Stephen Thirlwall
Each year the City of Ottawa acknowledges artists in the community through purchasing a piece of their work that becomes part of the city’s growing collection. On rotation, these works are placed at about 170 locations across the city.
You can see the 2022 inductees into the collection until February 3 at the City Hall Art Gallery.
The theme of the exhibit is Metamorphosis: change and transformation. It comprises works from each of the honoured artists thus presenting a wide variety of visual perspectives and ideas. Physically, there were paintings, drawings, photos, multimedia works, fabric art, pottery and other constructive art, such as the hobby horse. Emotionally and intellectually, there is a great range of feelings and concepts. The gallery space is quite large but sectioned off by partial internal walls that add more display space.
The pieces were created by 56 local, regional, and national visual fine artists who have some connection to Ottawa. A special vernissage on December 15 opened the show, providing a chance for artists and art enthusiasts to gather together, socialize, and appreciate the arts as they viewed the works and discussed creative ideas.
The vernissage was packed. Unless you were near the host presenters, it was almost impossible to hear the introductory speeches. One had to weave their way through the crowd to see each of the works. A few days later, I returned to have a more contemplative viewing of each piece.
Commentaries on our self-identities
Although very diverse in expression, the pieces had some things in common. Art has a tendency to be a mirror of ourselves and reflect and give commentary on the reality of our physical, social and spiritual environment and relationships.
These days, everyone is questioning the essence of their self-identity (or rather collectiveness and multiple levels of identity) and/or reflecting the relationship between nature’s landscape and creatures and human impacts. Of immediate concern are the growing number of global calamities for which we are increasingly responsible.
Highlights of the exhibit
Following are brief comments on a few selected pieces.
Mária Moldovan and Lisa Creskey are personal favourites, whose works I have followed and enjoyed over time. Both are ceramic artists rather than just potters. Mária creates small fantastical people and creatures that radiate a strong spirit, allowing the viewer to envision unusual landscapes where these creatures might dwell. As someone from Hungarian-Romanian background, and a relative newcomer to Canada, she seeks a way to anchor herself in her new home. Her works represent treasured memories, feelings of belonging and dreams.
Lisa Creskey presents a human-sized painted ceramic, Heron Baromètre. Her construct expresses her love of nature and concern for endangered wildlife habitats. It tells the story of the region’s heron colony in the face of human influences, such as pulp and paper and cement industries. The pair of herons are both entangled yet united. Many of her past works embody wildlife, particularly birds.
Eric Tardif shows the beauty, grace and poetry of birds through his wooden sculpture The Lovers. Two other artists also provide indigenous views. Elisapee Burmingham uses fabric handicraft skills to create a finely decorated blue winter Inuit cloak that identifies with Inuit family and community-centred culture. A baby would be placed in the amaut (or pocket). Koomuatuk (Kuzy) Curley’s serpentine sculpture Unity represents the continuity of Inuit life across many generations. In his various works, he shares his heritage through indigenous folktales and ways of life.
Laurena Finéus, of Haitian heritage, uses bold and colourful narratives of her homeland while experiencing life as part of the cultural diaspora.
Catherine Willis-O’Connor’s acrylic painting Lunchtime depicts a busy “German Town” deli – an active community hub offering meats, cheeses and sweets. She immortalizes such landmarks now gone or disappearing from our communities.
Orange Bathroom by Simon Petepiece is a 2-D sculpture assembled from nylon fibre and debris netting. It appears like an orange sanctuary. He uses overlooked and waste materials to explore architectural space.
A large photo portrait of MP Catherine McKenna by Joyce Crago captures the strain of discrimination and pressures she has undergone, and yet shows a great strength of character and determination to rise above. Joyce has created a photo series on political women highlighting the private-public struggle in their lives.
Whitney Lewis-Smith, in her bonsai photograph, shows how she seeks out objects that display the effects of commodification and globalization on our environment.
Jim Lamont’s digital aerial photograph of the Yukon’s Donjek Glacier exposes the natural and human effects on the landscape. I relate strongly to his photo because I used to work with such images.
Mélanie Myers, using coloured pencil and paper maché, examines how our landscapes become ever more standardized by our society’s blocky structures, especially on the grid-based computer.
Sharon VanStarkenburg examines the traumas and joys of women and girls. Her oil painting Divining Rod represents a woman using a divining rod to find her way, while being seen by society as being sinful.
As a viewer, this painting with a central character with vacant eyes represents to me an “off-balance,” a “distortedness” that I have seen in many works of art over at least a couple of decades. I do not say this as a negative criticism. It reflects an “offness” within society. Our society is supposed to be progressive, intelligent, well-off, and advancing. However, we still encounter so much inequality, prejudice, poverty, abuse, addiction, and violence locally, nationally and in the world, thus making important transformations hard.
It is a very healthy sign for communities when government agencies pay attention to the arts. Artistic endeavours release creativity, new insights and perspectives, critical thinking, inspiration, understanding, and hope that advance our culture.
Acknowledgement of art helps to put art in its rightful place as an equal and important partner to the sciences and technologies – a sign of positive metamorphosis happening.
The City Hall Art Gallery is located on the main floor of City Hall, near the central rotunda. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, but closed Saturday and Sunday.