NATASHA SMITH "Joining Worlds," January 28 to February 26, 2011, Art Gallery of Golden, BC

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"Door 1 (detail)"

Natasha Smith, "Door 1 (detail)," mixed media collage.

NATASHA SMITH

Joining Worlds, January 28 to February 26, Art Gallery of Golden, BC

BY: Janet Nicol

Seven doors create the canvas for Natasha Smith’s exhibition, Joining Worlds, and each door has its own character and history, which she considers as she layers the surfaces in collaged drawings with mixed media. The doors hang on walls surrounding the viewer and at the entrance to the labyrinth-like journey is the ‘compass’—16 runes created as a mixed-media collage on a panel. The exhibition is inspired by the artist’s six-year old son Dylan, and many of the dream-like symbols provide the keys to his world from Smith’s viewpoint. Door number one includes an unintended abstract image, Smith says. “I hadn’t realised there is a boy-like figure looking out. My husband pointed it out to me.” She adds that she selected each door because of the story behind it. “Some of the doors found me,” Smith says. One is from a chicken coop given to her by a neighbour. Another low door with a ceramic handle came from friends in Nelson who live in a heritage home. Each door suggests the media she applies, creating in some cases a suggestion of the world behind the door.