures, using ironic humour when possible. Recognizing the impact colonization has had on our Earth and the First People who have always lived on the land now known as Canada, Greene specifically refers to the Haldimand Treaty granted to the people of Six Nations, as well as the Mohawk Institute Residential School, or “Mush Hole”, where her beautiful Grandma attended in the 1920’s. Another concern is Colony Collapse Disorder, or the current plight of bees vanishing due to pesticides and monoculture. The ever-alarming condition of our planet has inspired Greene to create works that represent our Mother Earth as human, appealing to our species’ egocentricity, hoping empathy will be instilled and respect given so future generations will continue to be revived and thrive.
Artlab Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2022; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
April 26 - May 9, 2018
Please join us at the Artlab Gallery for the opening reception of the MFA thesis exhibition SuperNova, a new video installation by Iranian-Canadian digital and performance artist Rah. As an Iranian diasporic woman, Rah examines the values and ideologies of two different and occasionally oppositional sets of social norms and beliefs. She critiques the visual stereotypes and performative aspects that shape female gender identity and Iranian ethnic identity. Rah not only focuses on the means by which individuals express such identities but also critiques the value and legitimacy of identity and cultural expression. While performing racial and cultural stereotypes, Rah focuses on fantasy – be it the viewer’s or her own – in an attempt to force the viewer to reflect on their relationship with the racialized female body.
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 26, 2018
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Artlab Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, ON
© 2018; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Credulous Escapism
Brianne Casey, MFA candidate, thesis exhibition
July 07 - July 28, 2022
Credulous describes the readiness to believe in anything even with the uncertainty of its validity. Viewers are welcomed into this space of possibilities, where they can escape from the realities of the world. The exhibition Credulous Escapism reflects on a whimsical moment in life, while acknowledging that childhood wonderment inevitably comes to a looming end. With this in mind, Casey created paintings and installations that engage with neo-surrealistic influences -- further attempting to reveal our subconscious relationship to the mysterious and nostalgic world of toys.
In my own experience toys are a continuous source of inspiration, particularly, a royal purple bear given to me by my Papa, (Leonard Johnson) when I was six years old. The bear contributed to my colour scheme in several visual works. This colour and the matching colour scheme have been prevalent in my work for several years. Observing and contemplating my work the royal purple aesthetic was realized by chance, when I glanced at the bear in my studio; an object that has been a constant part of my studio as a continued reminder of my Papa. The familial and intellectual impact of the teddy bear inspired my fascination with how toys have the potential to influence us subconsciously throughout our lives.
Artlab Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2022; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Continuing Accountability
Kelly Greene
April 21 - May 17, 2022
Artlab Gallery
The Artlab Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition titled “Continuing Accountability” by current Indigenous Artist-In-Residence Kelly Greene. Presented in partnership with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the Department of Arts and Humanities, this exhibit brings together work completed by Greene over the course of her nearly thirty year artistic career.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
This exhibit is a continuation of my exhibit “Accountability” that was briefly on display at McIntosh Gallery for a week in March, 2020 before everything shut down. But “Accountability” has another meaning besides referring to the previous exhibit, as this word was and is the premise for both shows, since it encompasses the concepts of the artworks.
Some topics include alternative viewpoints of historic occurrences once viewed as celebratory by most, though now wondering when history books will be changed. And since recent revelations have been made of resulting conditions from enforced ownership, we may question how reparation can be made.
Yet despite it all, somehow Indigenous cultures, traditions, and languages are still alive. Although they’ve struggled to remain alive, the onus to pass knowledge from one generation to the next is imperative so nothing more will be lost.
Moreover, it is the responsibility all humans must now offer to care for our Earth, our Mother, who has endured much devastation especially during the past century after the industrial revolution and the rise of technological advancements. We are now in a position to make drastic changes to ensure that the future may somehow be free from the current conditions we’re experiencing, resulting from us making strides without heed of repercussions.
My hope is we’ll be able to outrun the machine we’ve created.
Kelly Greene is a multi-media artist whose work includes painting, sculpture, installation, and photography. She is of Mohawk-Oneida-Sicilian ancestry, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, and a descendant of the Turtle Clan.
Greene has lived in London, Ontario since 1989 where she obtained a BFA from the University of Western Ontario. She began her visual art studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where she moved with her family when she was a child.
She has exhibited in Canada and the United States for over thirty years in solo and group exhibits, primarily at the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario but also Banff, Alberta; Vancouver, B.C.; Montreal, Quebec; Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Toronto, and London, Ontario; Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Howes Cave, New York. Her work is in numerous public and private collections, and in 2012 and 2015 she was commissioned to complete two permanent outdoor installations at the Woodland Cultural Centre. She has been awarded grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council and was most recently awarded the first Indigenous Artist in Residence at Western University in 2021.
Her art focuses primarily on environmental and political topics, as well as revealing stereotypes that are still prevalent towards Indigenous cultures, using ironic humour when possible. Recognizing the impact colonization has had on our Earth and the First People who have always lived on the land now known as Canada, Greene specifically refers to the Haldimand Treaty granted to the people of Six Nations, as well as the Mohawk Institute Residential School, or “Mush Hole”, where her beautiful Grandma attended in the 1920’s. Another concern is Colony Collapse Disorder, or the current plight of bees vanishing due to pesticides and monoculture. The ever-alarming condition of our planet has inspired Greene to create works that represent our Mother Earth as human, appealing to our species’ egocentricity, hoping empathy will be instilled and respect given so future generations will continue to be revived and thrive.
Artlab Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2022; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
ARYEN HOEKSTRA
Untitled (moving objects)
Artlab Gallery
October 8 - October 21, 2021
Walter Benjamin’s 1929 essay Surrealism: The Last Snapshot of the European Intelligentsia suggests that a central feature of Surrealist work was the perceptual experience he named ‘profane illumination.’ Benjamin describes the process by which, sometimes but not always drug induced, a person might be distracted into perceiving the most ordinary, overlooked objects of everyday reality as uncanny, supernatural, and irrational. According to Benjamin, Surrealism’s ability to disorient and estrange through this ‘profane illumination’ made it a potentially revolutionary operation. A few years later in his Artwork essay Benjamin identifies an analogous trait in the work of Dadaist painters and poets, writing that “their poems are 'word salad’ containing obscenities and every imaginable waste product of language. The same is true of their paintings, on which they mounted buttons and tickets. What they intended and achieved was a relentless destruction of the aura of their creations, which they branded as
reproductions with the very means of production.” While the latter essay suggests that it is the reproducibility of buttons and tickets that destroys this aura I prefer to think that Benjamin was simply too sober in his appraisal of these works, leaving himself perceptually untuned to the profane character immanent to their everyday objectness.
The separation of the sacred from the profane is one art’s most strictly maintained divisions, extending even to the architectural standard now ubiquitous in nearly all contemporary art galleries. This is described in detail in Olav Velthius’ Talking Prices, a comparative analysis of the business practices and pricing logic of art dealers in Amsterdam and New York in the early 2000’s.
In some cases, the back is sealed off hermetically, suggesting that the exhibition space is all there is to the gallery. Other gallery owners allow the public at least a partial view of the back space through open doors or glass windows. In small galleries … the back space may be limited to a single room or even a niche of the gallery space, where a small number of artworks are stored and a desk space is located for the owner and her assistant. In the largest New York Galleries … the back of the gallery consists of several corridors and spaces with unique functions. These spaces may include the following: offices for the directors or dealers and, in some cases, their personal assistants; a private viewing room, furnished with comfortable seats, where potential buyers can look in full comfort at a small number of works they are interested in; a stock room, where (part of) the inventory of the gallery is stored — the everyday territory of the art handler, who is responsible for the shipping and installation of artworks. A general office room may have a large table where staff meetings take place, and where deals may be negotiated and arranged between the dealer and a collector, away from the works of art.
Velthius describes this as a Durkhemian separation that functions to remove any trace of commerce (ie. the profane) from the sacred space of the exhibition. The need for this is made clear by the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben in his essay In Praise of Profanation, in which he recalls the legal definition of the profane in Ancient Rome.
The Roman jurists knew perfectly well what it meant to "profane." Sacred or religious were the things that in some way belonged to the gods. As such, they were removed from the free use and commerce of men; they could be neither sold nor held in lien, neither given for usufruct nor burdened by servitude. Any act that violated or transgressed this special unavailability, which reserved these things exclusively for the celestial gods (in which case they were properly called "sacred") or for the gods of the underworld (in which case they were simply called "religious"), was sacrilegious. And if "to consecrate" (sacrare) was the term that indicated the removal of things from the sphere of human law, "to profane" meant, conversely, to return them to the free use of men.
And it can be an uncanny and irrational experience to enter that profane space which lies just beyond the walls of the gallery. My own research is particularly interested in the ways that contemporary art objects are traded, the logistics of the art business, the storage and shipping of artworks, their care and
circulation. This often finds me considering artworks in those moments that they are removed from their intended site of operation; out of the white-cube exhibition space and in the storage racks of the gallery’s back room. This is also the space that inverts Benjamin’s misunderstanding of Surrealism as it sees artworks transformed into art objects, which is a true profanation.[1] And it is only as objects that these works may then be handled by gloved technicians, wrapped in cushioning, and readied for transport.
That which has been ritually separated can be returned from the rite to the profane sphere. Thus one of the simplest forms of profanation occurs through contact (contagione) during the same sacrifice that effects and regulates the passage of the victim from the human to the divine sphere. One part of the victim (the entrails, or ex ta: the liver, heart, gallbladder, lungs) is reserved for the gods, while the rest can be consumed by men. The participants in the rite need only touch these organs for them to become profane and edible. There is a profane contagion, a touch that disenchants and returns to use what the sacred had separated and petrified.
Perhaps what is potentially radical about the buttons and tickets Benjamin wrote about in Dadaist works, and in the Readymade more generally, is that they not only point their own mechanical (re)production, but also possess a haptic indexicality that conjures their handling as objects prior to their consecration as artworks.
Untitled (moving objects) (2021) is an installation of provisional sculptures created from 12 moving blankets and a number of objects found in the gallery that have previously had direct contact with artworks. The blankets, wrap and gloves acknowledge the materially fragile nature of the works that have and will enter this exhibition space, their dual existences as both artwork and object, and their always potential profanation.
[1] Everyday objects already exist within profane sphere, so don’t require further intoxication to be perceived as such.
Artlab Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2021; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Allegory
Curated by Megan Goddard, artLAB Gallery Intern
Cohen Commons
March 31 – April 13, 2023
Reception: Friday, March 31 from 6–8PM
Bridget Koza, Chloe Serenko, Brittany Forrest, Isabella Springett, Grace Maier, Jack Cocker, Isabella Bruni, Marissa Slack, Timothy Wiebe
Allegory can be thought of as a way of seeing an object as something other than it seemingly presents itself, it points to a meaning beyond what is seen on the surface. What is so intriguing about allegory is its multifaceted way of understanding; going beyond what is literally displayed in an artwork and digging deep into meanings, thematic symbols, and the reasons behind certain personifications of abstract forms. Allegory is also aligned with thematics tied to the Baroque period; a time where gilded frames, optical illusion and grandiosity come to mind. Themes such as light and dark, investigation of self, femininity, or the passage of time are all explored in the works of Baroque artists. The blending of Baroque and allegory creates a unique space for artists to work within.
Allegory aims to give these nine artists a space to investigate whether allegory and visual aesthetics of the Baroque can in fact work together, and what that may look like in today’s world. The show hopes to present an analysis of how classical themes can be reworked and redefined visually. The artists within this show employ themes of self, femininity, passing of time, and spirituality in an effort to understand and depict life and identity through the lens of human experience. Some works are a translation of classical aesthetics as seen in the Baroque time period, others are contemporary studies of allegorical themes such as time. Artists included in this show presented works that went beyond the surface, analyzing different thematic symbols through various mediums such as ceramics, painting and textiles.
Read more about the artists: www.uwo.ca/visarts/artlab/current.html
Cohen Commons
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2023; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Artlab conservator Anne Dineen demonstrating how to stack waterlogged paper items (like prints) in between Reemay material or blotting paper.
Join us for the opening reception of DAYS, Thursday, September 13th from 5-7pm at the Artlab!
Whether counting up, or counting down, DAYS addresses the manifestation of passing time in a youthful, uncertain context. The work of Sofia Berger, Liam Creed, Olivia Mossuto and Michael Thompson explore what it means to be working on the outskirts of a generation, while simultaneously questioning the inconsistencies of adolescence. Through mixed media painting and sculptural explorations, there is an emphasis on the tangibility of created objects, referencing the paradoxical inclination of youth to engage with their transience through concrete material.
Opening Reception:
Thursday, September 13, 2018, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Exhibition Dates:
September 7 - 20, 2018
About the Artlab Gallery
Located in the John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, Western University, the Artlab Gallery is a vital component of the Department of Visual Arts. Established in 1994 the gallery focuses on exhibitions, events, and projects that respond to social and cultural issues, supporting the research, and practice of students, faculty and artists from the region and beyond. The work presented in the gallery explores conceptual and experimental production incorporating a diverse range of mediums and methods.
Artlab Gallery
John Labatt Visual Arts Centre
Department of Visual Arts
Western University
London, ON
© 2018; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Opening Reception: Friday March 20th > 7 - 9PM
VAULT represents the yearlong artistic explorations of the Studio Arts Practicum class of 2014/15.The works in VAULT bring together diverse production from areas of competitive sport, materiality, craft, and the blurred boundaries of identity, performance, and sexuality.
A vault can be a number of things: a room, a space, a chamber, or a place to guard and protect the contents within. This year's class, instructed by Professors Kelly Wood and Patrick Howlett, looks forward to opening the doors of our VAULT on Friday March 20th 2015.
Artists: Randi Aiken, Megan Arnold, Mariah Bailey, Cayley Cowan, Victoria Delle Donne, Taylor Doyle, Jamie Dronyk, Amy Harrington, Mitchell Kemp, Odre Lefebvre, Francesca Mak, Faith Patrick, Nicholas Reddon, Angelika Schulz, Mackenzie Sinclair, Erik Skouris, Jennifer Stevenson, and Dev Vasile.
By installing your artwork in the John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, you agree to have it photographed and release all rights in and consent to the use of this photo for all legal purposes. Would you like to see your work properly captioned? vrlibrary@uwo.ca
© 2015; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Annual Juried Exhibition: March 2 – 16, 2023
Opening: Thursday, March 2 from 6–8PM
People’s Choice voting: 6:00-6:45pm
AJE Award Announcements: 7:00pm
Celebrating twenty-one years the "Annual Juried Exhibition" continues to be one of the Department of Visual Arts most highly anticipated undergraduate exhibitions. This diverse show supports the production of new work made in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, print, video, and photography. Exhibited works were selected by a professional jury who consider creativity, concept, materiality and technique. This year’s show is indicative of the resilience and dedication our students continue to demonstrate.
Featuring work by: Tammy Abela, Bridget Beardwood, Laila Bloomstone, John Cocker, Giulia Commisso, Stefania Dragalin, Kate Dunn, Sebastian Evans, Cheyne Ferguson, Megan Goddard, Morea Haloftis, Katelyn Halter, Emma Hardy, Emily Kings, Bridget Koza, Victoria Kyriakides, Myles Lynch, Darcy McVicar, Grace Maier, Amy Murray, Venus Nwaokoro, Dhra Patel, Olivia Pattison, Bridget Puhacz, Michaela Purcell, Hilary Rutherford, Chloe Serenko, Abbygale Shelley, Marissa Slack, Maggie Shook, Madison Teeter, Timothy Wiebe, Sophie Zhang
Jury Members: Anna Madelska (Faculty), Jessica Karuhanga (Faculty), Dickson Bou (Artlab Gallery Preparator) Liza Eurich (Artlab Gallery Manager), by proxy Teresa Carlesimo (FCG Director)
artLAB Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2023; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
April 19-May 7, 2021, 2021
This series of paintings began as an effort to locate myself during a period of profound grief over the loss of my son, Ellis. Up until that time, I had been making drawings on the wall, but then loss tore through my life and suddenly the floor became my new workspace. I no longer stood erect to work on a vertical plane, but instead from my knees working horizontally. I folded paper into trays to contain coloured water and would wait for days to see what kind of patterns the evaporating water would leave behind on the paper’s surface. I would often spend time watching the suspended pigments mix in the water or sit and stare at tinted reflections of myself and my surroundings in the chromatic pools. I was becoming more of an observer as I distanced myself from the work. I allowed the materials I was using to act more autonomously under the laws of nature.
As the application of paint to paper was now mediated by evaporation over time, I realized that my hand was no longer directly involved in manipulating paint strokes but was rather most present in the folds I pressed into the papers’ surface.
A fold is a weakness, a wound running along the entire length of the substrate. A fold is a doubling over, a bend that leaves a scar. A fold is a condition that forces one thing to become something else. A fold is an awakening, showing an object in the second dimension that there is perhaps a third.
Through evaporation, these paintings are what remains of an imminent departure, something akin to empty containers, wrappers or envelopes. The water responsible for the markings left behind on the paper surface is removed, its invisible presence as vapour now called to mind through trace.
While these paintings were unquestionably born out of the numbness of grief after loss, they are also manifestations of a long-standing interest in process-based actions and outcomes. These paintings are a way of poking and prodding the environment around me in order to locate myself in a world in flux.
About the Artist
London artist Matt W. Brown explores incidence, colour, and implications of transition through works on paper. He has exhibited in Halifax at the Nova Scotia Archives, Anna Leonowens Gallery, RBC Waterside Centre, Eyelevel Gallery, and the Visual Arts Nova Scotia Corridor Gallery. In London, his work has been featured at Fringe Gallery, Forest City Gallery, Artlab Gallery, and McIntosh Gallery.
Brown received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design with a major in painting. He is now completing a Master of Fine Arts degree at the Department of Visual Art, Western University.
---Following Ontario's provincewide lockdown (beginning on April 3), the Artlab will be closed to in-person appointments. For ongoing coverage of COVID-19 protocol and operations at Western University, visit www.uwo.ca/coronavirus/
Artlab Gallery & Cohen Commons
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2021; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Annual Juried Exhibition: March 2 – 16, 2023
Opening: Thursday, March 2 from 6–8PM
People’s Choice voting: 6:00-6:45pm
AJE Award Announcements: 7:00pm
Celebrating twenty-one years the "Annual Juried Exhibition" continues to be one of the Department of Visual Arts most highly anticipated undergraduate exhibitions. This diverse show supports the production of new work made in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, print, video, and photography. Exhibited works were selected by a professional jury who consider creativity, concept, materiality and technique. This year’s show is indicative of the resilience and dedication our students continue to demonstrate.
Featuring work by: Tammy Abela, Bridget Beardwood, Laila Bloomstone, John Cocker, Giulia Commisso, Stefania Dragalin, Kate Dunn, Sebastian Evans, Cheyne Ferguson, Megan Goddard, Morea Haloftis, Katelyn Halter, Emma Hardy, Emily Kings, Bridget Koza, Victoria Kyriakides, Myles Lynch, Darcy McVicar, Grace Maier, Amy Murray, Venus Nwaokoro, Dhra Patel, Olivia Pattison, Bridget Puhacz, Michaela Purcell, Hilary Rutherford, Chloe Serenko, Abbygale Shelley, Marissa Slack, Maggie Shook, Madison Teeter, Timothy Wiebe, Sophie Zhang
Jury Members: Anna Madelska (Faculty), Jessica Karuhanga (Faculty), Dickson Bou (Artlab Gallery Preparator) Liza Eurich (Artlab Gallery Manager), by proxy Teresa Carlesimo (FCG Director)
artLAB Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2023; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Vernissage: 26. September 2014, 20 Uhr
Laufzeit: 27. September – 30. November 2014
Öffnungszeiten: Fr-So, 14-18 Uhr (und nach Vereinbarung), 31.10. bis 21 Uhr geöffnet.
Sonntag, 28. September, 15 Uhr - Künstleringespräch
Sonntag, 30. November, 15 Uhr - Workshop mit Anna Dumitriu
Die dritte Ausstellung der Reihe [macro]biologies & [micro]biologies wird in Form einer Soloausstellung die britische Künstlerin Anna Dumitriu vorstellen, die sich in ihren Arbeiten im Bereich Kunst und Naturwissenschaft sowohl historischen Narrativen und avantgardistischen biomedizinischen Forschungsfragen widmet als auch mit großem Interesse ethische Aspekte thematisiert.
Dumitriu ist sehr bekannt geworden durch ihre Arbeiten The VRSA Dress und The MRSA Quilt , die beide aus dem sogenannten 'Superbazillus' gemacht wurden. Für diese Arbeiten hat Dumitriu Bakterien auf Textilien wachsen lassen und benutzte dann natürliche und klinische Antibiotika, um mit diesen Muster entstehen zu lassen (vor der Ausstellung selbstverständlich sterilisiert).
„Normal Flora“ ist eine Untersuchung allgegenwärtiger Bakterien, Schimmel und Pilze, die einen wesentlichen Teil unseres komplexen Ökosystems um uns herum ausmachen – unserer Körper, unserer Heimstätten sowie unseres Planeten. Bed and Chair Flora umfasst einen bearbeiteten Stuhl, in welchen Abbildungen von Bakterien geschnitzt wurden, die sich ursprünglich bei ihm angesiedelt haben. Die gemeinschaftlich entstandene Häkelarbeit geht auf elektronenmikroskopische Bilder jener Bakterien zurück, die im Bett der Künstlerin gefunden wurden.
Bakterien tragen aufwendige Kommunikationsfähigkeiten in sich, die heutzutage als eine Form sozialer Intelligenz untersucht werden. Dies wird in der Arbeit The Communicating Bacteria Dress erforscht. Dumitriu verbindet in diesem Zusammenhang die Bereiche Bio Art, historische textile Techniken, wie zum Bespiel die sogen. Weißstickerei, und 3D Video Mapping. Dabei haben sich die verwendeten Stoffe verfärbt, indem pigmentierte Bakterien ihre Farbe änderten, sobald sie Kommunikationssignale ausgesendet oder empfangen haben.
Die Ausstellung wird auch Arbeiten ihrer Serie Romantic Disease zeigen, welche die Geschichte der Krankheit Tuberkulose (TB) aus künstlerischer, sozialer sowie wissenschaftlicher Perspektive untersucht. Dabei werden literarische Bezüge zu TB und Aspekte des Aberglaubens hinsichtlich der Krankheit beleuchtet, aber auch die Entwicklung der Antibiotika und jüngste Forschungsergebnisse über die Erbgut-Entschlüsselung von Mykobakterien zur Debatte gestellt. Dumitriu hat mit ForscherInnen des “Modernising Medical Microbiology Project“ zusammen gearbeitet, um neue Arbeiten in Verbindung mit dieser medizinisch sowie kulturell signifikanten Krankheit entstehen zu lassen.
Anna Dumitriu ist derzeit Artist in Residence im Kontext des Projekts „Modernising Medical Microbiology Project“ an der University of Oxford und Visiting Research Fellow: Artist in Residence an der University of Hertfordshire.
Participants building a wind tunnel ready to air dry their interleaved waterlogged books. The books are stood up on their spines on pieces of blotting paper under a trestle table. The table will be covered with a piece of Tyvek to make the tunnel and an electric fan placed at the other end of the tunnel.
June 7-20, 2018
The ArtLab Gallery is pleased to present the MFA thesis exhibition and where is the body? by Tyler Durbano. Durbano’s practice employs hair and silicone as primary materials, using juxtaposition, and assemblage as tools to produce sculptural works that evoke a bodily feeling. Many of the sculptures are created by inserting single strands of hair, one at a time, into corresponding silicone forms, to begin a conversation about labour and queer identity. Referencing modes of drag, and their associated props, the work explores ideas of vulnerability, maintenance of the body, and performance. With this new work, Durbano creates a conceptual entry point through which the deeply personal, yet global, relationship people have to their identities, their bodies, and to one another can be explored.
Opening Reception: Friday, June 8 from 6-8pm
About the Artlab Gallery
Located in the John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, Western University, the Artlab Gallery is a vital component of the Department of Visual Arts. Established in 1994 the gallery focuses on exhibitions, events, and projects that respond to social and cultural issues, supporting the research, and practice of students, faculty and artists from the region and beyond. The work presented in the gallery explores conceptual and experimental production incorporating a diverse range of mediums and methods.
Artlab Gallery
John Labatt Visual Arts Centre
Department of Visual Arts
Western University
London, ON
© 2018; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Annual Juried Exhibition: March 2 – 16, 2023
Opening: Thursday, March 2 from 6–8PM
People’s Choice voting: 6:00-6:45pm
AJE Award Announcements: 7:00pm
Celebrating twenty-one years the "Annual Juried Exhibition" continues to be one of the Department of Visual Arts most highly anticipated undergraduate exhibitions. This diverse show supports the production of new work made in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, print, video, and photography. Exhibited works were selected by a professional jury who consider creativity, concept, materiality and technique. This year’s show is indicative of the resilience and dedication our students continue to demonstrate.
Featuring work by: Tammy Abela, Bridget Beardwood, Laila Bloomstone, John Cocker, Giulia Commisso, Stefania Dragalin, Kate Dunn, Sebastian Evans, Cheyne Ferguson, Megan Goddard, Morea Haloftis, Katelyn Halter, Emma Hardy, Emily Kings, Bridget Koza, Victoria Kyriakides, Myles Lynch, Darcy McVicar, Grace Maier, Amy Murray, Venus Nwaokoro, Dhra Patel, Olivia Pattison, Bridget Puhacz, Michaela Purcell, Hilary Rutherford, Chloe Serenko, Abbygale Shelley, Marissa Slack, Maggie Shook, Madison Teeter, Timothy Wiebe, Sophie Zhang
Jury Members: Anna Madelska (Faculty), Jessica Karuhanga (Faculty), Dickson Bou (Artlab Gallery Preparator) Liza Eurich (Artlab Gallery Manager), by proxy Teresa Carlesimo (FCG Director)
artLAB Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2023; Department of Visual Arts; Western University
Tom hacke une voiture télécommandée @ Artlab
il contrôle marche avant/arrière, virage droite gauche. ajoute des phares lumineux, des enceintes, la customise...
raspberry pi
+ raspberry pi camera board
+ commande via wifi internet
Continuing Accountability
Kelly Greene
April 21 - May 17, 2022
Artlab Gallery
The Artlab Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition titled “Continuing Accountability” by current Indigenous Artist-In-Residence Kelly Greene. Presented in partnership with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the Department of Arts and Humanities, this exhibit brings together work completed by Greene over the course of her nearly thirty year artistic career.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
This exhibit is a continuation of my exhibit “Accountability” that was briefly on display at McIntosh Gallery for a week in March, 2020 before everything shut down. But “Accountability” has another meaning besides referring to the previous exhibit, as this word was and is the premise for both shows, since it encompasses the concepts of the artworks.
Some topics include alternative viewpoints of historic occurrences once viewed as celebratory by most, though now wondering when history books will be changed. And since recent revelations have been made of resulting conditions from enforced ownership, we may question how reparation can be made.
Yet despite it all, somehow Indigenous cultures, traditions, and languages are still alive. Although they’ve struggled to remain alive, the onus to pass knowledge from one generation to the next is imperative so nothing more will be lost.
Moreover, it is the responsibility all humans must now offer to care for our Earth, our Mother, who has endured much devastation especially during the past century after the industrial revolution and the rise of technological advancements. We are now in a position to make drastic changes to ensure that the future may somehow be free from the current conditions we’re experiencing, resulting from us making strides without heed of repercussions.
My hope is we’ll be able to outrun the machine we’ve created.
Kelly Greene is a multi-media artist whose work includes painting, sculpture, installation, and photography. She is of Mohawk-Oneida-Sicilian ancestry, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, and a descendant of the Turtle Clan.
Greene has lived in London, Ontario since 1989 where she obtained a BFA from the University of Western Ontario. She began her visual art studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where she moved with her family when she was a child.
She has exhibited in Canada and the United States for over thirty years in solo and group exhibits, primarily at the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario but also Banff, Alberta; Vancouver, B.C.; Montreal, Quebec; Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Toronto, and London, Ontario; Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Howes Cave, New York. Her work is in numerous public and private collections, and in 2012 and 2015 she was commissioned to complete two permanent outdoor installations at the Woodland Cultural Centre. She has been awarded grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council and was most recently awarded the first Indigenous Artist in Residence at Western University in 2021.
Her art focuses primarily on environmental and political topics, as well as revealing stereotypes that are still prevalent towards Indigenous cultures, using ironic humour when possible. Recognizing the impact colonization has had on our Earth and the First People who have always lived on the land now known as Canada, Greene specifically refers to the Haldimand Treaty granted to the people of Six Nations, as well as the Mohawk Institute Residential School, or “Mush Hole”, where her beautiful Grandma attended in the 1920’s. Another concern is Colony Collapse Disorder, or the current plight of bees vanishing due to pesticides and monoculture. The ever-alarming condition of our planet has inspired Greene to create works that represent our Mother Earth as human, appealing to our species’ egocentricity, hoping empathy will be instilled and respect given so future generations will continue to be revived and thrive.
Artlab Gallery
JL Visual Arts Centre
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
© 2022; Department of Visual Arts; Western University