Nov 2011 –Jan 2012 - Preview

www.whatcommuseum.orgLesley Dill’s Poetic VisionsWHATCOM MUSEUM, BELLINGHAM WA – Oct 23-Mar 4, 2012 Lesley Dill’s innovative art practicecombines elements of language, poetry, performance and multi-media visual art to explore themes offaith and spirituality through the human form and its coverings. Throughout her career lyrical vocabularyhas been a binding factor in Dill’s artworks, serving as a bridge to the inner world of universalemotions and complexities. The Poetic Visions exhibit focuses on two bodies of work; metallic sculptureslike Shimmer and a 2010 installation based on the life of Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900-1980), aNew Orleans preacher and missionary who used her music and art as tools of her ministry.For the installation Hell Hell Hell/Heaven Heaven Heaven: Encountering Sister Gertrude Morgan andRevelation, Dill constructed two lavish gowns to reflect Morgan’s early life and her life after she experienceda divine revelation that she had been chosen to be the bride of Christ. The white-based weddinggown, adorned with textand cascading train-like bannersthat speak of her calling,is visually connected to theother black-based dress in aunified space draped withpoetic references. The stronguse of meaningful wordsstring together a journeybetween heaven and hell,dark and light, good and evil.Shimmer, the other mainpiece that composes the coreof this show, is a dramaticCOURTESY OF ARTHUR ROGER GALLERY, NEW ORLEANASLesley Dill, Hell Hell Hell / Heaven Heaven Heaven: Encountering Sister Gertrude Morganand Revelation, detail [Whatcom Museum, Bellingham WA, Oct 23-Mar 4]oceanic wall-mounted workmade of thousands of feet ofsilvery wire threads. The cascading60-foot long sculptureis integrated with the mystical poetry of Salvador Espriu (1913-1985) and materiality evokes a relationshipbetween the physical and the spiritual. Metaphoric imagery in Dill’s installations illuminatesaspects of the diversity of faith traditions and the underlying notions of transcendental experience.Allyn Cantortion, re-explores her memories of apivotal childhood event, realizingthat what she remembers and whatshe recounts to people is a‘cleansed’ version of the tale; Jan21-Mar 31 Edward Burtynsky:Encounters, work by Burtynsky willbe selected by over 20 Canadiansfrom diverse walks of life eachbringing their own meaning to theartist’s work, his photographic subjectsare rich in detail and scale yetopen in their meaning; OngoingSacred Weft: Returning the Voiceto Women, traditional Salish weavingdone by Cree and Saulteauxwomen as part of their journeytowards healing and self-discovery;by Dennis Oppenheim, the Glenbowreveals the long-awaited site of hissculpture Device to Root Out Evil.Herringer Kiss Gallery709A 11 Ave SW ✆403-228-4889www.herringerkissgallery.comtues-fri 10am-5:30pm sat 11am-5pm. Thru Nov 19 Angela Leach,“New Work”, paintings comprised ofa complex repeating pattern of arestricted palette of 32 colours,developed from an interest in thecoincidences that occur from adheringto a strict process; Nov 28-Jan28 Harry Kiyooka, “Paintings fromthe Venetian Series”, started in the1960s when he returned from athree-year residency in Venice, partof the proceeds will go towards theKO Arts Centre with a focus on fosteringcontemporary art in Alberta.Illingworth Kerr Gallery,Alberta College of Art + Design1407 14th Ave NW ✆403-284-7680www.acad.catues-sat 10am-6pm. Nov 3-Dec 17David Hoffos: Scenes From TheHouse Dream, 20 installations formthe nexus of Hoffos’s studio practiceand serve as a compendium of theartist’s signature presentation ofsubtle illusions that have been perfectedin mixed-media installationscreated over the last 17 years combininglow-tech holograms with newand outdated media techniques tocreate vignettes where charactersare captured in time and space; Jan12-Mar 3 François Lacasse: TheOutpouring, retrospective coveringthe last 20 years and brings together12 PREVIEW ■ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER/JANUARY 2011/12