Different in My Mind

The Drake Hotel

March 1, 2018 - August 28, 2018

featured artists: Vanessa Brown, Daniel Gordon, Mark Dudiak, Alison Postma, Caroline Larsen

What is still life and what is still alive? Working in the shadows of reality, these five artists harness spiritual realms and colours that pop. The collection of work turns flowers, bricks, bottles and cups into mystic objects beyond the surface.

Penumbra is a recent work by Vancouver-based sculptor Vanessa Brown. Inspired by the late Salt Spring Island potter Lari Robson, this steel mobile is about the ripple effect of life and how we impact each other, even after death.

Brooklyn’s Daniel Gordon begins his process by creating still lifes from paper. Then, he photographs the psychedelic scene and digitally manipulates it before printing the final product on canvas. Artichokes and Potatoes is set against a vinyl backdrop developed by the artist that further blurs the line between real and unreal.

The structural frames that house Montreal artist Mark Dudiak’s Aura paintings add an architectural element to images of ivy leaves that are repeated to the point of abstraction. It’s a shrine to memories and transcendental experiences—elevating the importance of objects in our post-internet world.

Caroline Larsen’s Hanging Basket and Tropical Night trick eyes into thinking that these oil paintings are stitched textiles. They bring the viewer deeper into the image with intricate patterns and vibrant colours. Currently based in Brooklyn, her work has been exhibited in Toronto, Santa Monica, Chicago, Tel Aviv, New York and more.

Alison Postma, a Toronto-based photographer, is interested in turning real spaces into flat images. Her structural set-ups use juxtaposing textures and colours, that become a single entity in the final product. Combining flat and sculptural elements into a cohesive image.