Land Acknowledgment
The Cultch acknowledges that it is on unceded territories belonging to the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Proud Partner of Indigenous Programming
Works by Axel Breutigam and Sherida Charles
OCT 01–31, 2024
THE CULTCH GALLERY
OCT 2: Opening Reception
Opening reception with the artists in attendance
October 02 from 6–8 PM
This event is FREE and open to the public!
Appetizers will be served and the cash bar will be open offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee and snacks.
Gallery Hours
Monday: 12–6pm
Tuesday–Saturday: 12-4pm
Sunday: Closed
Venue Info
THE CULTCH GALLERY
1895 Venables St.
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EXPLORING URBAN FORMS
All displayed photographs are part of my series “Exploring Urban Forms” and also published in my art book of the same name. Buildings and structures are fascinating to me, in particular, modern and contemporary designs. But capturing an entire structure most often, doesn’t do justice to the beauty found in underlying details. The viewer’s eye is distracted by urban trivialities, things everyone takes for granted and – of course, we are talking about urban environments here – excessive clutter. Exploring a building from all possible angles of view and finding the parts of the structure which lead to another layer of abstraction is what I am seeking visually. To do so it is often necessary to give space and put things into a reductive perspective. When successful, an almost mechanical energy comes to light and the images get a ‘sculptural’ feeling. Isolating reality this way through the lens eliminates distraction and empowers viewers to reflect upon their surroundings, and enables them to appreciate the often overlooked beauty found in urban environments simply through artistic presentation.
@axelbreutigamphotography
Artist Biography
Sherida Charles is a Jamaican-born Canadian artist working out of Malaspina Printmakers and Howe Street Studios in Vancouver. Her main media for expression are drawing, painting and printmaking. After completing her B.F.A, Sherida studied at the Banff Centre, exhibited work in Jamaica and Canada, and went on to earn a degree in Art Education at U.B.C. Following that, she worked as a public school teacher for close to 30 years. During the pandemic, Sherida retired from full-time teaching and focussed her efforts on Art making, as a member of the Printermedia residency at Howe Street Studios. Over the past five years, Sherida has exhibited linocuts, woodcuts, mixed media pieces and paintings in both group and solo shows in New Westminster and Vancouver.
Artist Statement
The body of work I call “Evocations of Spring” encompasses twenty monotypes emerging from my embrace of a new season, with twelve of the pieces curated into this exhibit. In April 2024, I took a course on monotypes and learned how to incorporate chine collé into the print process; I was captivated by the process and immensely enjoyed its spontaneity and immediacy. It allowed me to express the relief I was feeling that Spring had arrived and blossoms were everywhere; the tulips especially seemed very prolific this past Spring, and I felt compelled to celebrate their vibrancy and luminosity. The attraction to bright colours no doubt derives from my Caribbean background, and represents rejuvenation after a more sombre series of charcoal and black and white drawings done over the past year. In March and April I did numerous sketches of tulips in local gardens, internalizing their movement and flow. These efforts became visible in the monotypes I produced between May and July of this year. The monotype process allows for surprise and chance, two aspects of art-making that inspire me. Attempting to control the outcome, while also being open to unforeseen results, is a dance of creativity that I embrace. I hope that others, upon viewing these one-of-a-kind pieces, is similarly captivated by the elements and forces at play in these works.
@sheridacharlesart
