two truths and a lie by Jessica Thalmann

two truths and a lie is Jessica Thalmann’s first solo exhibition in a public art gallery and exemplifies the breadth and depth of her lens-based practice. The installation meditates on the slippery nature of the photographic object in a series of folded steel and paper sculptures and wall-mounted “straight” and physically altered photographs.

Please note: this installation is not currently on view, it will be open to the public soon.

Date: TBA

Location: Varley Art Gallery, Markham

Thalmann crosses disciplinary boundaries and uses the poetics of space to understand spatial and pictorial relationships. She ruminates on the porous boundary between object and image; exploring the ways ruins, monuments, and abandoned public squares embody the failed utopian aims of Brutalist architecture. To Thalmann, a monument, much like a photograph, is never itself; it is inextricably caught between its meaning and its being. The intention for both photographs and monuments is to embody the objects, places, or people they depict, yet they remain silent and inert. They often make visible what cannot be seen, and erase or obscure what is real.

In many ways, their mnemonic possibilities are troubled by their material limitations. Fabrications, Thalmann’s most recent investigation, further troubles the relationship between image and object—as freestanding, double-sided sculptures (using only one cut and one fold as a conceptual guideline) these photographs stand upright, with only the floor as support.

Jessica Thalmann: two truths and a lie is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Curated by Anik Glaude

Child of Rock: Solo Exhibition by VAYA

September 5 to September 28, 2019

VAYA UNPLUGGED/Acoustic Performance: Thursday September 19 2019 • 6 PM to 7 PM

RSVP either event to info@urbangallery.ca 

ABOUT VAYA

An incisive & provocative artist, Akin Ossington member VAYA explores, mixes, meets & transcribes the darkness in the angels’ voices. An energetic claw on each canvas, VAYA dances as she works and often by candlelight to be closer to the imperceptible. "It's always a discovery the next day in daylight." She also employs a camera to share her creativity, "A way of getting out of yourself and becoming your own observer is fun and fascinating". VAYA has fun, dances, writes prayers on the souls of her music legend subjects. "I like to pay tribute to those who have suffered so much, laying some particles of peace over their restless souls - isn’t that the artist's role? Transfigure suffering into masterpieces?

"It's always a discovery the next day in daylight."

~Would she become animal or simply an expression of the painting, these faces that invite her to dance, whatever it is? 

"The limit is tiny between Madness and Genius." It's just a question of knowing how to pass the stirrup to this crazy horse that takes you to the depths. Keep your eyes closed in all confidence with it, holding the reins with your fingertips, while keeping a clear vision, discipline and flexibility.

When she has fun with a camera, VAYA plays the photographer as the muse. 

"A way of getting out of yourself and becoming your own observer is fun and fascinating".

VAYA has fun, dances, writes prayers on the souls of Legends, particularly iconic.

"I like to give a tribute to those who have suffered so much, some particles of peace over their restless souls: Isn’t it the Artist's role? Transfigure suffering into masterpieces?”

Through Rose — a solo exhibition by Curtia Wright

The MOEG invites you to join us for the opening of ‘Through Rose’, a solo exhibition of Akin King member Curtia Wright. ‘Through Rose’ is a series of works discussing the complex skin of Black femininity through Wright’s own relationship to femininity as a Black womxn. Directly referencing the phrase "through rose coloured glasses", ‘Through Rose’ suggests that our concept of Black women’s everyday reality is stilted by a blissful ignorance. Delving into the psychological ramifications of having to navigate spaces that dissect you – examining our perception of Black femininity and the often one-dimensional the gaze that dehumanizes Black women’s bodies.

Opening Reception: April 18th, 2018 from 7-10pm
Exhibition Dates: April 19th – May 4th
Gallery Hours: Wednesday to Friday from 12-7pm, Saturdays from 12-5pm

Entry to the exhibition will be PWYC, will all entry proceeds donated to Black Women in Motion.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Curtia Wright is a multidisciplinary artist and muralist based in Toronto, Ontario. She’s interested in the way society’s perceptions of bodies—specifically Black bodies—have the ability to shape their narratives without consent. Her current works delve into the spiritual and mental wellness of African peoples, links to mythology, and disseminating what 'fantasy' is and who it belongs to. Her work questions our indoctrinated beliefs of what femininity and Blackness are, the perseverance of the black body, and issues surrounding mental illness in the Afro-Caribbean community.

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CUE is a radical arts initiative dedicated to providing funding and support for new-generation artists who live and work on the margins in Toronto. Since 2008, the initiative has provided almost $300,000 in high-access grants to support the creation of more than 290 art projects.

The MOEG is a project of CUE: a multidisciplinary arts space dedicated to showcasing the work of new generation artists aged 15-29 who live and work on the margins. Some of the most important artwork is being created by artists who experience social, cultural, and economic marginalization, and systemic barriers can preclude many relevant artists from contributing to our cultural narrative. The MOEG is a space to engage with these artists and their work--an environment where communities that have been excluded within the arts can be recognized and represented.