The Art Gallery of Golden (AGOG) is pleased to welcome local artist Suzanne Cooper and her ceramic exhibit, Wildfires. The exhibit will be hosted at AGOG from June 6th to July 5th. An artist opening reception will be held on Friday, June 6th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, where there will be an opportunity for conversation and a Q & A session with the artist.
Suzanne’s exhibit explores the complex relationship between wildfires and humans, particularly how it’s felt in the Columbia Valley. Every detail reflects this relationship and its local relevance. Forged from clay and burnished, polished, and multi-fired using local forest materials (Fireweed husks, leaves, bear scat, fur, flowers, feathers, and foraged items found pre and post wildfire), these salt and smoke fired container vessels and wall pieces are both altered/wheel thrown and hand built porcelain. The frames are local alder and built by an incredible woodworker, Don Stenner.
Conceptually, the pieces are meant to be “Protective Talismans” for those trying to find beauty, strength and maybe a laugh in their pain or anxiety. Both the obvious (physical wildfire threat) and the less so (internal “wildfire” threat).
“In my own life, I spend a lot of time outside. Surrounded by what is essentially wildfire fuel, and yet that time spent often saves me from myself. When I’m alone with it, it reminds me that I am part of something more than me because it is part of me, like it is of you.
Nature can feed our souls, AND it can pluck them from us. Like any good relationship, a healthy respect for it is key. And we aren’t doing that as a species at the moment. Our addiction to fossil fuels and our hyper individualistic, separate-from-nature, climate change denialist, and heavily consumptive western behaviours have gotten us into this current climate and geopolitical fix. It’s the connection with the planet we live on and the people in it that will get us out. At least that’s what I think.
That’s the hope that I have, and hope is a hard-won state of mind for me. Not a soul in the world would describe me as Pollyanna, and yet here I am once again exercising that hope muscle. Trying to take the ugliness of wildfires and fashion them into something else. Because there is strength to be found in hard times. Most of us already know that. We just need the reminder.”
With love, Suz
Find more information about the exhibit and event details at kickinghorseculture.ca.
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