Western Canada's art magazine since 2002
12 February 2019 Vol 4 No 4 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2019
From the Editor
Portia Priegert
I work from home and spend a lot of time at my desk so enjoy getting out for studio visits.
I was happy to book the morning off recently to interview Temosen Charles Elliott, a Coast Salish artist who lives north of Victoria.
Mark Loria, the new owner of the Alcheringa Gallery, gallantly acted as the chauffeur, and I had the pleasure of meeting his wife, Mary, who also wanted to see the studio.
Temosen was full of stories, not only about his own life, but also about long-ago times.
One of my favourites described how his ancestors fled to a local mountain and lashed themselves to arbutus trees – beautiful broadleaf evergreens found on rocky outcrops along the West Coast – when a great flood threatened the community. To this day, the arbutus is considered sacred and is never burned.
My account of that studio visit, like other stories in this issue, reflects on history.
For instance, Steven Ross Smith, a poet, writes about a show at Griffin Art Projects that looks at an influential confluence of Vancouver poets and visual artists that began in the 1960s.
In Calgary, Kristine Thoreson reflects on the passage of time in her review of Before Digital, a survey show at the Illingworth Kerr Gallery that looks at Alberta photography since 1970.
In Vancouver, John Thomson writes about a show by Anne Low at the Contemporary Art Gallery that presents five sculptures modelled on historical furnishings, including an Egyptian chair from 1550 BC.
In Edmonton, Agnieszka Matejko writes about East of Here, a show at Harcourt House by Emmanuel Osahor, who considers homes and homelessness as he reflects on the enduring echoes of colonialism.
And at the Remai Modern in Saskatoon, Sandee Moore plays ping-pong in an art installation by international art star Rirkrit Tiravanija, who remakes a 1970 project by Julius Koller, a little-known Slovak conceptual artist.
For our next issue, Moore reviews Are You My Mother?, an exhibition at Regina's Dunlop Art Gallery that features six artists who tap into the human desire for affection and nurturance.
As well, Amy Gogarty writes about a show at the Nickle Galleries by Calgary artist Mireille Perron, who challenges conventional craft histories by considering the creative possibilities of vintage glass figurines.
We're also expecting stories about a Winnipeg show with a catchy title, Cowgirls and Indians, by American artist Sarah Sense, and Jeremy Shaw's exhibition at Calgary's Esker Foundation.
Our writers are working on much more – including more studio visits – for upcoming issues.
Until next time,
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Agnieszka Matejko, Sandee Moore, Steven Ross Smith, John Thomson, Kristine Thoreson