Loving and Loathing in Winnipeg

When in Winnipeg this week, VoCA toured a few galleries. We met loads of people, we caught up with others, we loved, and we loathed.

LOVED:

-Christi Belcourt, Off the Map: Perspectives of Land, Water and Metis People at Urban Shaman

January 18 – 1 March, 2008


Christi Belcourt, Coat for Harry, 2005-06. Image: chrstibelcourt.com


Christi Belcourt, Portrait of Maria Campbell, 2005-06. Image: chrstibelcourt.com


Christi Belcourt, Untitled, 2005-06. Image: chrstibelcourt.com

Belcourt - an aboriginal artist living in Whitefish Falls, Ontario, makes exquisite work, as is evident in her show at Urban Shaman, an aboriginal artist-run centre. Taking as inspiration traditional First Nations craft and beadwork, these portraits, titled Great Metis of My Time, feature Metis leaders, activists and/or artists who sought justice for the Metis Nation. The portraits are set into the centre of each painting, Victorian-style, with beadwork-style painting surrounding. They are lovingly painted and deserve to be seen.

For more information, please click Urban Shaman’s website HERE


-Richard Hines, Pictures from (Inside) at Platform

11 January – February 22, 2008


Richard Hines, Chess. Image: nscad.ns.ca

These intimate photographs of the artist’s wife and son sort of creep up on you. They are direct and tender, and convey the emotional intensity of Hines’s relationship to his family. The works place the viewer in a peculiar position, as we are strangers to these people, but the last image, a family portrait in which Hines is completely obscured by shadow, speaks volumes.


Richard Hines, Sliced Apple, 2006. (Image not in the exhibition)
Image: gibsongallery.com

This is a well-curated show. For more information, please click A HREF=”href=http://www.platformgallery.org/>HERE.

Richard Hines is represented by Michael Gibson Gallery, London Ontario. Please click HERE.

LOATHED:

-Luis Jacob and Noam Gonick: Wildflowers of Manitoba at Plug-In ICA

December 14 - 26 January, 2008


Luis Jacob and Noam Gonick, Wildflowers of Manitoba. Image: plugin.org

We were very disappointed by Luis Jacob and Noam Gonick's installation Wildflowers of Manitoba. The installation, which we expected to enjoy, occurs inside a tent-sized geodesic dome and stopped short of what it should have achieved.

In fact, we found that the didactic panel at the show's entrance told us more about the work than the work itself. Never good.

The video projections were crudely shot gay men romping in the countryside, and the intallation itself consisted of a turntable with soundtrack, a mattress, some tree trunks and a dreamcatcher.

It was low-energy and left us cold.

Not to mention that it was stuck on one side of the darkened, empty gallery.

Not to mention that we hear that Noam Gonick is on the Board of Directors of Plug In.

For more info, please click HERE.


IN OTHER NEWS:

-Jarod Charzewski and Colleen Ludwig: Vanishing Point at aceartinc.

January 18 – 23 February, 2008


Jarod Charzewski, installation shot of Tides: Everglade, 2005. Image: jarodcharzewski.com

When we arrived, the artists were in the midst of installing a highly complex work, which would eventually be a forced perspective area map of the Winnipeg lakes, rendered in board and suspended from the ceiling with a water ‘wall’ at the back. The work is billed as an “environmental, cultural, social and political investigation” of the environmental situation that threatens lake Winnipeg due to high levels of phosphorous and nitrates generated by four provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario) and four U.S. States (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota).

For more information, please click HERE

Jarod Charzewski will also have an exhibition in Toronto at Trinity Square Video from January 25 - 23 February, 2008.