July 2007 — VOLUME 5 ISSUE 7
Art show’s shagadelic
A tongue-in-cheek look at art will be on offer in Kamloops this month.
SHAG—Sex, Humour, Art and Gender—an exhibition exploring the subject of sex in a humorous light as seen through the observant eye of 12 artists from across North America, will be running in the Arnica Gallery between July 6 and Aug. 4.
The show, which promises a combination of multi-media works including photographic images, sculpture and installations, is being presented in this unabashed exploration of what’s still often considered a taboo topic—delving into the clandestine, comical and the modern notion of gender, says Carmen Segger, co-curator of the exhibition.
It’s not often artists get the chance to be a little flippant with their representations, says Segger, who explains the show’s organizers wanted to give artists a chance for once to respond to these subjects in a humorous fashion.
The viewer, whether interested in the boundaries of art or just curious, can expect risqué photography and interactive installations. Segger points out the gallery is warning people through the exhibition advertising campaign that it contains mature subject matter, but, she notes, the edgy exhibition may still push the limits for some—for others though, Segger believes it will open up a lot of dialogue.
“We wanted to step onto the edge of the envelope, but we don’t want to jump off of it. There were some pieces that we felt were inappropriate and rejected,” says Segger. “I think it’s opening the door for people who want to go and view art, but feel a bit daunted about it. As well it’s a very interesting subject matter for artists to approach with humour—it’s a little rarer.”
One contributing artist has received positive feedback when explaining her piece of work to other members of the arts community, says Segger, explaining every time the artist tells someone about the piece she’s doing for the show they want to come to see it.
“That part of it is really positive,” Segger notes.
Although they’re not sure what kind of response the exhibit will receive from Kamloops, Segger claims it provides the public and the artist alike a little bit of light relief from the run-of-the-mill serious take on life through art.
“In my view overall the world is quite serious—this way we can offer in good taste some humour and laughter, and on a more serious note open up a subject matter that one wouldn’t normally talk about,” adds Segger.
For more information contact Arnica at 250-372-2444.
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