Gallery Alpha
Tribal Dynamics
Geometric Expressionism Rainforests of the Mind Fertility Rites Fantastic Visions Head, Hunter, Simpson

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FERTILITY RITES 

September, 1991
 
            Thomas Anfield, Sonja Bunes, Carole Driver, Carol Dukowski, Ron Falcioni,
Pnina Granirer,  Miles Hunter,  Leo Labelle,  Frank Lambert ,
 Joy Zemel Long,  Marta Pan, Gregg Simpson

                                                        Gallery Alpha's fall group exhibition brought together twelve Vancouver artists to explore the shapes and emotions surrounding the
                                                        very foundation of our being, the creation and growth of life itself. Curator/artist, Gregg Simpson, who also exhibited his work, stated:
                                                        "The theme of Fertility Rites evolved from my preoccupation with the sensuous lines and patterns generated from a nucleus, or
                                                                                   central embryonic shape in some of my abstract work. I was interested to see if the work of other artists also reflected an interest
                                                         in depicting the life force."


Works by Gregg Simpson, Joy Zemel Long and Carole Driver

 
                                                            Simpson found parallels for his theme in the work of eleven other west coast artists. For example,  Miles Hunter's seed/pod
                                                            assemblage paintings, the cellular enclaves of Ron Falcioni's work, and
the invocation of pre-embryonic life in the paintings
                                                            of Frank Lambert and Leo Labelle, all explore
the theme of Fertility Rites from an almost cellular perspective.


above: acrylic paintings by Ron Falcioni


 

above: mixed media work and sculpture by Sonja Bunes


                                                   The sculptural clefts, orifices, and wombs of Sonja Bunes, Marta Pan and Carol Dukowski reflect a woman's perspective with
                                                   allegories of pregnancy and birth presented in the figurative works of Joy Zemel Long and Thomas Anfield. The spiritual overtones
                                                   associated with the theme are reflected by the fertility goddesses of Pnina Granirer's Venus and Kundalini friezes and the ancient
                                                   dieties invoked by Carole Driver's enigmatic sculptures.

Works by Joyn Zemel Long, Gregg Simpson, Miles Hunter abd Carole Driver.



Gallery Alpha
Tribal Dynamics
Geometric Expressionism Rainforests of the Mind Fertility Rites Fantastic Visions Head, Hunter, Simpson