Deborah Potter, Leesa Streifler, Sheila Nourse | III

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Leesa Streifler, “Old Friends,” no date

(courtesy of the Gallery)

Recognizing that our culture often undervalues the lives and bodies of aging and elderly women, III confronts stereotypes and creates space to appreciate the comical and beautiful aspects of aging through the works of Regina artists Leesa Streifler, Deborah Potter, and Sheila Nourse.

Ceramic figurines commonly depict sentimental and idealized subjects; Potter's small-scale figural clay sculptures are whimsical and tragic in equal measure. A middle-aged woman is elevated on a pedestal that is actually a garbage can, highlighting how society discards older women. Potter also illustrates elderly women's heart-breaking loss of agency, who are swallowed up by oversized armchairs, tucked into bed with baby dolls, and futilely grasping at balloon strings in her work.​

Streifler's drawings of aging and aged bodies are as gorgeous, funny and enjoyable as they are dreadful. The artist applies lavish strokes of oil stick and fluorescent paint, enticing us to gaze at the wonder of sagging breasts and bellies, broken capillaries, spidery wrinkles, and bulging rolls of fat in her drawings. Through her work, she encourages us to confront the fears at the core of our reluctance to identify with older women—fears of being forgotten, useless, or grotesque.​

Nourse's Golden Salon Series encompasses fifteen portraits of women over fifty, assembled from domestic items and discarded objects. Rather than representing her subject's appearance, Nourse's portraits demonstrate the value of lives lived and identities forged through the accumulation of items.​

Rooted in the "I" of the artists' individual experiences, III encourages viewers to empathize with and appreciate the complexities of aging and female identity. While each of us has unique experiences with aging, it is a universal experience that affects us all.