BODY TALK
WANDA KOOP is one of Canada’ s most important and inventive contemporary artists, with a career spanning over four decades and more than 50 major solo exhibitions around the world. The Winnipeg artist is known for creating large scaled remarkable paintings.“ I am constantly looking at the world as if it’ s for the first time,” she says. Each painting is a part of a collection, a cohesive way of expressing a series of thoughts or ideas.
Artist
BY JOELLE KIDD AND NINA BRYK
THINKING IN THREAD
MAR 3-31
What do a neuroscientist and a craftsperson have in common? It’ s not a punchline; Neurocraft, an exhibit authored by the Manitoba Craft Council explores just that. The pieces on display, all inspired by the brain, are the result of a two year collaboration between nine neuroscientists and craft artists. The resulting work blends accessible media, like fibre art and sculpture, with the complex forms of the brain and intricate ideas behind contemporary scientific research. John Buhler Research Centre Atrium, 715 McDermot Ave, manitobacraft. ca, Map 1: N-1
BODY TALK
MAR 10-APR 15 Janet Shaw-Russell’ s series of drawings, prints, and sculpture, entitled Within, without, began with a medical booklet on lung cancer, a sewing pattern, and her graphite pencils. Exploring the body’ s intricacy and fragility, the resulting juxtapositions at Martha Street Studio prompt the viewer to consider such issues as health, medicine, women’ s rights, and the plight of garment workers. 11 Martha St, 204‐779‐6253, Map 1: N-4
WANDA KOOP is one of Canada’ s most important and inventive contemporary artists, with a career spanning over four decades and more than 50 major solo exhibitions around the world. The Winnipeg artist is known for creating large scaled remarkable paintings.“ I am constantly looking at the world as if it’ s for the first time,” she says. Each painting is a part of a collection, a cohesive way of expressing a series of thoughts or ideas.
Wanda is also well known for her engagement in her community as the founder of Art City. This art centre has brought world-class visual artists and Winnipeg’ s inner-city youth together to exchange ideas and create projects in a safe and accessible place for nearly 20 years. Guest artists host a variety of free programs that teach all types of art media such as film, photography and ceramics.
Wanda’ s exhibition VIEW from HERE is a private collection of nine-by-eight foot paintings that blur the line between landscape and portraiture. Floating head silhouettes contain surreal facial expressions created by pieces of rural scenery. The title of each painting and its landscapes were inspired by specific works from her career. Flood Plain, for example, is similar to a painting from the Green Zone( 2003-2009) collection, which was influenced by television coverage of the Iraq War. For Wanda art is inextricably connected to the social and political events happening in the world.
VIEW from HERE will be exhibited at WAG until May 2017. 300 Memorial Blvd, 204-7896641, wandakoop. com, Map 1: P-3
PHOTOS:“ BLOOD CLOTS” BY DANA KLETKE;“ THIS FRAGILE DWELLING PLACE” BY JANET SHAW-RUSSELL, PHOTO BY KEVIN BERTRAM; WILLIAM EAKIN( WANDA KOOP)
8 where. ca MARCH / APRIL 2017