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January 5, 2007 to February 10, 2007

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Hit or Miss: An Exhibition of Contemporary Drawing

Sarah Jane Holtom – Jasper; 2005-06; print makers crayons, oil paint, gesso, pen, pencil crayons. Photo courtesy of the artist.The notion of “Hit or Miss” with its Darwinian overtones, seemed like a good idea as a title for an exhibition, given that this is exactly what you expect when you begin a drawing and exactly what you get when you finish it.

We are both educators as well as artists and sometime in the last century we simultaneously observed a curious phenomenon in the work of student drawers and painters. It was the appearance of what can only be described as the doodle. Within the matter of a few short years this creature had migrated from its habitat in the margins of school notebooks to canvas boards and large format Fabriano paper, and established itself as the main event.

At that time we found ourselves at an impasse. As traditionalist educators, our hackles were raised, but our deeper inner avant-gardists generously said, “Why not?”  “Why not?” became our touchstone (…) 

Allan Harding MacKay – 401 (2006 source image); 2006; mixed media (chalk & oil pastel, ink, dammar, wax on paper). Photo courtesy of the artist.We subscribe to William S. Burroughs’ notion that we live in a creative universe, inhabited by creative creatures (…) In putting together an exhibition of drawing, it seemed that our duty was clear. Choose the artists based on past work we had seen and let the artists choose the work they wished to exhibit. There would be no theme. Nothing would be chosen to go along with other works.   In choosing the artists, we knew we could not be comprehensive or fair. We also knew we could not be arbitrary. We began by remembering drawings we had seen (…)  We remembered drawings from thirty years ago. We remembered drawings that made us blush. We remembered seeing drawings that turned us into instant fans (…)

Alison Yip – Untitled (Mannequin with Saddle); 2006; pencil crayon on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.In the end we had gathered the names of nearly 30 artists. They are: John Bride (Toronto), Hyang Cho (Calgary), Mark Dicey (Calgary), Brandan Doty (Pelham, N.Y.), Jessie Forman (Calgary), Jeff Funnell (Winnipeg), Andrew Gable (Calgary), Vera Gartley (Calgary), Richard Halliday, RCA (Calgary), Sarah Jane Holtom (Canora, Sask.), Silas Kaufman (Calgary), Andrew King (Calgary), Don Kottmann (Calgary), Jenny Lin (Montreal), Don Mabie (Nakusp, B.C.), Allan Harding MacKay (Kitchener, Ont.), Sondra Meszaros (Toronto), Liza Montgomery (Calgary), Ron Moppett, RCA (Calgary), Lisa Murray (Calgary), Edward Nykes (Calgary), John Noestheden (Pilot Butte, Sask.), Gary Olson (Calgary), Tanya Rusnak (Calgary), Angela Silver (Calgary), Ryan Sluggett (Vancouver), Martha Townsend (Montreal), Clement Yeh (Montreal), and Alison Jayne Yip (Vancouver).

It was a list that could have been ten times long (…) *

John Will and Chris Cran
Guest Curators

Note:
* This excerpt was taken from a much longer and more comprehensive and highly articulate essay by the curators.

Andrew Gable – Figure in Landscape (detail); 2006; graphite on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist. Clement Yeh – Self-portrait Sketching at Knox United Church; 2006; ballpoint pen on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Hyang Cho – History of Canada; 2006; a book, clear tape, pen. Photo courtesy of the artist. Brandan Doty – 2005/2006 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 5; 2006; pencil crayon on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Martha Townsend – Cover; 2005; cotton, silk. Photo courtesy of the artist. Ryan Sluggett – Passport Office; 2006; felt, charcoal, graphite on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Mark Dicey – Transmission/Resonant Voyage (detail); 2006; mixed media (fluorescent light with fixture, metal, rubber, acrylic, canvas. Photo courtesy of the artist. Tanya Rusnak – Afterimage Drawings #4; 2006; graphite and gouache on vellum. Photo courtesy of the artist.
John Bride – Elemental; 2006; gouache, watercolour and acrylic on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist. Don Kottmann – Deposition (from the Cadenza series); 2006; pen/steno paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Silas Kaufman – Paper Bag 1; 2005; graphite on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist. Sondra Meszaros – Untitled (Junta); 2006; graphite on arches. Photo Courtesy Corkin Shopland Gallery, Toronto.
John Noestheden – Vincent’s Sky, Starry Night; 2006; India ink, titanium ore, matte medium, paper. Photo courtesy of the artist. Andrew King – Untitled; 2004; pencil, ink pantone on Mylar. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Richard Halliday, RCA – Inside Out; 1999; mixed media on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist. Liza Montgomery – Maybe if we are Reckless, we can Live with the Abandonment; 2006; mixed media on panel. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Jenny Lin – Mike B; 2005; water colour and India ink on Fabriano. Photo courtesy of the artist. Edward Nyikes – Sub Divisions; 2006; graphite on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Vera Gartley – Drawing on Public Support; 2006; collage on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist. Don Mabie – The Hockey (and other serious matters) Series Number Two: The Stanley Cup (Homage to Abbie Hoffman); 1989; pen and ink with acrylic paint and collage elements on Hi-Art Board. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Angela Silver – Etym; 2005; overlaid text on text. Photo courtesy of the artist. Jessie Foreman – Figure 1; 2006; mixed media. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Ron Moppett – Stencil Drawing; 2006. Photo courtesy of Trepanier Baer Gallery, Calgary. Lisa Murray – Shuttered; 2006; conté. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Gary Olson – Cran; 2006; mixed media. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Jeff Funnell – Spellbound; 2005; felt pen. Photo courtesy of the artist.

List of Images (left to right, top to bottom):

  1. Sarah  Jane Holtom – Jasper; 2005-06; print makers crayons, oil paint, gesso, pen, pencil crayons. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Allan Harding MacKay – 401 (2006 source image); 2006; mixed media (chalk & oil pastel, ink, dammar, wax on paper). Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Alison Yip – Untitled (Mannequin with Saddle); 2006; pencil crayon on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Andrew Gable –  Figure in Landscape (detail); 2006; graphite on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Clement Yeh – Self-portrait Sketching at Knox United Church; 2006; ballpoint pen on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Hyang Cho – History of Canada; 2006; a book, clear tape, pen. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Brandan Doty – 2005/2006 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 5; 2006; pencil crayon on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Martha Townsend – Cover; 2005; cotton, silk. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Ryan Sluggett – Passport Office; 2006; felt, charcoal, graphite on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Mark Dicey – Transmission/Resonant Voyage (detail); 2006; mixed media (fluorescent light with fixture, metal, rubber, acrylic, canvas. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Tanya Rusnak – Afterimage Drawings #4; 2006; graphite and gouache on vellum. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. John Bride – Elemental; 2006; gouache, watercolour and acrylic on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Don Kottmann – Deposition (from the Cadenza series); 2006; pen/steno paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Silas Kaufman – Paper Bag 1; 2005; graphite on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Sondra Meszaros – Untitled (Junta); 2006; graphite on arches. Photo Courtesy Corkin Shopland Gallery, Toronto.
  1. John Noestheden – Vincent’s Sky, Starry Night; 2006; India ink, titanium ore, matte medium, paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Andrew King – Untitled; 2004; pencil, ink pantone on Mylar. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Richard Halliday, RCA – Inside Out; 1999; mixed media on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Liza Montgomery – Maybe if we are Reckless, we can Live with the Abandonment; 2006; mixed media on panel. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Jenny Lin – Mike B; 2005; water colour and India ink on Fabriano. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Edward Nyikes – Sub Divisions; 2006; graphite on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Vera Gartley – Drawing on Public Support; 2006; collage on paper. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Don Mabie – The Hockey (and other serious matters) Series Number Two: The Stanley Cup (Homage to Abbie Hoffman); 1989; pen and ink with acrylic paint and collage elements on Hi-Art Board. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Angela Silver – Etym; 2005; overlaid text on text. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Jessie Foreman – Figure 1; 2006; mixed media. Photo courtesy of the artist. 
  1. Ron Moppett – Stencil Drawing; 2006. Photo courtesy of Trepanier Baer Gallery, Calgary.
  1. Lisa Murray – Shuttered; 2006; conté. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Gary Olson – Cran; 2006; mixed media. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  1. Jeff Funnell – Spellbound; 2005; felt pen. Photo courtesy of the artist.
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