Stop by The Foyer Gallery to see two summer exhibits, “Layers,” and “Paper Pleasures,” until Aug. 7.
While they may seem disparate at first glance, Lila Gaudry exhibits in “Layers,” a fusion of mixed fibre textile collages and acrylic paintings, are in fact quite similar in their earthy palette, layered construction and contemporary abstract style. Her works form a narrative presented in a nonlinear way.
This spring, Gaudry completed a two-year certificate in painting at Emily Carr University of Art and Design with the intent of finding a way to add another medium into her textile work, exploring how paint and fibre can interact; and discovering new ways that materials can inform a subject.
“My inspiration has largely been personal experiences that have left me wanting to record, in some creative way, a synthesis of that moment or place or emotion or experience,” said Gaudry, who has been gradually moving toward the abstract.
Gaudry’s “Door Series” of paintings grew from many years of being intrigued by beautiful portals around the world.
“I found myself exploring different threads of what doors symbolize and what they represent on an abstract level. I love the tension that the physical presence of a door sets up. The ideas of entrance, greeting and welcoming versus departure, denial and obstacles are inherent in a door,” she said.
Her “Textile Series” are snapshots of experiences: seeing the light through the trees on an early morning walk, a restless night or a yoga class.
Each one is material and process rich, ultimately evoking thoughts of fond memories.
“My process can be a bit cerebral,” she said. “When something intrigues me, I tend to spend time with it in my head. I make lists, I look at pictures, I read, I think and I try to narrow down what it is that I am drawn to.”
She admits that often this phase can take months and only then does she start to pull together inspirational materials and sketch out designs before eventually picking a medium and then diving in, often changing directions along the way.
Shirlee Lewis presents “Paper Pleasures,” this month inside the gallery’s glass cases. Pleasures is a medley of collages; dry point etchings; several contemporary ritual objects and a sampling of hand made paper, printing plates, tools and materials.
The sensual beauty and invisible strength of handmade paper along with it’s contrasting surfaces of texture and inclusions has inspired her work in paper casting and sculpture.
Lewis has had a focused career in handmade paper for 30 years along with a broad interest in all of the fibre arts.
It doesn’t hurt that for many of those 30 years she owned a production paper mill on Salt Spring Island.
“The stimulation for this exhibition was the library itself,” Lewis said. “As a place of learning it was my goal to mount a body of work that demonstrates the creative versatility of paper, a humble material that we take so much for granted. Paper is, after all, the foundation of the library and the vehicle of learning. This work honours the material.”
For her miniature collages, creative stimulation can be sparked by a single word or short phrase and most often upon finding a small curiosity or peculiar object.
The layering inherent in these contemplated mixtures invites a closer look in search of the underlying story.
Lewis, a newcomer to Squamish, has taught frequently and exhibited widely. Her work, for this first exhibition at the Foyer Gallery, represents some of her distinct and favourite creative expressions.
- Toby Jaxon is the curator of The Foyer Gallery in the entrance to the Squamish Public Library.
