Tag Archives: Ontario

Household Notions at Telephone Booth Gallery

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Household Notions at the Telephone Booth Gallery Nov 30, 2011 –  Jan 28, 2012

Featuring work by:

LIZZ ASTON – paper burn-out, porcelain
NOELLE HAMLYN – free-motion embroidery
PAM LOBB – mixed media printmaking
DORIE MILLERSON – needle lace
AMANDA PARKER – kiln cast glass

Whether inspired by a character in a contemporary novel or by the ability of thread to link elements together, a narrative quality runs through each of the works in Household Notions. Textiles have a rich history that speaks to women and craft. These multi-layered sculptures explore domestic textiles, (including needlework and crochet) as well as the personal relationships, memories, and attachments that are formed with handmade objects, and the narratives that can be created with them. Alternative mediums such as glass, paper and porcelain expand upon our expectations of conventional textile patterns and constructions. Just as fabrics can degrade and fade with time, some textile references have been deconstructed, leaving residual impressions that reflect upon the absence of the object. Overall themes of exploration in this exhibition include fragility, intimacy, strength and tension.

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Hard Twist at the Gladstone Hotel

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Barbara Sutherland | Swag

Hard Twist 6 – Obsession | Sixth Annual Juried Show Of Textile-Based Art

Exhibition Dates:   Nov 25, 2011 – Jan 29, 2012  | 12pm-5pm Daily

Opening Reception: Fri Nov 25, 2011 | 6pm-9pm

Hard Twist 6 – Obsession presents textile and fibre based works, which reflect or explore obsessive ideas, acts, or fixations through medium, technique, or concept. Textiles attract obsessions. Fiber’s infinite detail, infinite repetition, infinite complexity seduce the intense focus and preoccupation of obsession and draw the artist into a place where time evaporates in pursuit of the promise of perfection – a perfection that is eternally one stitch, one wrap, one bead, one twist away.

VIEW more of Sutherland’s work.

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Julie Moon | Pretty, Strange

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Narwhal Art Projects is pleased to present Pretty, Strange, an exhibition of works by Julie Moon from August 11th to September 4th, 2011. Inspired by the tactility and anthropomorphic qualities of clay, Moon’s undulating, organic sculptures pay reference to the human form through their limb-like protuberances and rolling, fleshy surfaces. These indelicate figures contrast sharply with the dainty ornamentation with which they are applied: from their pastel palette to their intricate overlays, each piece deliberately juxtaposes effete flourishes with corpulent silhouettes. The result is an imbalance between elegance and awkwardness, forcing the viewer to confront their own preconceptions of beauty, femininity and alterity. READ MORE

The opening reception for Pretty, Strange is this Thursday, August 11 from seven to ten pm. The artist will be in attendance. The exhibition runs from August 11 to September 4, 2011

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Cut on the Bias | Research Workshop

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This weekend I will be attending Cut on the Bias, a research workshop initiated by Dr Kirsty Roberson, University of Western Ontario in collaboration with Kelly Thompson and Lisa Vinebaum, Concordia University, Montreal.

Cut on the bias, a term from tailoring and the fashion industry, refers to fabric that is cut on a diagonal at a 45 degree angle to the warp and weft of the fabric. The term literally refers to cutting against the grain, and metaphorically to stretching familiar patterns, and to finding room for maneuver in an otherwise familiar material.

An important goal of Cut on the Bias is to develop networks laterally and internationally. Participants have been drawn from variety of backgrounds and circumstances – some work in dedicated textile programs, while others create and study textiles alongside other careers.

As time permits I will post more about what promises to be a fascinating weekend of discussion.

(image of Madeline Vionnet via Worn Through: Apparel from an Academic Perspective)

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Dorie Millerson | Connections

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The lace works in this exhibition explore themes of travel, making connections between people and places. the networks of bridges, routes, maps and vehicles we use to transport ourselves are investigated through thread: a connective medium.
February 16th – 27th, 2011 at *new* gallery
To see more of Millerson’s work visit her website

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Scott Conarroe | By Sea

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The Stephen Bulger Gallery is pleased to present our second solo show of colour photographs by Scott Conarroe.

Exhibition: March 3 – April 2, 2011 | Reception for the Artist: Thursday, March 3, 5-9pm

“By Sea” looks at the coastline perimeter of North America and the precarious undulating edge of our civilization.

Artist Talk: Saturday, March 5, 2-3pm. RSVP as seating is limited

Canada has the most expansive coastline on Earth; its boundary with the United States is the world’s longest non-militarized boarder. Together these two nations form a vast geo-cultural bloc that extends from polar extremes to the tropics, from sparse hinterlands to modern metropolises. “By Sea” presents a study of North America on the cusp of a new climatic era. Cataclysmic weather and global social upheaval are anticipated, but for the time being they are seen as problems for others elsewhere. Conarroe’s photographs present the fading innocence of this idyll and a visual reference of the current state of the continent’s shorelines.

See more of “By Sea” HERE or visit Conarroe’s website HERE.

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Love + Money | call for submissions

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Love and Money at the Ontario Crafts Council Gallery
December 16-31, 2010
Reception: Thursday, December 16, 7-10pm

City of Craft (in partnership with the Ontario Craft Council) is seeking submissions for a group exhibition that will take place at the Ontario Craft Council Gallery as a part of City of Craft’s 2010 off-site programming.  City of Craft is Toronto’s largest independent craft sale and weekend-long event featuring craft-based installations, free workshops, and craft-related programming.

This year’s exhibition will explore the broad relationship craft and crafting has with commerce.  Craft(ing) is currently a multi-billion dollar industry.  From mainstream craft media personalities and the DIY Network to hipster how-to guides, mega craft fairs and fabric designers du jour, the commercial nature of the contemporary “crafting” movement often seems to starkly contrast the idea of crafting for necessity from days gone by.  On the other hand, there are people who turn to craft and craft processes for a sense of transcendence and autonomy.  Many would argue that there is more of a need to craft for crafts sake now than ever– either to re-skill ourselves for an uncertain future, or simply to learn to slow down.

Are money and craft strange (or natural) bedfellows?  How does craft transcend issues of commerce?  How do you navigate or perceive the dichotomy of craft for love/craft for money?  Work that addresses any facet of the above ideas is welcomed as a submission.  Submissions of fine craft, indie craft and art are encouraged.

Love and Money is curated and coordinated by Tara Bursey.

An online application for Love and Money can be found on the City of Craft website.

http://www.cityofcraft.com/2010/cityofcraft/loveandmoney/call.html

Submission Deadline:  Sunday, August 15th

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Dorie Millerson | Streetcar

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Artist Dorie Millerson’s “Streetcar” is on display in the Queen Specific window at 787 Queen Street West in Toronto. The gallery is essentially a small display window next to Dufflet Pastries and is always open. If you’re in the neighbourhood, pop by and get yourself a pastry next door!

“Car,” another piece by Millerson is currently on display in “Fiberart International 2010″ at the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh and will be traveling to Rochester, NY and San Francisco, CA in 2011. 

www.doriemillerson.com

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