@ www theotherpress.ca

 

It takes two to gesso

The Amelia Douglas Gallery welcomes Mary Bennett and Louise Bunn

@ “In the Temple of Men and Women’ (left) and “Corvid Speaks” (right)

T

=

a Ti

wh ae orn ~ i I
Ry STOO a
_and Mary Bennett (right)

By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor

s L approached the Amelia
Ar Gallery last Friday

morning, I found the walls
lined with colourful multimedia
pieces. Artists Mary Bennett and
Louise Bunn sat nobly in front of
their respective works, their art
brought together under the name
Transmutations: Journeys Through
Time and Space. Surrounded by an
intrigued audience of students and
peers alike, Bennett and Bunn got
the Artist’s Talk underway.

The two provided insight on
their artistic backgrounds. “I was
not a doodler in school,” Bennett
began, “I did well in mathematics
and grammar and things like that.
[But] when I went to university
to take an education program, we
were required to have a one-unit art
education class.” It was in that art
class that Bennett discovered she
had hidden artistic talents, and was
encouraged to pursue them by her
professor.

“TI thought, ] ‘Okay, I’m ina
psychology experiment. I’m in the
half that’s going to be encouraged
and [we'll] see what happens,”
Bennett joked. “But I got to know
[my professor] better throughout
that class and switched my major to

art education.”

Bunn, on the other hand, had
a more traditional background in
art. “I knew from a young age that I
wanted to be an artist,” Bunn states.
“I was a doodler, I always carried
a sketchbook and pencils and
colouring markers—all my life.”
Bunn went on to attend art school,
and during that time she discovered
other interests that would have
an immense impact on her artistic
style, particularly geology.

While experimenting with her
own styles, Bennett came across
another discovery. Pointing to a
select group of works in one of the
gallery’s display cases, Bennett
explained, “[These] were the first
ones I did in [multimedia] style—
they were done in the year 2000.”
Multimedia art refers to the mixing
of different types of styles through
use of layers, textures, and various
objects.

“Prior to that I had done acrylic
painting and watercolour painting,”
Bennett continues, “but, in fact,
at a show [where] I had those
[multimedia] pieces... [a friend of
mine] came up and she said, “You
found your medium,” and I said,
“Oh, but I really like to paint,”
Bennett joked again, “[But] it turns
out [she] was right.”

“T like working with textures
as well,” Bunn began, following a
detailed explanation of Bennett’s
process, “and I have a variety of
ways of making texture. [Bennett]
uses tissue paper and netting, and
I—because I work with clay and...
dense mediums with acrylics—I
have brooms [and] scrapers. My
studio looks like [an] aisle at the
hardware store.”

Following Bunn’s own
explanation on geology in relation
to her art, the floor was opened
up for questions, the first of which
was arguably one of the most
important. An audience member
asked, “You both made references
I find really interesting to the role
of collaboration,” as Transmutations
itself was a collaborative effort
originally organized by Bennett and
Bunn, “could each of you [Bennet
and Bunn] perhaps, in the context
of the [students] here, give some
advice to young artists about how
they could build a network?”

“For me,” Bennet began, “a lot
of [my] art-making is very solitary.
But, [I’ve grown] more aware [of]
how much I need a team around
me.” Bennett then took a moment
to thank Douglas’ arts faculty
for their organization and aid in
perpetration of the show. “That

 

kind of support is—however [in]
the various ways you get that
support—I think is really key for
any kind of creative endeavour.
By nature of it, creativity is going
beyond what's normal... so there’s
not as much automatic support or
affirmation for it.

“{Bunn] and I, we met maybe
a dozen years ago or more. We've
done five other shows together,
[and] we don’t [create our works]
together, but just knowing that [we
can] do another show... is a key
part of my process for sure.”

“Tt’s really valuable to have...
other artist friends, even if they’re
not in the same field,” Bunn added,
“I’ve even gotten really good ideas
from my contractor, who just has
an eye. Anyone that has an eye can
give you feedback. Cultivate a circle
around you that [allows you] to
give them feedback and support,
and [so that] they can do the same
for you. I can’t emphasize enough
the value of friendships.”

Transmutations will be up in the
Amelia Douglas Gallery until April
6. “Admission” is of course free,
and I highly recommend checking
the show out.