The brand new photographic piece, Tequila Sunrise, by artist Amel Chamandy has just arrived at Galerie NuEdge. A power woman of the Montreal art scene, Chamandy has chosen a gallery that is the epitome of her artistic beliefs. Charmandy has enumerated that she believes that contemporary art offers a refreshing flexibility in terms of injecting creativity into an artist’s work. NuEdge showcases and promotes contemporary art and up-and-coming artists, both from Montreal and abroad.
Ironically, the actual gallery space may catch visitors by surprise, considering that NuEdge focuses on artwork that is fairly avant-garde, the space allotted to showcasing it is fairly linear and traditional. This contrasts the subject matter quite vividly.
Charmandy’s medium of choice is mainly photography, blended with contemporary digital editing techniques. The catalogue to her collection bears the title Scene Scape: Through The Artist’s Eyes and perfectly describes her line of work. The catalogue is also available on NuEdge’s website (although it does not yet include Tequila Sunrise) and an important portion of her work is permanently on display at the gallery. Every piece in the catalogue is an attempt on her behalf to welcome her observers to see the world as she does and where she also welcomes them to be amazed.
In an interview with The Montreal Review in Feb. 2010, she mentioned that she sometimes shifts to monochrome to “awaken” her audience: you can see this in some the stills from her earlier work, such as the “collage” style photography of Empty Space, which she showcased in 2008.
Tequila Sunrise is a piece that contrasts yet fits the rest of Chamandy’s work — it’s a very vivid print, taken on a deserted beach, moments before the sun rises and reaches it full potential. In the midst of a cold Montreal winter, the piece seems almost nostalgic, with its tones of purples, yellows and reds, giving off an unusual neon vibe.
On the topic of contemporary art, Chamandy explains that “[it] offers the greatest latitude in terms of flexibility in the creative expression. It is as field of creation that is bound only by the mind’s imagination and without boundaries.” Audiences will surely be reminded of this as they observe the stillness present in Tequila Sunrise.
Tequila Sunrise can be viewed at Galerie NuEdge, 1480 Sherbrooke W. There is currently no end date to the exhibit.