Where: Vernon Public Art Gallery, 3228 31st Ave. Vernon, BC
When: August 1 – October 10, 2013
Why: Four New Exhibitions Open to the Public
Who: Vernon Public Art Gallery

The Vernon Public Art Gallery is proud to present four new exhibitions opening on Thursday, August 1st.

One artist in particular is based out of Kelowna and Vancouver, and is an established contemporary Canadian artist that we are fortunate to have exhibit here in Vernon.

“Kristoff Steinruck’s work reflects his interest in and an obsession with the abstract concepts of time while contemplating the contrast of geologic versus human time. His artistic interpretation of the landscape and the human form at the same time result in tension portraying the implied elemental qualities of inert mineral forms and temporal human body. His use of photography and video further elevate this psychological apprehension by providing the viewer with glimpses of staged reality which have already passed away.” – said Lubos Culen, Curator.

Kristoff Steinruck: The Marble Range, August 1 – October 10, 2013
Kristof Steinruck, a Kelowna and Vancouver, BC based artist, will exhibit a new body of work in the exhibition titled The Marble Range. The exhibition consists of photographs, hand-carved stone elements, and a single channel projection video.

Steinruck’s interest in geology resulted in his extensive geological research of rare limestone deposits found in the Marble Range Park near Cash Creek in British Columbia. The Marble Range itself is an anomaly within the geomorphology of British Columbia, and its formation dates some 200-300 million years near the volcanic islands in the tropics of Pacific Rim from where it was transported by the plate tectonics over the hundreds of millions years to its present location in British Columbia.

Steinruck collected large rock samples directly in the area of the Marble Range Park and he consequently hand-carved large models of crystals which form the geological make up of the area. As a part of the artistic narrative that frames the whole exploration of the subject matter, Steinruck staged a pseudo-scientific expedition back to the site. This was a starting point of his artistic intervention, and produced a video in which performers dressed in what appears to be kinds of a hazmat suits carry the weighty carved elements in the actual landscape. The focus of Steinruck’s video was to contrast the inert, stable, and ancient mineral forms of the ‘crystals’ with the strenuous effort of a biological human body navigating difficult terrain of the site. A suit of six black and white photographs portraying the performers holding the carved stone elements further elaborates the contrast of the age-old and inert mineral forms with the temporary nature of living organisms.

Joanne Salé: Connections, August 1 – October 31, 2013
Joanne Salé, a Vernon, BC based artist will exhibit a series of drawings on paper with a sculptural installation in the exhibition titled Connections. Salé’s exhibition demonstrates and asserts her artistic competence when it comes to the production of diverse artwork whether it is drawing, painting, or sculpture. While equally proficient in realistic modelling, Salé navigates the field of abstraction with confidence and conceptual clarity.

Salé’s works in the exhibition are a result of sustained focus on the process of drawing itself while maintaining a restrained discipline during the evolution of drawing. Inspired by the images of various interconnected systems and networks, including natural formations of plants, fungi, roots, and organic matter found anywhere in the landscape, Salé accentuates the meaning of the word “connections” in her drawings. This conceptual strategy gives rise to abstract images which exhibit loose associative qualities in favour of disclosing concrete knowable references.

Salé’s site-specific sculptural installation created in the part of the gallery space is a three-dimensional itineration of the same concept captured in her drawings. Based on simple linear elements crisscrossing the allocated space, the installation is an abstract rendition which embodies Salé’s interest in artistic interpretation of complex structures based on naturally occurring phenomena.

Marissa Brown: Friends and Lovers, August 1 – October 10, 2013
Marissa Brown exhibits a suite of paintings in the exhibition titled Friends and Lovers. Inspired by a relationship guide titled Five Stages of Committed Relationship, Brown’s work address the issues of the human condition in the portraiture based painting.

The background of Brown’s work refers to and examines the topic of what constitutes a “chosen family” and how it may be formed. Brown points out in her artist statement that “… [a chosen family] consist of non-biological relations such as exes, friends, mentors, roommates, and lovers, who provide a network of mutual love and support in place of those traditionally provided by blood relations”.

Brown’s paintings provide narratives that blend various aspects of fantasy and fiction, yet they contain elements inspired by actual personal experiences. Marissa Brown is an emerging artist living and working in Vernon, British Columbia.

Cherryville Artists Association Members: Artist or Artisan: Where is the Line?, August 1 – October 10, 2013
The Gallery will host an exhibition titled Artist or Artisan: Where is the Line?, a group exhibition featuring two and three dimensional works produced by the members of the Cherryville Artisans Association. The purpose of the exhibition is to highlight the works being produced in the rural area of the Monashee Mountains east of Vernon. But as the title of the exhibition – Artist or Artisan: Where is the Line? – implies, it is also focused on generating a discussion about the nature of artistic production and the production of what is generally referred to as craft.

An opening reception will be held on the day of the opening from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, inviting Gallery members and the public to attend. Admission to the Gallery is by donation.

Photo: Kristoff Steinruck, The Marble Range, (video still), 2013, single channel video

For more information about the Vernon Public Art Gallery contact: 250-545-3173,
@VernonAGalleryinfo@vernonpublicartgallery.com , www.vernonpublicartgallery.com