Juliana Rempel | One By One
Leighton Art Centre 282027 144 Street SW (Just 16 km south of Calgary), Foothills, Alberta T1S 0Y4
Juliana Rempel, "Caught In The Moment"
ceramic. Courtesy of the Gallery.
Having grown up in Southern Alberta, the prairie disposition is a strong influence in Juliana Rempel’s work. The complexion of the land is divided by wildflowers, wild grasses and wildlife. The brilliant blue skies are outlined by rolling hills and distant mountain ranges. Juliana explores the bold lines and color of the prairies, allowing objects to emerge from the shadows, posed and poised. There is a beauty found in the shapes and tones that compose the settings of our day. Within the soft and muted colours of the mundane, there is a silence. Through the silence, vivid colours and shapes emerge and a story unfolds.
Included in One By One are a series of 150 wall-mounted ceramic platters that feature the dramatic lines of the prairie landscape. The first platter in the installation is blank and each subsequent platter includes one additional mark showing that our environment can be deconstructed into pieces accumulated over time. The flowing, ceaseless horizontal lines of the prairie landscape are punctuated by objects of interest. Houses, trees, barns, flowers, wildlife, are appreciated because they are a break from the prevailing perspective. The featured vases are symbolic of these interruptions and are composed of a central wheel thrown pot with assembled sections that amass into winged pseudo-handles.