Painting and drawing – The Concordian

An intergenerational approach brings students and alumni together

A specific idea or theme is usually what draws artworks together in an exhibition. Timelines, on the other hand, is themeless. Held at Atelier Galerie 2112, in the Plateau, the show, organized by the Painting and Drawing Student Association (PDSA), features the works of 10 Concordia artists.

“The exhibition is about celebrating and showcasing the great works that are created by both students and alumni,” said Jose Guillermo Garcia Sierra, President of the PDSA.

Timelines functions like a mentorship program. “We paired each alumni with an undergraduate for them to meet and have a small mentorship relationship,” said Garcia Sierra.

The PDSA’s primary goal is to give students enriching opportunities at Concordia. Garcia Sierra added that while their focus lies on painting and drawing, they are not limited to the mediums. Student artists practicing a number of disciplines can participate in their workshops, events, and vernissages.

While the show itself does not feature a specific theme, the exhibited artists demonstrate a mutual interest in the notion of the environment. “We were mainly looking for individuals that were really committed to their craft,” said Garcia Sierra. “We focused on how excited and serious the people were going to take this project that we made.”

Vibrant blues and greens fill the canvas in Laura Douglas’ The Empty Place. The oil painting depicts an empty parking lot which contrasts with a lush green forest and makes a statement about nature’s reclamation of human-occupied spaces.

Sylvia Trotter Ewens’ Untitled. Photo by Britanny Clarke.

Laura Douglas’ The Empty Place. Photo courtesy of Laura Douglas.

Alumnus Sylvia Trotter Ewens’ Untitled portrays a modern glass-paned building, a burning urban space and a forest fire. Inspired by artificiality and the natural landscape, Trotter Ewens work engages primarily with environmental ethics.

However, paintings are not the only works exhibited, Malachy Schwartz’s 3D printed sculpture, Textures #1, #2, #3, explores the permanence of the image and visual transformation. Each sculpture originates from a photograph. This notion of the manmade and the artificial is present in Schwartz’s project which further delves into the idea of landscapes and the relationship between natural and unnatural materials.

Aside from works centred around the natural environment, artists like alumni Rihab Essayh and Colas Eko investigate the interpersonal as a result of familial and societal environments. There is no doubt that regardless of the artists’ age or background, their works complement one another and allow for an enticing and visually stimulating experience.

Fine Arts students looking to have their work featured in a future exhibition can follow the PDSA’s social media pages for updates on submission dates.

Timelines is on display until February 19 at Atelier Galerie 2112, at 2112 Atateken. The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 12 to 6 p.m. Further information about the PDSA’s upcoming workshops and events can be found at /www.facebook.com/PaintingDrawingSA/.

Feature photo by Britanny Clarke

Margot Klingender turns archived material into ethereal sculptures

It is not often that one walks into an art space and experiences a collective feeling as a result of a multiplicity of artworks. Staring at a single work may allow you to feel a certain sentiment, however it is rare for an entire exhibition to leave you feeling like you’ve entered a whole new world.

Montreal-based artist and Concordia graduate student Margot Klingender’s The Key to the Fields accomplishes this feat.

On view at Projet Pangée, situated in downtown Montreal, the series exhibits the use of symbols, line work, and contrasting textures to explore multiple dualities. A polychromatic sculpture garden fills the room. The pieces, cast in tones of blue, silver, and bronze, and scattered at various heights throughout the gallery, are ethereal.

The space, as a whole, feels very much like stepping into a fantastical children’s novel, wherein the plot takes place in a secret garden.

Klingender, who is currently completing her MFA in Painting and Drawing at Concordia, uses the internet as a starting point for her works. The artist uses found images－collected through archived databases and online forums－and draws repeatedly, both by hand and digitally, to recontextualize the objects.

Composed of contrasting elements－such as opulent colourways and gritty textures, and bronze metal and leather－it uncovers a mysterious side of ubiquitous objects found within the everyday world.

While the objects may have been recognizable and held a particular meaning to the viewer in their original state, once recontextualized, they hold the space to create an individualized personal narrative; creating room for a relationship to form between the art and the observer.

The sculptures’ childlike naïveté, in contrast with the luxurious metallic hues, make for an enchanting encounter. Small tree-like objects in various hues of blue sit on the ground, while other larger objects in tones of white and silver hang from the walls. Bronze-toned sculptures of what appear to be mythological creatures, symbols, and hieroglyphs are scattered throughout the room.

At the furthest end of the space, a large window-shaped piece takes up much of the wall. While windows generally create a boundary between what is inside and what is outside, they also function as a place for the gaze and perception. Much like René Magritte’s 1936 work by the same name as the exhibition, the window piece feels like a portal. By simply looking through, the boundary is crossed, and the observer has the power to see what exists outside of themselves.

While each individual object is a work of art in and of itself, as a group the works allow the viewer to enter a surreal experience. The pieces’ autonomy, in contrast with their collectivity, leave the observer reflecting on these dualities and their omnipresence in everyday life.

The Key to the Fields is on display at Projet Pangee, at 372 Ste-Catherine St. W., Suite 412, until Oct. 19. The gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday, from 12 to 5 p.m.

Photos by Cecilia Piga.