Stuff Seen - Weathervane

Howdy!



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A couple of weeks ago we went to the Gallery at UQAM in order to see Weathervane, a group exhibit organized by Karen Love that had already gotten big play when it was in Oakville.

I had pretty much forgotten about it and had not made a connection when we walked in the door. And as a consequence was quite pleasantly surprised.



Actually I am always pleasantly surprised when I see something by Rodney Graham that isn't a photograph. Weathervane is a nicely put together collection of art that had to do with the weather in some way or form. The only piece that I specifically did not like was Tania Kitchell's 'Fargo' as she flagrantly disregards current copyright law in appropriating images from the Coen Brother film. If she, Ms. Love or the UQAM gallery are going to do something like that I would prefer that they do so publicly, instead of letting everyone (including the gallery attendant when I was there) assume that they do have permission to reproduce stills from something that probably belongs to Working Title Films. Everything else was quite professionally done, some of it actually bordering on being really good.



Beyond the Rodney Graham piece (seems like everywhere you turn in town these days, there's another one by him) Alan Storey’s Climatic Drawing Machine was particularly fascinating, the way that they have hung the show, it ends up looking like two separate pieces with the maquette potentially being part of Marlene Creates diptych - but don't let 'em fool you, it ain't. Why the Globe & Mail went wonky on Richard Rhodes' paintings I still don't understand.

The other pieces were sort of nice, nothing earthshattering or mind blowing, but like the weather today, good. It would be nice to see someone group Ms. Creates pictures with Maclean's work and do a show called 'Signs.' it could be the next blockbuster to come from Oakville. Even then, though, I don't know who in their right mind would want to spend $25 for a copy of the catalogue. The catalogue for ItuKiagâtta! an infinitely more important collection of Canadian art is $15. The show is up until October 7 and if you would like more details, click on this.