Lethbridge artist Jeanne Kollee explores Germany in the early twentieth century through abstract expressionism in her new exhibit Unter dem Messer which runs at Casa June 25-Sept. 2.
“It’s my interpretation of early 1900s-20s and 30s Germany during the Weimar republic,” Kollee said.
She was inspired to produce the colourful works by reading Otto Friedrich’s book “ DeLuge — A Portrait of Berlin in the 1920s.”
“ I used the colour palettes of artists like Otto Dix and Wassily Kandinsky for this project,” she said adding she was inspired by the conditions faced by artists of the time.
“It was a frustrating time for artists, writers and actors trying to get their message across to people. It was a time of revolution and worker’s strikes. A lot of art was considered degenerate and debauchery. There were cabaret shows done in the nude,” she said, adding the artists had a lot of tough times to be inspired by.
“ Inflation was high. It was a time of reparations that had to be be paid after the First World War but they couldn’t afford to pay them, so they printed more money which lead to higher inflation,“ said Kollee , who has German ancestry going back to the 1600s and has visited Frankfurt and Aachen.
“ So I was trying to visualize what they would have seen,” she said she expects audiences to read the titles of the work and interpret the works individually.
She said her works are very textured as she liberally layered the colour palette of the day with a palette knife.
All the works were done over the past two years. So it was a project of intent,” she said.
Casa also opens Pass it On, June 25.
“ Five local artists (Amy Dodic, Donna Gallant, barb Goodman, Angela H’Wood and Karina Mark) selected an item and painted a still life. When they were done, they passed it on to the next artist until the cycle was complete,” said Casa curator Darcy Logan.
“ So there are 25 paintings. and the items they chose are on display too so you can see the source material,” he continued.
“It’s interesting to see the unique interpretations of each item. It’s a simple item, but there are five radically different interpretations,” he said.
The opening reception for both exhibits is at 7 p.m., June 25.
But before that, new exhibitions also open at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery and Trianon Galleries tonight, June 24.
The SAAG features Germany born, Winnipeg based artist Holger Kalberg’s new exhibit the Colony with an opening reception at 7 p.m., June 24.
According to a SAAG press release, “Kalberg describes this tension as ‘conflicted appreciation’ for the visual language and ambitious aims associated with modernist utopian ideologies of the 1960s and ‘70s. His process-driven paintings take the form of abstracted and fragmented portraits, calling to mind a historical period of optimism when social change was championed through individual action. ”
The SAAG also opens a group exhibition “Field portraits of Contemporary Western Culture,” featuring the works of Jon Bowie, Luis Fabini, Blake Little, Collier Schorr, Sheila Spence
Curated by Wayne Baerwaldt.
According to the SAAG “This exhibition presents works by five artists who focus on the essence of 21st century subjects in mostly rural environs, capturing their subjects in the great outdoors, at work, between rodeos, or in temporary, mobile studios. Their photographs exist both within and beyond the photographic template of Western photographic field portraiture. ”
The opening reception for both exhibits is at 7 p.m., June 24.
They run until Sept. 11.
And a new exhibit also opens at the Trianon gallery (104 - 5 St S)
“Interface” features works by U of L graduate Charles Harris who is inspired by labour. He is earning his Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Western Ontario.
Harris has been part of exhibits at the Trianon as well as at the University of Lethbridge.
The opening reception is Friday, June 24 at 9 p.m.. The exhibition runs from June 24 to Aug. 15 and can be viewed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
