More
      than
      skin
      deep
     
    
   
   
    
     
      New
      art
      exhibit
      opens
      at
      women’s
      centre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      SEAN
      MCQUAID
     
     
      “MORE
      THAN
      SKIN
      DEEP”,
      AN
      ART
     
     
      exhibition
      devoted
      primarily
      to
      “exploring
     
     
      women's
      relationships
      with
      their
      bodies,”
     
     
      ~
      opened
      at
      the
      UPEIl
      Women's
      Centre
      on
      the
     
     
      evening
      of
      March
      ||.
      Linda
      Kerr
      (of
      the
     
     
      Atlantic
      Veterinary
      College)
      emceed
      the
      event,
     
     
      which
      opened
      with
      presentations
      by
      Carla
     
     
      Rice
      and
      Lesley
      Anne
      Bourne.
     
    

    
     
      Rice
      discussed
      the
      artwork
      on
      display,
     
     
      referring
      favourably
      to
      her
      perception
      of
      the
     
     
      pieces’
      presentation
      of
      “goddess’’
      images.
     
     
      Bourne
      read
      from
      her
      Skinny
      Girls
      collection
      of
     
     
      poetry,
      the
      title
      poem
      being
      a
      commentary
      on
     
     
      women’s
      destructive
      feelings
      of
      physical
     
     
      inadequacy.
      After
      the
      speeches
      and
      readings,
     
     
      those
      in
      attendance
      mingled
      and
      took
      in
      the
     
     
      artwork.
      Women’s
      Centre
      volunteer
      Stacy
     
     
      Dunn
      estimated
      that
      about
      fifty
      people
      attended
     
     
      the
      opening,
      a
      number
      considered
      excellent
     
     
      given
      the
      inclement
      weather
      that
      evening.
     
    

    
     
      The
      show
      includes
      almost
      forty
      pieces
      ina
     
     
      variety
      of
      media,
     
     
      constituting
      a
      veritable
     
     
      visual
      smorgasbord.
     
     
      While
      not
      all
      the
      pieces
     
     
      will
      appeal
      to
      most
     
     
      viewers,
      there
      is
     
     
      something
      for
      almost
     
     
      every
      taste:
      painting,
     
     
      sculpture,
      quilting,
     
     
      photography,
      ink
      and
     
     
      pencil
      drawings,
      etchings,
     
     
      aquatint,
      and
      more.
     
    

    
     
      Most
      of
      the
      pieces
     
     
      are
      paintings.
      Some
      are
     
     
      simplistic,
      unremarkable,
     
     
      or
      simply
      unattractive
     
     
      (such
      as
      Milner’s
     
     
      “Mother
      and
      Child”
      and
     
     
      Wigmore's
      “Untitled”;
     
     
      others
      are
      rather
     
     
      inaccessible
      in
      terms
      of
     
     
      their
      meaning
      (Curtis's
     
     
      “Sleeping
      Cat
      Wakes”
      is
     
     
      confusing
      though
      unique
     
     
      in
      style
      and
      with
      hints
      of
     
     
      deeper
      meaning,
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
      quilting,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Milner's
      “The
      Man
     
     
      Inside”
      is
      a
      seemingly
     
     
      senseless
      bit
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      incongruity,
      featuring
      a
     
     
      stick
      figure
      cast
      adrift
     
     
      against
      some
      admittedly
     
     
      attractive
      background
     
     
      mist).
      There
      are
      far
      more
      good
      paintings
      than
     
     
      bad
      ones,
      though:
      Donna
      Lynn
      Wigmore's
     
     
      “Life
      of
      a
      Woman:
      Healing
      From
      the
      Past”
     
     
      (described
      by
      one
      centre
      volunteer
      as
      a
     
     
      manifestation
      of
      women’s
      “collective
     
     
      unconscious”)
      is
      a
      hauntingly
      compelling
      image
     
     
      of
      darkness,
      its
      savage
      brushstrokes
      sculpting
     
     
      dark
      grey
      tonalities
      into
      abstract
      forms.
     
     
      Karen
      Gallant's
      “Untitled”
      painting
      of
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      show
      includes
     
     
      almost
      forty
      pieces
     
     
      in
      a
      variety
      of
     
     
      media,
      constituting
     
     
      a
      veritable
      visual
     
     
      smorgasbord.
      While
     
     
      not
      all
      the
      pieces
     
     
      will
      appeal
      to
      most
     
     
      viewers,
      there
      is
     
     
      something
      for
     
     
      almost
      every
      taste:
     
     
      painting,
      sculpture,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      photography,
      ink
     
     
      and
      pencil
      drawings,
     
     
      etchings,
      aquatint,
     
     
      and
      more.
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      female
      nude
      at
      a
      waterfall
      is
      an
      endearingly
     
     
      meditative
      piece--
      its
      tranquillity
      and
      lyric
      charm
     
     
      recall
      mythical
      water
      nymphs,
      and
      the
      soothing
     
     
      blues
      and
      greens
      of
      its
      colour
      scheme
      give
      the
     
     
      picture
      a
      pervasive,
      aquatic
      atmosphere.
      The
     
     
      icing
      on
      the
      cake
      for
      this
      piece
      is
      an
      exterior
     
     
      addition
      to
      the
      painting's
      surface,
      a
      piece
      of
     
     
      material
      representing
      the
      drapery
      that
      the
     
     
      woman
      is
      casting
      off;
      it
      gives
      the
      work
      an
      extra
     
     
      three-dimensional
      hook
      for
      the
      viewer.
     
    

    
     
      Karen
      Drew's
      “Hope”
      and
      “Power”
      are
     
     
      goddess-like
      images
      of
      exceptional
      vitality
      and
     
     
      power,
      recalling
      Celticmanuscript
      illumination
     
     
      and
      animal
      style
      art
      in
      their
      wildly,
      organically
     
     
      intricate
      decorative
      elements
      (though
      Power's
     
     
      goddess
      figure
      also
      resembles
      an
      Incan,
      Mayan,
     
     
      or
      Aztec
      figure
      in
      its
      feathered,
      spectacularly
     
     
      adorned
      form);
      these
      are
      brilliantly
      colourful
     
     
      pieces,
      real
      eye-catchers
      that
      snag
      and
      hold
     
     
      viewers
      with
      technical
      sophistication
      and
     
     
      imagination.
     
    

    
     
      Dale
      McNevin's
      “Refugees,
      again”
      is
      a
     
     
      Sresge
      poignant
      depiction
      of
      a
     
     
      mother
      and
      child
      in
      ‘var-
     
     
      torn
      Sarajevo;
      beyond
      its
     
     
      skilful,
      concretely
      realistic
     
     
      technical
      execution,
      the
     
     
      piece
      is
      noteworthy
      for
     
     
      its
      poignant
      commentary
     
     
      on
      the
      sufferings
      of
      war,
     
     
      made
      all
      the
      more
     
     
      effective
      by
      an
      image
      that
     
     
      evokes
      the
      centuries-old
     
     
      image
      of
      Madonna
      and
     
     
      Child.
     
    

    
     
      Elizabeth
      Milner’s
     
     
      “More
      Than
      Just
      Skin
     
     
      Deep”
      is
      an
      arresting
     
     
      work,
      a
      polychromatic
     
     
      abstraction
      of
      the
      female
     
     
      figure.
      The
      Rubenesque
     
     
      form
      is
      fascinatingly
     
     
      anonymous
      (its
      face
     
     
      obscured
      in
      a
      fog
      of
     
     
      colour),
      and
      hence
     
     
      universal.
      The
      painting
      is
     
     
      awash
      in
      sensually
     
     
      stimulating
      blues,
      purples,
     
     
      and
      other
      colours,
      and
     
     
      the
      swirling
      hues
      combine
     
     
      with
      the
      generous
     
     
      proportions
      of
      the
      figure
     
     
      to
      suggest
      a
      fullness
      of
     
     
      life,
      perhaps
      a
      Gaea-
     
     
      figure.
     
    

    
     
      Lorraine
      Quinn's
      “Distorted
      Vision”
      evokes
     
     
      one
      of
      the
      show's
      major
      themes
      with
      its
     
     
      disturbing
      image
      of
      a
      woman
      staring
      unhappily
     
     
      into
      a
      mirror
      reflection
      that
      is,
      at
      least
      in
      her
     
     
      eyes,
      much
      darker
      and
      much
      less
      attractive
     
     
      than
      she
      actually
      is.
     
    

    
     
      Less
      obvious
      but
      even
      more
      fascinating
      is
     
     
      Andrea
      Redmond’s
      ‘“Lamentation"’,
      an
     
     
      impressionistic
      painting
      depicting
      a
      woman
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      playinga
      harp
      before
      backdrop
      of
      Stonehenge-
     
     
      like
      rock
      formations
      on
      a
      dark,
      mysterious,
     
     
      rolling
      landscape,
      while
      a
      fox
      and
      raven
      look
     
     
      on.
      It’s
      a
      compellingly
      enigmatic
      piece,
      with
     
     
      something
      of
      the
      otherworldy
      tone
      of
      di
     
     
      Chirico
      and
      the
      dreamlike
      quality
      of
      Fuseli
     
     
      (particularly
      in
      the
      fiery-eyed
      fox).
      The
      flowing
     
     
      brushstrokes
      merge
      into
      an
      impressionist
     
     
      dream-vision
      of
      shadowy
      atmosphere
      and
     
     
      colour.
     
    

    
     
      Sculpture
      is
      also
      well-represented,
      with
     
     
      such
      pieces
      as
      Janet
      Norman-Bain’s
      unique
     
     
      sculpted
      leather
      mask,
      “Heather
      Rhymster”;
     
     
      Sandy
      Kowalik’s
      “Particle
      Perception”
      is
      a
     
     
      fascinating
      piece
      comprised
      of
      a
      black
      plaster
     
     
      mask
      with
      a
      fragmented,
      mirrored
      interior
     
     
      (the
      reflected
      soul?);
      Jan
      Mollison’s
      “Icons
      of
     
     
      Inner
      Thought”
      tries
      to
      literally
      display
      the
     
     
      contents
      of
      a
      woman's
      mind
      through
      the
     
     
      symbols
      and
      objects
      inside
      an
      open-topped,
     
     
      sculpted
      cranium;
      and
      Tina
      Davis's
      “More
     
     
      Than
      Skin
      Deep”
      wooden
      carving
      of
      a
      face
     
     
      emerging
      from
      a
      piece
      of
      driftwood
      is
      simply
     
     
      beautiful
      in
      both
      its
      appearance
      and
      its
     
     
      sentiment,
      marking
      it
      as
      one
      of
      the
      most
     
     
      eloquent
      and
      effective
      expressions
      of
      the
     
     
      show's
      themes,
      and
      of
      the
      ideal
      of
      beauty
      for
     
     
      that
      matter.
     
    

    
     
      Photography
      is
      in
      evidence
      as
      well,
      with
     
     
      such
      pieces
      as
      Marion
      Copleston's
      “Boot
     
     
      Dance”
      (a
      quaint
      depiction
      of
      the
      jubilant
     
     
      freedom
      of
      childhood)
      and
      “Micheline”
      (an
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      x.press
      march
      fifteenth
      1994
      page6
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      enigmatic
      forest
      scene
      that
      resemble:
     
     
      concrete
      realization
      of
      a
      Rousseau
      pain
     
     
      and
      particularly
      Cheryl
      Nicholson's
      “Cir
     
     
      Strength”,
      an
      ambitious
      symbolic
      p
     
     
      composition
      in
      a
      stark,
      massive
      metal
      fr
     
    

    
     
      Many
      of
      the
      show's
      pieces
      are
      in
      |
     
     
      unusual
      media.
      Anne
      Mazer's
      cotton
      qui
     
     
      are
      whimsical
      figure
      studies,
      almost
     
     
      Rubenesque
      relief
      sculptures
      in
      cloth.
      Str
     
     
      still
      is
      Shelley
      Limbert’s
      “The
      Rainbow
      Wi
     
     
      which
      consists
      of
      an
      abstract
      painting
     
     
      woman
      (with
      portions
      of
      her
      ana
     
     
      represented
      as
      vibrant,
      multi-coloured
      sp
     
     
      and
      shapes)
      partially
      enshrouded
      by
     
     
      which
      is
      bound
      by
      copper
      wire
      (whict
     
     
      entwines
      a
      clay
      doll)
      and
      inscribed
      with
      a|
     
     
      describing
      how
      women
      are
      compell
     
     
      “enshroud”
      their
      bodies
      but
      learn
      to
      2
     
     
      them
      (unlock
      “the
      rainbow”)
      as
      they
      m
     
     
      It’s
      certainly
      a
      visually
      and
      concep
     
     
      imaginative
      piece,
      if
      not
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      attractive
      ones.
     
    

    
     
      Thematic
      or
      issue-oriented
      art
      is
     
     
      subverted
      to
      its
      cause,
      with
      no
      value
      bey¢
     
     
      own
      propaganda;
      that
      is
      not
      the
      case
      f
     
     
      most
      part
      with
      the
      new
      Women's
      C
     
     
      exhibit,
      which
      has
      pieces
      that
      are
      wortt
     
     
      as
      art
      inand
      of
      themselves.
      Though
      it
      is
      g
     
     
      towards
      women,
      this
      art
      show,
      like
      the
      ¢
     
     
      is
      not
      only
      for
      women.
      The
      exhibitior
     
     
      until
      April
      9,
      and
      art
      lovers
      of
      all
      g¢
     
     
      should
      feel
      free
      to
      check
      it
      out.