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Anti-Universe

November 16 - December 30, 2020

Anti-Universe, a solo exhibition by Milan Gerza of Kyle Saskatchewan, presents a retrospective survey of fifteen years of artmaking. The title work features an installation that incorporates black light and a Kinetic element, which together take the viewer into the surreal.

Emotion is what sparks Gerza’s carving process. Rather than starting with an attractive image in mind, his works begin with more abstract ideas. Sometimes just a single word, like "War"- Only three letters, and deceptively simple for a word so impossible to those who have experienced it. With philosophical rigour, Gerza interrogates the ideas that incite his work, and from this, an image emerges. Gerza carves and alters, making his materials “other” by his imagination.

Milan Gerza knows the importance of art, having studied art history, dance, and philosophy. He's been witness to some of the greatest works of art in the world. Appreciation evolved into expression, and over the past fifteen years Milan’s attention has been devoted to his own art making – to his sculpture.

Originally from Prague, when Gerza retired to Kyle he learned just how long Winters can be in Saskatchewan. To counteract tedium in the long dark, Gerza began to research artworks he had seen and appreciated. He studied the carvings of west coast artists, mimicking their style to glean skills he would later apply to his own practice. He then started creating his own designs- ones representing his own thoughts and philosophies and displaying his developed style of woodcarving.

Gerza is generous to his viewers, constructing artifacts which we can recognize and relate to. But he also challenges us to see the surreal and contemplate our placement. He asks us to honour the past, and most importantly, to envision our future.

Organized by Art Gallery of Swift Current with Curator, Heather Benning. Publication and video interview at www.artgalleryofswiftcurrent.org

Exhibition Viewing hours:

12pm to 7pm Monday to Friday & 10am to 5pm Saturdays