Recently, two artists, Dorothy Doherty and Carolina Franzen, presented their complementary exhibitions, Surfaces and Man Made Cloud, respectively, at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery in Burnaby. The reception was a great opportunity for the public to experience the transformations that these two artists have achieved in taking prosaic leavings and turning them into transcendent topographies.
- The exhibitions feature works that are both visually striking and thought-provoking.
- They highlight the intersection of nature and industry, raising questions about our relationship with the environment.
- The artists’ use of mixed media and unconventional materials adds an extra layer of depth to their works.
- One of the key features of Surfaces is the use of painted panels to reveal hidden artifacts.
- The panels depict torn city maps, antique computer printouts, and other paper ephemera of urban life.
- The artists’ manipulation of these materials reveals the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
Dorothy Doherty, a Burnaby-based artist and educator, was inaugurating her Gibsons debut with Surfaces. Her works evoke an archeological dig, as she strips away layers of pigment to reveal two-dimensional artifacts underneath.
“I think we have a similar purpose in mind,” observed Doherty. “In terms of why we do our art, we’re both involved with climate change and the environment. Most of my work is driven by an interest in preserving the best of our nature.”
Carolina Franzen, a Sunshine Coast artist, was also presenting her work, Man Made Cloud, which sustains a metamorphic trajectory launched at her first solo show two years ago. Franzen repurposes packaging paper from the news distribution industry as substrate for delicate freehand lines.
Her stacks of coloured striations, seen at a distance, coalesce into undulating landscapes. The contrast in scale between Franzen’s painstaking ligatures and their resulting macrocosms is intended to prompt reflection on the imperceptible processes that make up the world in its dizzying complexity.
Franzen’s manipulation of the packaging paper reflects her academic background in literary theory. She draws together experiences that are both industrial and natural.
“Drawing these lines made me gesturally think about reintroducing the tree into the paper, reversing the process [of manufacture].” Franzen said.
Both shows continue until month-end. Franzen will deliver an artist talk at the gallery on April 12 from 2 to 3 p.m. Doherty returns to the gallery to share insights at 2 p.m. on April 27.
- Both exhibitions showcase the artists’ use of mixed media and unconventional materials.
- The intersection of nature and industry is a recurring theme in the exhibitions.
- Both exhibitions encourage reflection on the imperceptible processes that make up the world.
“I’m always looking to find out what’s beneath,” said Doherty. “Revealing what’s below the surface. I think that applies to our human interactions as well: we can dismiss people if they don’t [immediately] fit our paradigm. But then we need to sit down a little bit, and learn a little bit more.”
“Isn’t wayfinding what art’s all about?” Doherty added.
“Drawing these lines made me gesturally think about reintroducing the tree into the paper, reversing the process [of manufacture].” Franzen said.
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