Featured artists: Micah Lexier, Alicia Nauta, Simon Hughes, Graham Gilmore
Books have long been a source of inspiration for artists. Whether it’s the written word or the pages themselves, the ideas expressed books are often referenced by contemporary artists. This show explores a range of work that is informed by the printed page.
Graham Gilmore is an internationally recognized artist who for decades as explored ‘the word as image and the image as word’. His painting Off Topic takes center stage, installed over the fireplace and inspired the title of the exhibition. Toronto-based artist Alicia Nauta works in a variety of media, including collages that are reminiscent of zines (she makes those too), constructed on a photocopier. The resulting black and white images are both contemporary and vintage. Often exploring themes of investigation like the intelligence of plants and other mysticism. These works are presented in a pair to invoke the spread pages of a book. Another piece installed as a ‘pair’ is Micah Lexier’s Here, Not Here wall sculpture. The piece plays with the idea of call and repeat and refers to the aesthetic of vintage instruction manuals.
Feel free to explore the grounds of the Devonshire and you’ll find an outdoor mural of Lexier’s that plays on the plans of a vintage puzzle where the same pieces can be used to make different images (but that’s another story). Winnipeg’s Simon Hughes builds intricate painted compositions that include details collaged from books and magazines. These collaged elements bring narrative to the paintings and texture that contradicts the watery pigment. Special thanks to Division Gallery and Birch Contemporary