JEAN PEDERSON, "Farm Fragments," Sept 10 - Oct 22, 2005, Leighton Art Centre, near Calgary

×

Expand

"It's Hotter than a Baker's Apron in August"

Jean Pederson, "It's Hotter than a Baker's Apron in August," 2004, watercolour, 11.25" x 15".

JEAN PEDERSON, Farm Fragments

Leighton Art Centre, near Calgary

Sept 10 - Oct 22, 2005

By Kristin Linklater

Regular visits to Saskatchewan, the birthplace of her parents, exposed artist Jean Pederson to the constant changes affecting farming communities. Homesteads were left abandoned and many of the area’s most recognizable landmarks were torn down. Struck by the idea that the hard work of settlers was now unsustainable, Pederson started collecting images from her family’s homestead. The result is Farm Fragments, a mixed-media show on exhibit this fall at the Leighton Art Centre, 15 minutes southwest of Calgary. Installation pieces are shown alongside collaged paintings, historic and recent Polaroid transfers, aerial views of farms and mementoes from her family’s original homestead. The centrepiece is a field of receipts, Pederson’s interpretation of what her family has to show after decades of farming. The eclectic make-up of Farm Fragments lets viewers in on the current disarray of rural Saskatchewan. “The social fabric has changed so much,” says Pederson. “I thought it would be interesting to do a number of thematic works to tell the story of what’s happened to farms across Canada.” Watch for the exhibition as it travels to galleries throughout Alberta.

Represented by: Peninsula Gallery, Sidney, BC; Alicat Gallery, Bragg Creek, AB; Birchwood Gallery, Yellowknife, NWT.