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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nInstallation view of 95th LAUNCH. Photo: Tiffany Duong<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gordon Becker’s life-sized wooden sculpture, \u201cThe Bow\u201d invites visitors entering to reflect on the beauty, strength, and hardship of one\u2019s artistic journey. While the curves of the ballet dancer\u2019s features are rendered with delicacy, the vigorous, sharp lines of her hair and dress capture the swiftness and energy of her performance. The figure\u2019s flexed pose is particularly difficult to sustain, requiring immense balance and strength, yet Becker preserves the dancer in this manner to emphasize her power\u2014expressing the labor required in pursuit of mastering a creative endeavor.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nGordon Becker, The Bow (left) and detail (right), wood, pigment. Photo: Tiffany Duong<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employing a similar juxtaposition of careful and crude mark-making, Soheyl Bastami showcases the durability of the human body alongside human persistence. \u201cAgainst the Wind #1\u201d features a figure carved from a block of wood. Parts of the figure have been bluntly whittled away to convey the brute force of nature; however, it stands tall, calm, and contemplative, embracing the natural environment.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nInstallation view with Soheyl Bastami, Against the Wind #1, wood, steel base (at front, detail). Photo: Tiffany Duong<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patrick Bermingham’s bronze-casted figures compare the strength of human anatomy to machinery. With a background in construction, his figures are structured in an industrial manner\u2014 limbs resembling parts found within a building’s foundation. In \u201cRoyal Ease,\u201d the artist depicts a figure in the titular pose that is frequent in the art of dharmic religions. Although the figures of divine art are representational, Bermingham simplifies the human body to a purely skeletal form. Sitting atop a plinth, the figure’s arms resemble metal beams; its torso similar to metal piping. In doing so, the artist emphasizes the strength of the human body as simultaneously relaxed, robust, and stable.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nPatrick Bermingham, Royal Ease, front and back view, bronze. Photo: Tiffany Duong<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marlene Kawalez explores human interrelationships with nature as a way for us to find and regain inner strength. Her raku clay sculpture, \u201cFar Away\u201d was conceived amid the Covid-19 pandemic whereby quarantine made it difficult to be within and grounded by the natural environment. Here, Kawalez uses raku clay, a naturally-sourced material, to depict a smiling woman\u2019s bust crowned by twine. The back of the sculpture is covered by leaves, and birds, urging us to seek out the freedom and joy that can be found within nature.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMarlene Kawalez, Far Away, front and back view, raku clay, mixed media. Photo: Tiffany Duong<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Camie Geary-Martin\u2019s sculptures consider the generational connections formed and furthered by art. Her bronze works are inspired by her grandmother\u2019s textile illustrations of contemporary, fashion-forward women. \u201cWoman with Cat,\u201d for instance, resembles a Vogue illustration. The figure, sassy and humorous, models a matching turquoise outfit. Through these sculptures, the artist is able to respond to, honor, and preserve the works created by her grandmother using a different medium. Furthermore, her work highlights art \u2014 both in conversations about art and the expression thereof \u2014 as a way of strengthening our connection with the human past and present.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nCamie Geary-Martin, Woman with Cat (left) and Woman Looking Left (right), both bronzes. Courtesy of Canadian Sculpture Centre<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, the works in this exhibit are insightful and impactful, offering viewers compelling discussion about the complexities of human power. As we commemorate and reflect on the Canadian Sculptors Society’s long, eventful past in the face of difficulty, the exhibit in the Canadian Sculpture Centre captures the gallery’s own strength and resolve \u2014 excitedly anticipating the future ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n