Pathways’ deceptive simplicity
February 7, 2010 1:16 PM
“Keep it simple.” This is the advice countless instructors give to aspiring creative minds every year. Ambitious artists generally get bogged down by the larger-than-life ideas they have, such as an intricately-plotted story that follows one character over thirty years, or composing a twenty-minute musical epic that will unequivocally explain the meaning of life.
Of course, once these projects are undertaken, it becomes too complex and frustrating to go anywhere with it, and the project is eventually shelved. On the other hand, some works are passed off as simple when they are anything but.
From now until February 7th in the StFX University Art Gallery, E. Nancy Stevens’ “Pathways” will be on display.
Stevens is interested in exploring the theme of time, which she has done in her 1995 exhibition hORIZON PaINtINGs at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and her 2001 work IN tRaNsIt at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery.
Stevens writes that the paintings in “Pathways” have been influenced by the radiance of Impressionism, the energy of Cubism, and the elegance of Minimalism to take another direction in this exploration.
Walking into the gallery in the Bloomfield Centre basement, one is immediately struck by the vibrant works that adorn the walls. Brilliant colours jump off the canvas and draw the viewer closer. From a distance, the pieces almost look as if they are hand-made quilts that have been framed, but once the viewer gets closer the intricacy of the work reveals itself.
The paintings are done using a process called pointillism, which requires the artist to paint small distinct dots that are used to create the optical illusion of connection and contrast through the juxtaposition of colour.
This technique is used masterfully in these works, for at first glance it is hard to detect that a seemingly solid purple line is actually a mixture of different colours.
Those not often exposed to contemporary art might pass off these works as “simple” without a second glance, but they are not really giving themselves, or the work, a chance.
Standing around Stevens’ works, one finds him or herself immediately drawn into the textures of her work, as if hypnotized by the pieces.
The paintings suggest movement through the flurry of patterns within them, and the colours Stevens uses elicit emotional responses from the viewer, like the richness of red, orange, and purple in “Burn” inspiring warmth and sincerity.
Giving these pieces a chance to be interpreted rewards the observer with a complexity that changes his or her ideas about art in general.
Stevens’ exhibit uses the relationship between different colours to create challenging pieces that beg the observer to interpret and argue over their meanings.
The best part about her artwork is that it is not a clear depiction of a scene or landscape, but a complex conversation about the nature of time and art and our relation to it.
If you’re stopping by the SUB to get out of the cold or just looking for some time to kill between classes, check out the StFX University Art Gallery. Who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to create something yourself, or at least you’ll have something to talk about besides the weather.
