FIGURED
Tuesday, September 01, 2020 - Thursday, August 31, 2023
This group exhibition from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts' permanent collection features a selection of works focused on the study of the figure. The human figure provides a vast window into humanity, allowing us to document culture and ideology. It has been a source of inspiration throughout history - consider Mary Cassatt's impressionist painting 'Summertime' and pop artist Andy Warhol's 'Triple Elvis' - and had been depicted in almost every art period and genre.
Delicate contour lines, voluptuous strokes of watercolour and thoughtfully etched textures express the beauty of the human form throughout the works in this exhibition. Kay Angliss's watercolour on paper 'Figure in Red' offers a figurative study; a model leans against a wall, one foot resting against it, a knee jutting out. Warm pink and red tones, loosely painted, highlight the form's angles and planes. 'Let it Go' by Yuriko Kitamura, another figure study, depicts the artist's masterful drawing ability. Each line on the paper is thoughtfully placed, defining a seated form, head bowed, leaning into arms.
The works in this exhibition are rendered in vastly different ways but draw from the same source of inspiration: the body. In art school, students study figure drawing; live models are observed and rendered. Students visually investigate the curve of a back, the volume of a thigh muscle, the sharpness of a collarbone and the delicateness of a fingertip. The artists in this exhibition have done the same - they have studied and created expressions of humanity using the human form as their visual vehicle. From Maureen Harvey's bright watercolour painting 'Reclining Male Figure' to Susan Bolinger's contemplative black-and- white ink on paper 'Untitled', the figurative works in this exhibition are fascinating and invite us into a place of universal understanding.
Figured spans five decades (1966 to 2004) and features twelve renowned Canadian artists: Deanna Boucher, Susan Bolinger, Pat Holland, Kay Angliss, Marion Nicoll, Illingworth Kerr, Andie Wicherts, Yuriko Kitamura, Maureen Harvey, Helen Mackie, Jonathan Knowlton and Blair Brennan.
Figured was curated by Xanthe Isbister, Manager/Curator, Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre, Region 4 of the AFA Travelling Exhibition Program (TREX).
Delicate contour lines, voluptuous strokes of watercolour and thoughtfully etched textures express the beauty of the human form throughout the works in this exhibition. Kay Angliss's watercolour on paper 'Figure in Red' offers a figurative study; a model leans against a wall, one foot resting against it, a knee jutting out. Warm pink and red tones, loosely painted, highlight the form's angles and planes. 'Let it Go' by Yuriko Kitamura, another figure study, depicts the artist's masterful drawing ability. Each line on the paper is thoughtfully placed, defining a seated form, head bowed, leaning into arms.
The works in this exhibition are rendered in vastly different ways but draw from the same source of inspiration: the body. In art school, students study figure drawing; live models are observed and rendered. Students visually investigate the curve of a back, the volume of a thigh muscle, the sharpness of a collarbone and the delicateness of a fingertip. The artists in this exhibition have done the same - they have studied and created expressions of humanity using the human form as their visual vehicle. From Maureen Harvey's bright watercolour painting 'Reclining Male Figure' to Susan Bolinger's contemplative black-and- white ink on paper 'Untitled', the figurative works in this exhibition are fascinating and invite us into a place of universal understanding.
Figured spans five decades (1966 to 2004) and features twelve renowned Canadian artists: Deanna Boucher, Susan Bolinger, Pat Holland, Kay Angliss, Marion Nicoll, Illingworth Kerr, Andie Wicherts, Yuriko Kitamura, Maureen Harvey, Helen Mackie, Jonathan Knowlton and Blair Brennan.
Figured was curated by Xanthe Isbister, Manager/Curator, Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre, Region 4 of the AFA Travelling Exhibition Program (TREX).