Stuff Seen - Terre, pierre et fer

Howdy!



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I previewed this exhibit in the October issue of Vivva Montreal [pdf alert], scroll to page 8 if you would like to read what I wrote in advance of seeing the show. Now that I've seen the show, I'm even more impressed with the work of Jean Brillant, however, his work is not sufficient to save the rest of the show.

After talking to Hedwidge Asselin (the curator) I got the idea that she the work of all three artists was going to create something that could be called greater than the sum of the artists' work individually. Hence the idea for the group show. But, I'm not certain how that was going to happen when each artist basically staked out their own land claim within the gallery. M. Brillant at the entry to the building and in the back on the right, Eva Lapka at the front of the gallery and creeping along the left hand wall to the back. And Jean-Louis Emond on the back wall.

From my viewing, there was no crossover at all, and while Ms. Lapka might be an accomplished ceramicist, and M. Emond's stuff looks vaguely like some sort of wall hanging (maybe even a painting) and some sliced cake like object, they were both overshadowed by M. Brillant's filigree (hey, every now and again it is good to use the appropriate term - it would be sort of awkward for me to call it grillwork, because it isn't, or delicately cut metal made to look sort of like leaves).

Beyond that, it appeared to me that each artist tried to use two of the three elements in the title (Earth, Rock and Iron for the blokes and square heads reading) and for the most part it seemed overkill. I much preferred the single element objects. Nonetheless, it was my first visit to the McClure Gallery, and the gallery itself is quite a nice place, not exactly 'white cube' but then again not as against the 'white cube' as my gallery. The address is 350 Victoria Ave, in Westmount, and it is open from noon to six Wednesday through Friday and noon to five on Saturdays. For more information call Andrea at (514) 488-9558. The website is http://www.centredesartsvisuels.ca.