Poll

Intersections: Full Circle Art Collective

Ted Fogg
By Ted Fogg
May 5th, 2013

Full Circle Art Collective evolved when a small group of artists, having worked in the same communal studio in Vancouver for many years, were finding themselves on physically separate paths, yet there was a desire to stay connected. Each artist from the collective brings a distinct, mature signature to their work, and by pooling talents, experience, strengths and connections, they have united to further their art practice. .

This group consists of eight professional artists: Heather Aston, Hannamari Jalovaara, Milos Jones, Julie McIntyre, Rina Pita, Brigitte Potter-Mael, Jocelyn Barrable-Segal, and Wendy Morosoff Smith work in a variety of mediums including printmaking, painting, and mixed media. The artists’ dedication to their unique creative expression and technical excellence has resulted in a collection of work with distinct, yet complementary styles. Despite the diversity of imagery, subject matter, methodology and technique used by the artists of the Full Circle Art Collective, a remarkable cross-over of shared themes and iconographies is made visible in the wide visual spectrum of this exhibition.

Understory — Overstory: Sandra Semchuk and James Nicholas

This exhibition by photographer Sandra Semchuk and the late, writer/performer, James Nicholas is in collaboration with Tahlatan installation and performance artist Peter Morin as guest curator. Peter first exhibited Semchuk and Nicholas’ photographs and text while curator-in-residence for the Open Space Gallery in Victoria as part of his Travelling Exhibition series.

The media collaborations of Sandra Semchuk (Ukrainian Canadian) and James Nicholas (Rock Cree) are focused on the experiential concerns of both artists in relationship to the colonial history of Canada regarding immigrants and indigenous peoples and its effects on the psyche of the people who love the land.

The sequential work, understoryoverstory, asserts indigenous sovereignty over land and self while telling the story of Semchuk’s father, Martin Semchuk, who built a road over this land near Canoe Lake, Saskatchewan.

The video, The Trapper, acknowledges the land and its history in the Prince Albert National Park while telling the story of a dream that Semchuk had of a trapper, whose invitation to come out of grief and return to the circle of life is particularly relevant at this time with Idle No More empowering both First Nations and settler peoples to put the well being of the more-than-human first.

The public are invited to join Sandra for an artist talk and discussion on Friday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m.. This is a free event and all are welcome to attend.

Nora Curiston’s Studio Watch: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green

This exhibition is a remounting of four pieces created by Grand Forks’ artist Nora Curiston as part of a show held in Kaslo, BC. In this exhibition Curiston uses found objects such as a standard study lamp (examining red), a pine log (blue wood), an artist’s wooden paint box  (machine for measuring the temperature of yellow),and a little music box dancer (dancing in green light) in her exploration of the four colours: red, blue, yellow, and green.

This series of recent experimental works demonstrate Nora Curiston’s ongoing development as a conceptual artist and invite us to participate and interact with the physiological and emotional world of her creations.

The public are invited to the opening reception on Saturday May 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. Members of the Full Circle Art Collective Sandra Semchuk and Nora Curiston will all be in attendance and available to discuss their work.