Exhibition Info

Aug 23 - Sep 28, 2019
10123 121 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5N 3W9

Wed-Fri | 12pm – 6pm
Sat | 12pm – 5pm

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“Primarily working in screen printing and lithography, I contemplate the ways Canadian history and contemporary society are fabricated through master narratives and nationalistic storytelling. Conducting field work within tourist spaces and large group events has become my entry point into realizing the colonial implications that are attached to representations of Canadian identity. How these places inspire both skepticism and sincerity in their audience is a significant theme in my work, often being informed by attitudes that are embedded in youth culture and acts of celebration.

In SMILING PILE, I am most curious about the fabrication of manicured spaces used for the purpose of leisure or entertainment. Drawing from a collection of images of landscaped areas and architectural spaces that are constructed for an event or celebration, I am taken by the way that the binary between beautification and destruction exists in such close proximity to each other in urban environments. To reflect this binary, and the idea of spaces in the process of being transformed, SMILING PILE experiments with drawing and intuitive approaches screen printing and lithography. Moving away from the editioned print and developing compositions during the printing process, this work strives to capture fleeting moments within constructed spaces that elicit cuteness, humour, or absurdity. Considering how and why public space undergoes change produces further questioning around regional branding and tourism — who is it for, who is it constructed by, and who does it exclude?” – Amery Sandford

 

Biography

Amery Sandford is a print artist who recently completed an MFA in Studio Arts at Concordia University. Realizing parallel issues that arise in tourist spaces across Canada, her work focuses on regional identity and public understanding of Canadian history. She fell in love with printmaking while obtaining a BFA from NSCAD University, and continues to work in lithography, screen printing, and woodcut.

 

Opening Reception: Friday, August 23rd, 7-9 pm
with an Artist’s Talk at 6 pm in the Printshop

SNAP is happy to provide this programming at no cost to participants.

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