David Bateman
Chris Hardwicke
Dominic Hardy
Calla Shea
Greg Thompson
September-November 1994 Artspace, Peterborough.
Text of Review
Peterborough Examiner, Friday September 16, 1994.
Angels descend
on Artspace
By Lynn Kostuch
Watch out.
Your guardian angel may not be exactly what you have hoped for, or even
what you have been led to believe a guardian angel is supposed to be.
The Synchronicity of Angels, a collection of works by various artists,
provides several thought-provoking perspectives of these celestial apparitions.
Curated by Lynn Cummings, the exhibition represents the culmination of
two years of discussions and research by the artists involved. Each artist
presents their own perception of angels through their chosen medium.
The result is an effective mix of color, light and shadow which provides
an interesting parallel to the movement of angels between our conscious
and subconscious thoughts.
Popular traditional beliefs about angels are acknowledged and challenged
throughout the exhibition with images and text.
Most obvious of these works is the large, angelic wing suspended on the
exterior face of the building that houses Artspace’s Strike Three Gallery
on Hunter Street West.
The wing, sculpted by Chris Hardwicke, is complemented by another of Hardwicke’s
sculptural interpretations of’ an angel’s wing displayed inside the gallery
Participating artists Dominic Hardy and Calla Shea explore the elusive,
intangible nature of angels by providing media through which angels might
choose to communicate or appear.
The association of angels with divinity is recognized by Greg Thompson
in his piece, Angel Day Turning. Thompson has constructed a confessional,
complete with a rich, fabric curtain and a bench.
Once inside, however, the confessor is greeted by video images questioning
conventional views of angels as human-like beings with halos and wings
dressed in white robes.
The exploration of contrasting notions - such as good versus evil and
hope versus revenge - exposes a struggle between commercial and historical
images of angels. The visual and textual images combined with the soundtrack
provide an excellent environment for consideration of angels as potentially
good or evil souls.
Artist David Bateman further explores the commercial images of angels
by displaying his own personal collection of angel figurines. Bateman’s
work is cleverly displayed and a pleasure to consider. Accompanying text
highlights the contrast between society’s conventional ideas about angels
and personal views we each have.
As Bateman explains in his piece, “Angels are sweet and sour and salty,
wet and dry, hard and soft, sharp and smooth. They fly, yes, but in flights
of our own fancy.”
Picture Caption:
The opening of Synchronicity of Angels attracted a good-sized crowd to
Artspace’s Strike Three Gallery on Hunter Street West. The show presents
the work of five artists in painting, sculpture and installation pieces.