Contemporary Art Focuses on Revisiting the Gutter
The Ottawa School of Art presents "The Other City; Urban Objects in Crisis", a group exhibition of works of art by contemporary Ottawa-area artists Uta Riccius, Michèle Provost, Cécile Boucher, David Dybiec, Amy Jenkins and Pat Durr. Held annually, the Contemporary Group Exhibition seeks to provoke and encourage discussion within the community on a range of issues expressed through non-traditional and conceptual-based work.
This year's theme is about the rediscovery of the urban landscape as seen through five works, exposing the "hidden" nature of the city through a wide scope of media and perspectives. Chemical elements of the human body and toy guns filed into cabinets make up the sculptural installations of Provost and Boucher. Jenkins' work presents a large visual field of Polaroids depicting manhole covers, while Pat Durr has created a "monster" print work that features imagery associated with trash and discarded machinery. Also part of the exhibit will be a street intervention involving the strategic placement throughout Ottawa of plaster casts from lost spring mittens - the result of a collaboration between Uta Riccius and David Dybiec.
"This exhibition has a lot to offer in terms of challenging the spectator to revisit and re-assess the purpose for the existence of the darker aspects of the urban landscape,"explains Chris Healey, Gallery Coordinator. "Gallery visitors will be immersed in a lush visual environment and confronted with many subtle currents of dark humour and critical thought about our daily surroundings. Each work is a conscious investigation of the immense cycle of production and abandonment in which we all participate."
The vernissage for this exhibition will be held on Wednesday, July 26, from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. The Ottawa School of Art is located at 35 George Street in the Byward Market. Admission is free.
Ottawa School of Art/École d'art d'Ottawa
35 rue George Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8W5
613-241-7471
Non-Profit Organization #12651028
Contact:
Chris Healey, Gallery Coordinator
Ottawa School of Art: (613) 241-7471
e-mail: osagallery@ottawa.com
Ottawa School of Art/École d'art d'Ottawa
July 26 - August 18, 2001