This week, the Art Gallery of St. Albert launches two new exhibitions from inspired artists whose imaginations know no boundaries.
Master potter Diane Gwilliam presents Calm to Chaos, a whimsical exhibition that reveals her carefully crafted transition from a potter creating functional wares to a stunning ceramic sculptor.
On the other hand, St. Albert-born Nicholas Hertz shares his experiences in A Mirror with No Reflection. It is through his archived photographs, some of which are pixelated, that we see fragments of memories.
Diane Gwilliam
To say Diane Gwilliam is enchanted by birds is an understatement. She is mesmerized by their colours, body movements, nesting habits and basically everything about our feathered friends.
During the COVID spring of 2020 when the world almost shut down, Gwilliam noticed birds returning to areas they had avoided for years.
“She had never seen so many birds. It was because humanity was much quieter. She began to ask, “What would happen if we vanished, and she imagined a world (inhabited) and possessed by birds,” said curator Emily Baker.
The follow-up is a collection of 16 classically shaped ceramic vessels skillfully formed, painted and fired. While eight vessels are completely whole, eight reveal a cutout version with birds nesting or perched on twigs.
Located on the art gallery’s staircase space, the collection features a crow, woodpecker, owl, redwing blackbird, sparrows and chicadees to name a few.
“Diane is a very thoughtful artist. Everything she does is planned and puzzled through. She makes sketches and ideas before starting. There’s a lot of problem solving,” Baker said.
Calm to Chaos runs until Nov. 1. The reception is on July 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. In-person tours run Aug. 7 and Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. A virtual tour on Facebook live is Aug. 6 at noon.
Nicholas Hertz
Photographer Nicholas Hertz’s A Mirror with No Reflection takes the viewer on a through-the-camera look at his world. But instead of taking full-on shots, Hertz photographs a corner of a building, part of a window or staircase.
“We feel like we know it, but we aren’t sure. He’s created a space where his memory and our memory can meet and create something new. You can’t help but create a story and find yourself in it,” said Baker.
Hertz also displays pixelated images that are manipulated and distorted using specific programs designed to fracture and rebuild digital images.
This exhibition also features two screens that capture images of visitors in real time. Baker explains that the software is designed to learn and create interactive video pieces.
“The longer we stand in front, the more resolved and the cleaner the resolution.”
She also noted the space between viewers and the creator collapses as everyone becomes part of the artwork.
“It’s playful and people love it.”
A Mirror with No Reflection runs until Aug. 30. A reception takes place July 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A virtual tour takes place Aug. 1 at noon on Facebook Live, and in-person tours are on Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. and Aug. 29 at 3 p.m.
Hertz is also leading a workshop on Aug. 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, contact the gallery at 780-460-4310.
