Luminous Landscape

Invitation card designed by Linda Cordner

Luminous Landscape

June 1 to 30, 2010

Kensington Stobart Gallery

Salem, Massachusetts

Vernissage : June 10, 5 pm to 8 pm

Thanks to Julie Shaw Lutts the Luminous Landscape collective will show this coming June at The Kensington Stobart Gallery in Salem, MA, in parallel to the Fourth Annual Conference on Encaustic Painting. The collective comprises of 18 artists working with encaustic and the rich subject of landscape painting. This coming show is curated by Sandy Heaphy, gallery director at the Kensington Stobart Gallery, Julie Shaw Lutts, Linda Cordner, Janet Bartlett Goodman, and Charyl Weissbach. Last year, the collective published a beautiful intimate catalogue on our 2009 show; you can order it online here (see previous post).

Lindsay Bentis Alexandre Masino

Debra Claffey Catherine Nash

Linda Cordner Fawn Potash

Janet Bartlett Goodman Tracy Spadafora

Pamela Farrell Mary Taylor

Kimberly Kent Rodney Thompson

Dorothy Simpson Krause Charyl Weissbach

Maura Joy Lustig Gregory Wright

Julie Shaw Lutts Diane Bowie Zaitlin

For the first time, I will be showing some of my landscape Encaustic Monotypes. I worked and developed this technique over the winter and I will be posting very soon a long article on my approach of this amazing technique. I'm thrilled by this new avenue in my production since it combines my long lasting interest for works on paper and my devotion toward encaustic painting.

Alexandre Masino

Racines de nuages I, 2010

Encaustic Monotype on Kozo paper

13" x 20"

Alexandre Masino

Au gré du souffle I, 2010

Encaustic Monotype on Kozo paper

13" x 20"

Yechel Gagnon : Public Art

Installation at Ville Sainte-Catherine's Library, Québec

Leclerc Architects

Program of Integration of Arts within Architecture

photo by Richard-Max Tremblay

For her fourth public art commission, Yechel Gagnon continues her research with materials by creating her own custom-made plywood. For this specific project, she has designed a panel of different layers of exotic wood consisting of tulipwood, maple, walnut, spruce and bloodwood. With her panoply of tools, she carves the surface unraveling her imagery oscillating between a pleiad of interpretations. The abstract composition may evoke worlds within worlds, imaginary landscapes, oneiric spaces, microscopic views, or a topographical map. The structure and the specific colours of Le courant de la mémoire create a dialogue with the architecture, inviting the viewer into a realm of contemplation and nuances.

Le Courant de la mémoire, 2009

Carved spruce, tulipwood, maple, walnut and bloodwood

241 x 178 cm & 241 x 18 cm / 95" x 70" & 95" x 7"

The fireplace becomes symbolic by its totemic scale. Since this structure is exposed on two sides, Gagnon has installed on its other side an architectural punctuation echoing the carved bas-relief using the same exotic wood. This assemblage echoes the stratification of plywood as well as evoking the numerous book edges found in the library. This minimalist element further creates a bridge between the carved plywood and the architectural elements of the library by underlying the visual importance of the wood beams visible on the ceiling.

Installation at Ville Sainte-Catherine's Library, Québec

photo by Richard-Max Tremblay

Installation at Ville Sainte-Catherine's Library, Québec

photo by Richard-Max Tremblay

In her previous public art project created for a professional woodworking school in Gatineau (Québec), Gagnon used different exotic woods. This time the lamination effect was integrated within the imagery. The contrast between the carved organic shapes and the geometry of the lines and the richness of all the colors and the specific grain of each wood created a striking effect.

Méridiens, 2009

Carved white maple and poplar plywood

Tulipwood, Lacewood, Bubinga , Cedar, Cumaru, East Indian Rosewood, Macassar Ebony, Okoume and Birmanie Teak

213 x 152 cm / 84" x 60"

Installed at Relais de la Lièvre-Seigneurie, Gatineau

Her upcoming projects include a research trip to Japan, a vital source of inspiration within her practice, and she was awarded a large commission for the Jean-de-Brebeuf College in Montreal. This new installation will consist of monumental frottage drawings in dialogue with a series of plywood bas-reliefs. Gagnon’s practice explores materiality, layering, architectural and natural spaces as well as integrating notions of oriental and occidental aesthetics. All of these elements are explored in her drawings, prints, inks, sculptures, and installations. Gagnon holds an M.F.A from Concordia University and an AOCAD with honours from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Yechel Gagnon is represented by the Moore Gallery in Toronto, Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art in Calgary and Spheris Gallery in New Hampshire. For more information on her work please visit her website.

For Yechel Gagnon's studio visit by Joanne Mattera in which you can see maquettes and works in progress please click here.

Quasar, Canadian tour

Quasar, saxophone quartet

André Leroux, Mathieu Leclair, Marie-Chantal Leclair and Jean-Marc Bouchard

Quasar, the Montreal based saxophone quartet, is one of the best contemporary music ensemble I have heard. Their technical skills, energy and devotion conveyed in their interpretation of contemporary music transforms their concert in real uplifting experiences.

As stated in their press release:

"Ardent devotees of the music of our time, the Quasar saxophone quartet is dedicated to premiering and promoting contemporary music that is multi-dimensionally conceived. (...) Quasar explores different aspects of artistic creation from instrumental music to live electronics , from improvisation to instrumental theatre.

The quartet reserved pride of place for a number of Canadian composers, with whom it has formed solid partnerships. It aims to contribute to the development of our musical language and provide a platform for new music experiments, exploration and production. The quartet premiered over 50 works. At the same time, Quasar constantly seeks out new works on the international scene, which are frequently integrated in its repertoire."

They are now undertaking a Canadian Tour that maybe coming close to you. If you have the chance to attend one of their concerts, don't miss it! It truly brings a new light to contemporary music.

Canadian Tour

Quelques arpents de neige

January-February 2010

Victoria : January 28

Vancouver : January 29 and 30

Winnipeg : February 1st and 2nd

Calgary : February 3 and 4

Edmonton : February 6

Kitchener-Waterloo : February 12

Toronto : February 11 and 13

St. John's : February 17 and 18

In this video you can see an excerpt of Quasar performing Pulua Dewata by Quebec composer Claude Vivier.

Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts

47th Annual

Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts

Event dates: June 25, 26 & 27 2010

Lake Oswego, Oregon USA

Next June the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts will present the exhibition Luminous Layers, Exploring Contemporary Encaustic. I had the pleasure to be invited by the curator Linda Womack to be one of the featured artist of this event. I will take this opportunity to exhibit encaustic monoprints for the first time. This new series will be posted later on. For your information, there will be a Juried Exhibit on encaustic works and the deadline is February 1st to send in your proposal. This Festival draws in an impressive 22-25,000 people and the featured artists form a dynamic and impressive group. Therefore this should definitely be an interesting event. For more information please click here.

Joanne Mattera in Brooklyn

Joanne Mattera

Silk Road series installation wall

Photos courtesy of Joanne Mattera

I had the chance to see some of Joanne's new Silk Road paintings when she came to Montréal last August. I have always been keen to this series ever since I saw some at the Schlosberg Gallery at the Montserrat College of Art during the International Conference on Encaustic. Her new paintings are stunning. They evoke a meditative realm while calling the viewers attention to look, reflect and discover what lies within and beyond these layers. The edges are rich with vibrancy and can only be appreciated in the real. The relation of color and transparency found in these new works resonate with such complexity, that you become completely absorbed by these paintings. The series exhibited at Metaphor are done in a range of cooler tones echoing the element of water. If you are in the area, seeing the show in the flesh is a must, if you are not around New York check out Joanne's blog for more images of the show and installation shot of her paintings.

Joanne Mattera

Silk Road 116, 2009, Encaustic on panel 12"x12"

Photos courtesy of Joanne Mattera

Slippery When Wet

Metaphor Contemporary Art, Brooklyn

September 18-November 22

Opening Friday, September 18, 6:00-9:00 pm

Artists include :Suzan Batu, Susan Homer, Joanne Mattera, Nancy Manter,

Andrew Mockler, Don Muchow and Peter Schroth

Joanne Mattera's blog

In mid-August, Yechel and I had the pleasure to welcome Joanne Mattera at our place. She stayed for a few days and we took the time to tour the city and visit many different exhibitions together. They were full pack days filled with strong shows and engaging conversations. This visit turned into two great posts on her blog. In the first one we read about different exhibitions that we visited and in the second she is giving a thorough visit of our studios. Her blog is really interesting and informative, covering a wide range of artistic practices and aspects. Reading her many different posts is definitely worth following.

www.joannemattera.blogspot.com

Yechel Gagnon's studio

Photo by Joanne Mattera

My working table with double-boilers

Photo by Joanne Mattera

Doug Scholes, residency project

(Photos courtesy of Aamfgpr)

Acts applied mostly for good practical reasons (Aamfgpr) is Doug Scholes residency project hosted by the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG), Lethbridge, Alberta as part of the gallery’s series Into the Streets: Avenues for Art. The event takes place fromAugust 27th to September 26th, 2009 with a closing reception on September 26th @ 8:00 p.m.

(Photos courtesy of Aamfgpr)

I had the chance to see other installations and wax casted sculptures from Doug in different venues in Montreal that were very engaging. Due to my interest in his practice, I included his work in the conference I gave last June on Encaustic Still Lifes (see previous post). While introducing his work, there was a great response from the audience that furthered accentuated his compelling use of the medium. Doug's work evolves around the notion of maintenance and deterioration; his use of beeswax is completely relevant to his discourse.

If ever you are in the Lethbridge area, I strongly suggest you visit this ongoing project. If you are too far away, as I am, you may follow the evolutions of the pieces by checking his website. Go in the menu on the right for more images and information.

Third Annual Encaustic Conference

In early June I presented a lecture on encaustic Still Life painting during the Third Annual Encaustic Conference at the Montserrat College of Art. My presentation consisted both of aesthetic and technical aspects. I introduced different artists working with wax either in painting or in sculpture and installation. The theme of my lecture focused on "Still-life" but I extended the definition by showing a variety of artists using the subject in a wide spectrum. The common thread between the artists was their use of wax either in the representation of an object or their use of the actual physical object. I also presented my own practice and different technical aspects of encaustic painting. I covered the nine years I've been working with the medium, showing the different studios I occupied, various ventilation systems and many different techniques from pure encaustic painting to mixed media.

My purpose is not to post my entire presentation as it was dense with information but rather to list the artists whom I presented with some links to their websites and their galleries. Within the coming weeks and months, I will be more active on my blog adding information, books and artists that inform my practice. The most important thing at the moment is to gratefully thank the artists who answered my different emails and gave me sufficient information on their production and provided me with images so I could present their work accurately.

Aganetha Dyck

Website

Gallery

Doug Scholes

Dare-Dare

CRUM

CUJAH

aamfgpr

Jill Douglas

Website

Karin Wells

Blog

Blog (on encaustic)

Kevin Frank

Website

Michal Sagar

Website

Ted Arnold

Website

Gallery

Tony Scherman

Website

Photos in his studio

Gallery

Luminous Landscape

Exhibition catalogue

In June, I was part of a group show presented in parallel to the Third Annual Encaustic Conference at the Montserrat College of Art organized by the collective Luminous Landscape and curated by Linda Cordner, Janet Bartlett Goodman and Charyl Weissbach. The collective published a beautiful small catalogue in parallel to this event. It is a great purchase if you are interested in seeing many different avenues that encaustic is offering us in relation to the notion of nature and landscape. The book is well designed and offers good reproduction quality. You can order it directly from this site.

Alexandre Masino

Au gré du souffle, 2009

Encaustic on panel, 18" x 26"

Alexandre Masino

Écume de neige, 2009

Encaustic on panel, 18" x 26"

Exhibition by Yechel Gagnon

Yechel Gagnon, Voyageurs, 2009, carved jequitiba plywood, 24" x 24"

If you're in the Toronto area during the month of April, Yechel Gagnon will be exhibiting her new plywood bas-reliefs in a solo show at the Moore Gallery.  Her last show there was in 2004, so it will be interesting to see her latest developments with her signature production. This upcoming show has already great visibility since it will be featured on the front cover of Slate Magazine. 

The gallery press release states "Gagnon's distinctive approach of materiality transforms plywood into a unique pictorial medium rich of its intrinsic layering. (...) In Vastness, she uses different plywood essences, such as Okoume and Jequitiba, in order to work with different colours and obtain a variety of contrast within each work... she incorporates for the first time the "lamination" of the plywood in the actual image making as a strong pictorial element. This new approach introduces geometrical elements to her compositions, enriching the carving vocabulary and bring forward the vast possibilities of the language she developed with her medium".  

Geneviève Chevalier wrote in Documents exhibition essay of 2007 :

" Yechel Gagnon's work have an amazing evocative power. This is perhaps because they do not focus on singular association, but leave the door open to an entire series of associations which ripen in the mind of the beholder" 

Alexandria Pierce wrote in Palimpsest exhibition essay of 2004:

"Gagnon's work is not an art of chance but one of precision, gradation and subtlety.  Her employment of monochrome or very restrained hints of colour bears comparison to medieval Chinese aesthetics where poetry, calligraphy and painting were intended to inspire contemplation."

I obviously think it's worth visiting this exhibit! 

Yechel Gagnon

Vastness

April 4-April 25, 2009

Vernissage: Saturday April 4, 2009

Moore Gallery

80 Spadina Ave, #404

Toronto, Ontario

www.mooregallery.com

www.yechelgagnon.com