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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nInstallation view with Soheyl Bastami’s #2 – From Against the Wind Series (left)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before even entering the gallery, I am greeted with Toronto-based artist Soheyl Bastami\u2019s \u201c#1 – From Against the Wind Series,\u201d standing in the gallery window. Facing the historic road of the Distillery District, Bastami’s wooden figure showcases curiosity, pursuit, and survival as human instincts. While the identifying features of the body are bluntly whittled away, representing the mercilessness of nature, Bastami meticulously preserves the soft curves of the human form. Posed in an outstretched manner, the figure seems to embrace nature, however brute, while wanting more – yearning for knowledge and a deeper connection to it.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nSoheyl Bastami, #1 – From Against the Wind Series, wood, steel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Figurative sculptures are a prominent element of Bastami\u2019s recent work. With a background in graphic design, Bastami introduces a new and painterly way of deconstructing the human form in sculpture. For instance, the figure in \u201c#2 – From Against the Wind Series,\u201d is chiselled from a wooden plinth. With confident mark-making, Bastami challenges the initial refinement of the plinth. Although the figure is headless, I feel that I am caught in its gaze and even have a conversation with it. The figures of \u201c#3\u201d and \u201c#5\u201d from \u201cAgainst the Wind Series\u201d are delicate in comparison, resembling anatomical sketches or underpaintings. Bastami represents the power of the nature through the fragility of the figures, with broken away body-parts, and by embracing the rust and erosion of metal. Standing opposite to one another in the gallery space, the shadows these figures cast on the wall serve to animate them, breathing even more life into the work.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nSoheyl Bastami, #5 and #3 From Against the Wind Series, steel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Bastami\u2019s figures seem to question the extent of human desire and exploration, Ottawa artist Dong Han is driven by ancient craftsmanship, seeking to determine the boundaries between man-made and natural artefacts. Here, Han accentuates the \u201cwarmth, safety, and vitality\u201d of materials found in nature through rounded shapes and figures made of wood and bronze, mediums that Han refers to as \u201chard and cold.\u201d Reducing the human face and body to its slightest implications, Han\u2019s work bears similarity to prehistoric cave paintings and Paleolithic art. \u201cFigure,\u201d is a small wooden sculpture of a sexually ambiguous figure with no definite characteristics – yet, it remains undoubtedly human. Living up to its namesake, \u201cFigure\u201d could be everyone and no one, all at once – inviting viewers to create their own narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDong Han, Figure<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, in \u201cImprint\u201d the artist reinterprets forms found in nature, resembling both a human limb and a tree branch or log. In these works, Han experiments with chemicals to transform the surface of bronze, producing abstract, watercolour-like paintings of landscapes. Through this process, Han generates visually stunning textures that, though chemically altered, feel inherent to the stone medium – engaging viewers to question the differences between natural and human creations.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDong Han, Imprint, bronze<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Likewise, Montreal artist Michel Dufresne examines the changes that occur to stone within its natural environment and through the creation of art. Dufresne compares the strength of stone in contrast to the fragility of glass, creating forms that highlight the natural beauty of these materials. The glass rods and beads of \u201cComme la terre\u201d remain transparent and semi-reflective, encapsulating the man-made, whereas the crystals in the alabaster glisten under the gallery light.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMichel Dufresne, Comme la terre, alabaster, glass<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Subsequently, \u201cRapprochement\u201d and \u201cJonction” give the illusion of multitude. Although they are carved from one stone, Dufresne creates a mirage assemblage of several stones that, despite seemingly veering on the edge of collapse, never will fall – furthering the feeling of stability of the stone.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMichel Dufresne, Rapprochement, marble (in front)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thoroughly investigating various facets of the human experience, ancient modes of creation, and how it all intertwines with the natural realm, the exhibit ultimately provokes reflection on our own interactions with history, art, and the environment. The \u201cNew Members\u201d show offers an exciting array of new Canadian artists and an experience, sure to spark dialogues about the past, present, and future of contemporary sculpture.<\/p>\n\n\n