APT613: 'HARD TO LOOK AT' EXHIBITION AT CENTRAL ART GARAGE
FORM AND FUNCTION ON DISPLAY AT CENTRAL ART GARAGE
By Jean McLernon on October 30, 2014
The approach each artist takes is described by Central Art Garage as ranging from theatrical to literal. The artists have taken an old practice of using hard-edged work and combined it with the unconventional use of modern materials for the creation of each piece.
Each artist has picked a particular way to observe and display form and function through their work. The title, Hard to Look At is in reference to the practice of using rulers, straight edges and measuring tapes to develop a defined edge for each small part of the greater piece. The pieces themselves employ everything from tape measures cut to precision with rulers, acrylic painted onto linen and just plain paper and pencils. The fact that the images are hypnotizing isn’t lost in the concept though.
“It’s a play on words,” says Danny Hussey, who co-owns Central Art Garage with his partner Bridget Thompson. “It’s also a play on how certain people look at contemporary art and they look at it as being a difficult thing to digest, a very difficult thing to visually digest.” He says.
Kristiina Lahde, “Metric System” (blue and white triangle), Altered measuring tapes, 2013, detail.
The amount of granular detail that goes into each piece is mind-blowing; one only needs to take a close look at Kristiina Lahde’s “Metric System” made from blue and white altered measuring tapes. The triangular display is made up of many tiny triangles, each with three pieces of finely cut measuring tape played on a background. The full gravity of what you’re looking at sinks in when you imagine the minutes, hours and days that went into not only the production of some of these pieces, but the time that it would have taken. The practice of creating these pieces is long and meticulous, and Hussey points out that this is something instantly noticed by people who come to the exhibit
Hussey considers the gallery very fortunate to have artists who were able to do such unique things with the concept. “In our case, we’re fortunate because none of these artists are represented by other galleries in Ottawa, so we’re able to bring all three together in one show. In Montreal you couldn’t do that, or in Toronto because those artists would be represented by different galleries.” Hussey says. While this might not seem like that big of a deal to most, he goes on to point out that Tammi Campbell’s “Dear Agnes” was just recently purchased for a month and approximately 30 works of the 900 strong on-going series were displayed together. Campbell currently has a few works displayed in this exhibit as well.
Tammi Campbell, Paper Series, Acrylic on Museum Board, 2014
Hard to Look At runs until November 21 at Central Art Garage (66 B Lebreton St). They are open Tuesday to Friday, 10am – 6pm or by appointment.