Photo : CoURtESY thE GALLERY
Jessie McNeil Point of Interest Collage on paper 16 ” µ 27 ”
Nathan Wilson Honouring the Mountain Goat Red-cedar mask with cedar bark and abalone inlays 18 ” µ 7.75 ” x 10 ”
Jessie McNeil
Canada welcomes a parade of visitors who come to admire the varied scenery . They often consult a map , snap photos or nurse sore feet . Jessie McNeil conjures tourists in her images through snippets of paper , cut-up drawings , bits of sheet music and old envelopes . From humble materials she cannily captures the posture of someone who is fatigued or a child ’ s face that is utterly annoyed with Dad ’ s endless picture taking . With a degree and awards from Emily Carr University , she exhibits internationally , and takes on far-flung residencies . Her images float free of their backing : the characters come forward on yet another plane . Textured surfaces are highlighted and shaded to allow us to suspend disbelief : these are not scraps of paper but sightseers , our friends , us .
Elissa Cristall Gallery 2239 Granville St . 604-730-9611 cristallgallery . com
Photo : CoURtESY thE GALLERY
Nathan Wilson
A direct and curious gaze from abalone eyes . Sharp , black , curved horns . A white face with the fine repetitive marks of a chisel . This mountain-goat mask , by Haisla artist Nathan Wilson , has the faint smile one sees on goats in the wild . He acknowledges the goat ’ s ability to shape-shift , the way it seems to appear magically on inaccessible crags . Wilson , the nephew of master carvers Derek and Barry Wilson , has studied with many First Nations artists . A West Coast pantheon of animals graces his masks and panels . He pays special attention to the surfaces , leaving the even , fur-like patterning of his process , where others might sand the wood smooth .
Lattimer Gallery 1590 W . 2nd ave . 604-732-4556 lattimergallery . com
62 EssE ntial VancouV er 2017 / 18