GWENESSA LAM
The Rusty Toque | Portfolios | Issue 4 | February 15, 2013
Corner Shadow no. 2, Oil on Canvas, 18"x24", 2010, photo by Blaine Campbell
Table Shadow, Oil on canvas, 24"x24", 2010, photo by Blaine Campbell
Chair Shadow no. 2, Oil on canvas, 30"x20", 2010, photo by Blaine Campbell
Table and Three Chairs, Oil on canvas, 36"x30", 2010, photo by Blaine Campbell
Chair Shadow no. 4, Oil on canvas, 30"x 20", 2010, photo by Blaine Campbell
Chairs (Pakistan), Installation View, TRUCK Gallery, Calgary AB, photo by Rebecca Rowley
House (New Orleans), Installation View, TRUCK Gallery, Calgary AB, photo by Rebecca Rowley
SHADOW
Shadow is comprised of a series of oil paintings and drawings depicting distorted silhouettes of everyday objects. Spaced throughout the gallery, the paintings present singular views of anthropomorphic chairs and tables As such, they become extensions of one's self, drawing attention to the parallels that exist between the viewer's body and the objects which support them. Complete with arms, legs and back, these inanimate objects are physical placeholders and reminders of a bodily presence.
The association between the animate and inanimate becomes increasingly apparent when a level of violence is enacted upon the object. Accompanying the paintings, another series of wall works and drawings incorporate images of detritus found after a major disaster. Situations such as Hurricane Isaac and the conflict in Syria carry distinct and different histories; yet the coinciding media coverage presents overlapping images of distress. Scenes of ruin and disrepair trigger larger concerns of how one responds in times of emergency, and how the physical ruins of disaster mirror a deeper internal rupture experienced by the communities involved. Through the image of the shadow and the process of omission, I am interested in how images and artifacts of the everyday are transformed when placed under threat or duress.
The association between the animate and inanimate becomes increasingly apparent when a level of violence is enacted upon the object. Accompanying the paintings, another series of wall works and drawings incorporate images of detritus found after a major disaster. Situations such as Hurricane Isaac and the conflict in Syria carry distinct and different histories; yet the coinciding media coverage presents overlapping images of distress. Scenes of ruin and disrepair trigger larger concerns of how one responds in times of emergency, and how the physical ruins of disaster mirror a deeper internal rupture experienced by the communities involved. Through the image of the shadow and the process of omission, I am interested in how images and artifacts of the everyday are transformed when placed under threat or duress.
GWENESSA LAM is a visual artist based in Vancouver. She received her BFA from the University of British Columbia and MFA from New York University. She has taught at New York University, Emily Carr University, and the University of British Columbia. Gwenessa has exhibited nationally and internationally at venues such as the Bronx Museum of the Arts (NY), Queens Museum of Art (NY), Republic Gallery, and Center A (Vancouver). She was also artist-in-residence at Bemis Center, Banff Center, and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.