Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain Toronto is proud to present concurrently two bodies of work by Dana Velan and Jérôme Fortin.
Dana Velan, an artist living and working in Montreal, Canada, left her native Czecho-Slovakia during the political turmoil of 1968. She earned a degree in Art History at McGill University and a degree in Fine Arts at Concordia University in Montreal, and her MFA at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, Boston, Massachusets. Velan's artistic practice is formed by the perception of nature as a site of transformation. The creation of her new series of drawings titled Nebulae of large scale (90"x126", and oil sticks on Mylar medium), involved a close observation of numerous astronomical photographs depicting nebulas, such as the Eagle, the Orion and the Crab nebulas. These images were used as a starting point to craft free interpretations. Giving the impression that these images could spread infinitely outside of the frames, these drawings when presented together in an exhibition space, envelop the visitors in a universe filled with the movement, energy, darkness and light, and encourage us to reflect on our own inner landscape. Blending together inner and external landscapes without giving the coordinate system leaves the images open to a number of unknown meditations.
Tabula rasa forges new paths while retaining the fundamental elements of well known Quebec artist Jérôme Fortin's artistic vision: repetition, paper work, recycling and variations on a theme. Tabula rasa is a collection of unique works created from an assemblage of lithographic fragments. Folded, patterned paper served as the printing matrix. Rhythmic and dynamic, the collages give further expression to Fortin's persistent fascination with repetition while marking a departure from the linearity of his earlier works. In Tabula rasa, the artist injects new life into his plastic language by highlighting diagonal trajectories and placing an emphasis on engraving rather than daily objects. Here, it is his works that he transforms, recycles, and reinvents. The formal elements of Tabula rasa explore the play between disruption and continuity. Each of the works deftly marries the sharp contrasts between the lithographic fragments with subtle transitions. Varying shades of grey illuminate some sections while obscuring or even erasing others. The juxtaposition of lithographic fragments creates lines and forms, each providing a unique spark that invigorates the composition. Patterns collide and blend over this vertical wavescape, inviting the eye to wander from one zone to another.
The Gallery thanks SODEC for its support.
