The ever-changing landscapes of a city and its surroundings is the thread that ties three new art shows opening on Friday at Coquitlam’s Place des Arts.
Emerging artists Derek Gillingham, Larissa Blokhuis and Carol McQuaid from Vancouver present their distinct exhibits — each in various media — to expose the beauty as well as the sights and sounds of a locale.
The concept for Gillingham’s work began years ago, as he was driving from his Port Moody home to Los Angeles. He wanted to somehow capture the experience of being in the Californian hubbub, documenting how it moved and the colours it produced.
“I wanted something that I could take with me,” he said.
For his series, titled Sound and Gesture, Gillingham collected “bits and pieces” from L.A. — community newspaper articles, market keepsakes, for example — for a collage. And on top, he swirled paints to indicate the rhythm of the metropolis.
He did the same “postcards” for Vancouver, Montreal, London and San Francisco, which will also be on display at the Coquitlam venue.
For Blokhuis, she dug deep to create her 3D collection called Future Forms, which follows evolution from the ground up — using plants and animals as her base.
Her concern for the environment and her interest in scientific developments piqued while she was studying for her bachelor of fine arts degree at the Alberta College of Art and Design, in Calgary.
In between classes and studying, Blokhuis would flip on TV to watch documentaries. “I would follow whatever was showing at the time,” she said, “and I would apply a lot of critical thinking about what was being presented.”
Blokhuis came out with a new understanding about how art and science is connected.
As a result, she sought ways to project a positive message about the world. “There’s a lot of negative messaging out there and that kind of approach can just shut everyone down,” she said, adding, “for science to be good and purposeful, it has to be creative and challenging.”
McQuaid, meanwhile, used water and wood as her elements for her printmaking and watercolour pieces.
A teacher on cruise ships who also likes to ply her trade while sailing the ocean, McQuaid reflected the waters in a host of curious landmarks: a floating market in Bangkok, oyster gathering at Gibsons, port scenes from Mexico as well as Granville Island and English Bay in Vancouver.
McQuaid, who has her studio in Chinatown, said she looks forward to continuing her series this year as she travels for five months on artist residencies.
The opening reception for the three shows is Friday, April 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Place des Arts (1120 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam). Admission is free and the artists will attend. Call 604-664-1646 or visit placedesarts.ca for more details.
jcleugh@tricitynews.com
@jcleughTC
