Two new exhibits featuring southern Alberta artists opening at CASA go much deeper than the pastoral images of flowers and landscape they appear to be.
Diana Zasadny’s acrylic on canvass exhibit “Notes From The Field” was inspired by Southern Alberta’s landscape.
“These are all new works inspired by my travels in Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan,” Zasadny described adding she created her exhibit over the past six months
“I rediscovered the area again,” said Zasadny who was born and raised in Alberta.
“ I was born and raised here,” she said adding she explored the grasslands from Fort Macleod to Milk River for inspiration for the paintings.
“This one canvass near Milk River, I saw a herd of wandering buffalo. One of them came right up to me. I’ve never been so scared. Though I didn’t paint them,” she said indicating a massive abstract canvas.
“ But this show shows how I felt,” she explained adding the paintings all reflect her feelings and personal reaction while experiencing various Southern Alberta landscapes.
She has an exhibition coming up of even more of her works in Calgary at the Wallace Gallery, which begins in April
“ I like that there are so many lovely places in Southern Alberta,” she said adding she is excited about sharing the gallery with Donna Gallant’s new exhibit “ Close Up.”
CASA curator Darcy Logan said Donna Gallant has been an important part of the Lethbridge art scene, taking part in numerous group exhibitions and has had solo exhibitions at the Bowman Art Gallery.
“Close Up” features flowers- on the surface.
“ These flowers are so macro. They are so close up that if you didn’t know they were flowers, they look like abstracts,” Logan described.“ They are oil painting on multi panel canvasses. Notes Form The Field has that as well. So they are similar in that way,” he described.
“ These are more than just flowers,” he said adding the paintings reflect some of the dark times Gallant experienced.
“There is a dark centre to all of these pieces,” he observed.
Both exhibits run March 7- April 23 at CASA. The opening reception is 7-9 p.m., March 7 at CASA.
