“Back to Work” is a group show featuring the works of the Foyer Gallery artists. The show is running from Tuesday, August 19 to Sunday, September 7, 2014.
Show Review by Gerald Smith
A new art show called “Back to Work” is now in place in the Foyer Gallery. The official opening is August 19 and it will run until September 7th. Thirteen artists have examples of their art in a variety of media, subjects and styles.
One artist whose work caught my eye immediately was Jessie Parker. She is showing two large photos consisting of vertical stripes of light separated often on a dark surface. They are called “Toronto Jazzed III” and “Toronto Jazzed VII” They are located at the far end of the gallery but even at that distance they have a commanding presence.
Margaret Chwialkowska is showing two paintings in her usual vibrant style with built-up layers of bright colors, mostly reds and yellows with some blue to act as a complement to them. One of them that I particularly like is called “End of Summer”, Ottawa River”. It is built up from a careful drawing and then animated by thick applications of oil paint which transcend all else.
Ginny Fobert is showing two photo assemblages, both up to her usual high standards. One is called “Sunrise Whispers 396″ It is a series of 396 photos taken over lapses of time and then superimposed. The result is a glowing rendering of a most vibrant sunrise over a tranquil stretch of the Ottawa River.
Ray Piesina is showing one large acrylic painting in his usual style called “Road’s End”. The painting seems to have little to do with roads as such but very much with the sheer joy of painting. Three layers of paint application are all visible and contribute to a total affect that is dynamic.
Yves Jardon is showing one photograph entitled “Dead Train Station”. It shows a train engine of the 1930’s era up on blocks, rusting away and covered with pigeon droppings. The only part of it that is still strong is the number 1502 boldly proclaiming its past glory. The neglect is further enhanced by a man sitting on a chair in the right foreground looking away from it. The train engine is a victim of progress which has left it behind.
Rob Huntley is showing two photos, one taken in Cuba and the other one in China. The latter is an exercise in geometric design but the first one called “Street Cleaner – Havana, Cuba” shows a man pushing two containers with a broom along a street in Havana as seen from a rooftop looking down. The shadow he and his contraption make are without end and for me, at least, unforgettable.
Robert Arnold is presenting two of his digital mixed media works where the image is repeated in reverse , each side of a center form. Both have a glorious color applied to the resultant image. The one I prefer is called “Man Amongst the Bulls” and shows a man wearing a white coat and straw hat holding the reins of two yoked oxen, one on the right and the other repeated in reverse on the left. This is wonderfully enhanced by trees behind him and a sky that is boldly stated in whites, reds and purples. It has to be seen to be appreciated.