Mary Joyce: Culture de résistance
to
Galerie Cité 8627 91 Street (rue Marie Anne Gaboury, Edmonton, Alberta T6C 3N1
Mary Joyce "Indian Farmers Flowers Shower," 2021
oil on canvas, 48" x 48"
Mary Joyce: Culture de résistance
In 2012, I began to make work celebrating resistance, inspired by actions of students in Montreal against proposed fee hikes in their post-secondary institutions.
The red square held by a safety pin seen on clothing of persons active in city streets became the way to recognize this resistance. I took those elements into my work. Formally, the square is a flat shape, the pin is a planar form, a city can be anything and they are simple and exciting elements to work with.
I exhibited this work in Edmonton and Montreal. Now it includes thirty six paintings and 676 square feet of red felt occupying the foyer space between two floors at La Cité, with large brass safety pins.
Almost a decade after the 2012 events, resistance has sent out roots that curl and twist and penetrate continents. Resistance is everywhere. Efforts to suppress resistance grow in ferocity, slyness, secrecy. The line of march of the resistors is complex, growing steadily as millions find themselves refugees, thrown off their lands, world nomads expected by the rulers to sell their labour anywhere without rights.
With this upcoming show, I honour the line of march of resistors in several places on earth, eg.: Montreal, Sherbrooke, Saguenay Lac-St-Jean, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Fredericton, India, Brazil, El Salvador, Palestine, Ukraine, Venezuela, Paris, and Mexico. - Mary Joyce