Shona Rae is Telling Tales

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Shona Rae, “Eros and Psyche / The Lovers VI,” 2004

sterling silver, 14 karat yellow gold, rare earth magnets, router bearings, constructed with cast components and sculptural, articulated spinning rings, 4” x 1.5” x 1.5” (photo courtesy the artist)

Fairy tale enchantment meets the uncanny in an exhibition by Calgary artist Shona Rae, a self-described “madwoman extraordinaire.” Her Re-Imagined Narratives, on view in the Nickle Galleries at the University of Calgary until Dec. 15, features 22 sculptures inspired by fairy tale and tarot archetypes.

Rae is not simply rehashing old stories. Each sculpture is an elaborate re-imagining brought to life through personal reflection and intense research. She uses inventive gold-smithing techniques and incorporates other materials, including bone, clay, wax, mirrors, gems, bear hair and tagua nut, also known as vegetable ivory. All are carefully selected for their narrative, sensory or symbolic qualities. Each sculpture has a ring as its base or pedestal, making the pieces wearable, if somewhat cumbersome.

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Shona Rae, “Sleeping Beauty / The Moon XVIII,” 2015

walrus tusk, sterling silver, petrified dinosaur bone, oil paint and carved sculptural ring in a constructed base, 9” x 3.5” x 3.5” (photo courtesy the artist)

Two videos are included in the exhibition. The first shows Rae creating The Singing Bone / Justice (XI), transforming her raw materials into a powerful and poignant elegy. It’s fascinating to watch Rae carving deer bone into a flute, which also serves as a sheath for an upright metal sword that holds a set of scales and rests on a round metal base circled by 13 dancing skeletons.

The works range in height from four inches to a foot and are displayed in glass cases. Even with the largest works it can be difficult to discern intricate or peculiar elements while peering through the vitrines. However, the second video provides a more nuanced and intimate interaction as Rae reveals each piece’s movable and hidden parts and demonstrates how the rings are worn.

Rings are rich in symbolism but their use here is curious because of their association with power. Rae's works are typically about characters who are either disenfranchised or sent down dangerous paths. In her enchanted vision, however, wearing a ring of death becomes empowering, a transformative choice to proudly display the treasures and tragedies of human experience, even if the wearing proves burdensome or perilous.

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Shona Rae, “Rapunzel’s Escape / The Tower XVI,” 2005

sterling silver, 18 karat gold, fire agates, constructed with cast components, sculptural ring with articulation, 3.5” x 2” x 1” (photo courtesy the artist)

A card from the Rider-Waite tarot deck is displayed with each sculpture. This is not didactic, but rather a locus for navigating the shape, character or essence of the stories. In Rapunzel’s Escape, the Tower (XVI) card – fraught with danger and chaos – is rendered eloquently. Rapunzel, balancing precariously on one foot, teeters on the edge of escape, her golden braid whipping rebelliously through the air. She is not passively awaiting her fate, but taking charge.

The works are arranged in the numerical order of the tarot cards. The journey begins with The Emperor’s New Clothes / The Fool (0), which Rae created in 1998 during her last semester of studies at the Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, B.C. It shows the naked emperor with a fool’s cap and golden sceptre.

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Shona Rae (photo by Ron Checora)

Other works, completed over two decades, feature bloody bone stumps dancing on devilish stilettos, a collection of headless silver corpses decaying in Bluebeard’s castle, and a silver ring resting on a magic bean that sprouts hollowed stems.

Whether or not you are familiar with the stories Rae re-imagines, these intricate sculptures will entice you to delve into her treasure trove of myths, symbols and archetypes. Be prepared to encounter the dark and mysterious, as well as the witty, magical and fun. ■

Shona Rae's show, Re-Imagined Narratives, is on view at the Nickle Galleries in Calgary from Oct. 18 to Dec. 15, 2018.