Mentor and Student featured in Kootenay Gallery Exhibitions
By kootenaygallery3
On Sept. 21 at 7 p.m., two new exhibitions will open at the Kootenay Gallery of Art. In the East Gallery, artist Deborah Thompson reveals a new body of work, Pan-dulum: A Call to Unreason, while a collection of paintings entitled In-Between-Time by Carol Wallace will open in the West Gallery. Both artists reside in Nelson where Thompson has instructed painting and drawing for many years, including teaching a group of five artists of which Wallace has been a part.
Known for her two-dimensional work, Thompson veers into creating sculptural work for Pan-dulum as well as introducing new methods into her paintings using stencilling. As well as exploring new techniques, Thompson has found a theme that is as relevant to us today as it was to one of her influences, Spanish artist Francisco Goya, in his day.
In Thompson’s own words, she states that Pan-dulum, “invokes Pan, pagan god of nature, to return us to our senses and get us off the pendulum swinging between hope and fear. These extremes of instinct have garnered momentum in a world of smart phones, environmental catastrophes, extreme sports and escalating violence. Using human and animal faces to portray anxious and transcendent states of being, and the nightmare that is the result of a world over run by reason, Pan-dulum seeks to create a conversation about the current palpable suffering in the world and to foster compassion for those most afflicted.”
Carol Wallace’s series of paintings is also a comment on the current state of the world, but takes a longer view. In-Between-Time is inspired by Wallace’s work in and love for geology. The paintings that comprise In-Between-Time have elements of fossil forms that have survived throughout time, combined with human images.
Wallace concludes, “In the rock record millions of years from now there may be evidence of the degree of human impacts on the planet but my guess is it will be a thin layer indicative of our time here. Geologic processes will once again continue to be the dominant force influencing our biosphere. Earth will be fine.”
Both Thompson and Wallace will be in attendance for the opening on September 21 at 7:00 pm and will make brief statements. This event is free to the public and everyone is welcome. The exhibition continues until November 3.
For more information, please contact the Kootenay Gallery at 250 365 3337 or email kootenaygallery@telus.net. Check out http://www.kootenaygallery.com/deborah-thompson/ or http://www.kootenaygallery.com/carol-wallace/
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