Curated by Gareth Bate, Nov. 2 - 18, 2012 Common Thread International Exhibition
Curatorial Interview | List of Artists The Gallery at Sheridan Institute, Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Return to 2012 Exhibitions Menu Photography: Gareth Bate Design
   
     
             
Installation View            
             
             
     
             
        Camilla Geary-Martin   Camilla Geary-Martin
        Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario
             
             
     
             
Nicole Collins   Nicole Collins   Wendyth Anderson   Wendyth Anderson
Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Breedveld   Breedveld
        Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario   Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
             
             
     
             
Megan Bostic   Megan Bostic   Megan Bostic   Rochelle Rubinstein
Raleigh, North Carolina   Raleigh, North Carolina   Raleigh, North Carolina   Toronto, Ontario
             
             
     
             
Rochelle Rubinstein   Rochelle Rubinstein   Rochelle Rubinstein   Rochelle Rubinstein
Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario
             
             
     
             
Wendy O'Brien   Wendy O'Brien   Wendy O'Brien   Installation View
Stratford, Ontario   Stratford, Ontario   Stratford, Ontario    
             
             
     
             
Wendy O'Brien   Wendy O'Brien   Wendy O'Brien   Installation View
Stratford, Ontario   Stratford, Ontario   Stratford, Ontario    
             
             
     
             
Nancy Yule   Nancy Yule   Robert Davidovitz   Robert Davidovitz
Cambridge, Ontario   Cambridge, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario
             
             
     
             
Lisa Brunetta   Lisa Brunetta   Anna Hergert   Anna Hergert
Barrie, Ontario   Barrie, Ontario   Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan   Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
             
             
     
             
Nancy Yule   Nancy Yule   David Cumming   David Cumming
Cambridge, Ontario   Cambridge, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario
             
             
     
             
Carrie Chisholm   Carrie Chisholm   Susan Lukachko   Susan Lukachko
Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario
             
             
     
             
Trish Delaney   Trish Delaney   Ixchel Suarez   Ixchel Suarez
Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Oakville, Ontario   Oakville, Ontario
             
             
     
             
Mary McKenzie   Mary McKenzie   Lisa Brunetta   Lisa Brunetta
Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Barrie, Ontario   Barrie, Ontario
             
             
     
             
Lilly Otasevic   Lilly Otasevic   Lilly Otasevic   Installation View
Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario   Toronto, Ontario    
             
             

 

Curatorial Statement

The Memento mori exhibition at the Gallery at Sheridan Institute dealt with themes of death, mortality and grief, and the quest for immortality. It is a major festival exhibition of the 2012 World of Threads Festival. The show developed out of a call for submissions called "Fibre Inspired". The call was based on a trend Festival Curator Gareth Bate had observed in contemporary art towards creating work using the techniques and aesthetic of fibre, but using non-fibre materials. He was struck by how radically different these submissions were. They were dark both physically and thematically.

The central question became why are these artists choosing to use fibre construction techniques, but replacing the fragility, impermanence and tactility of fibre materials with hard, 'permanent', and difficult to manipulate materials such as stone, bronze, metal, wood, bark, ceramic, plastic, wire, solid paint and wax? A Memento mori is a reminder of the inevitability of death. Historically it has been a popular genre in art. The exhibition created an underworld environment. Mummification was a central theme. This process attempts to preserve and make immortal the ephemeral body. Many of the artists in the show are consciously dealing with the idea of memento mori or vanitas. Others have been included within this context to draw attention to the idea of attempting to make perishable fibre materials and techniques permanent by transforming them. Some work relates directly to historic symbols of death or immortality. Finally, no underworld would be complete without an escape.

The exhibition was set up in opposition to the exhibition De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) at Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre. That exhibition was filled with life, colour and energy. It focused on plants, animals and nature.

Download the 2012 Festival Exhibition Brochure.

 

Common Thread International Exhibitions

The Common Thread International exhibitions are the flagship shows of the World of Threads Festival. Hundreds of artists from around the world submitted bodies of work, installations or individual pieces to the Festival. Multiple curators from various Oakville and Toronto galleries created exciting exhibitions based on their own unique interests. We bring international contemporary fibre art to Oakville and the Toronto area as well as highlight the strength of our local artists.

 

Curator

 

Artists

Installers

Main Installers: Gareth Bate & Jamie Owen. Assistant Installers: Dawne Rudman.

 

Photographer

Gareth Bate Design

 

Venue

The Gallery at Sheridan Institute in Oakville has been part of the festival since 1994. This beautiful industrial style gallery will be home to a Common Thread International exhibition in 2012. In 2009 it hosted the Threads That Bind exhibition Sheridan has a vibrant fibre arts program.

Special Thanks to Gallery Liaison Lynne Murray and installer Jamie Owen.