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Photo Courtesy EverythingGP Staff
Art & Culture

Art exhibit “Collective” is set to premiere at the AGGP

Oct 4, 2023 | 2:53 PM

A new art exhibition showcasing a variety of trees from around the world will be premiering at the Grande Prairie Art Gallery.

The exhibit, titled “Collective” includes multiple large-scale portraits of a variety of trees and their strange markings, that artists Miranda Bellamy and Amanda Fautex have come across in their travels, including their time in the Sturgeon Lake area.

Trembling Aspen III (Sturgeon Lake), Digital C-type print, custom aspen frame, 41.5 x 61.5 x 2.25, 2023

The two artists described their exhibit in a release, discussing how it is an interpretation of the trees they saw, and our relationships as humans with these living things, while also recognizing the inherent difference between the material we call wood and the figures we call trees, much like how beef is parallel to cattle.

The artists also say an important element of this is the portrait’s frames, as each one is built out of the same type of wood as the tree in the painting, adding to the difference between living and dead.

Yellow Birch (Kjipuktuk Halifax), Digital C-type print, custom birch frame, 41.5 x 61.5 x 2.25, 2023

Over the course of their travels, the pair of artists shared time living in, Ōtepoti Dunedin, Aotearoa, New Zealand, and within the traditional territory of Mi’kma’ki. (inside of Sackville, New Brunswick)

Bellamy and Fautex then used their experiences from these places to curate their exhibit, and say they are so excited to have their opening in Grande Prairie, saying in the release. “Premiering this series in Grande Prairie, a place that has a direct relationship to its environment and natural resources feels very appropriate. Being able to visit and include images from nearby aspen forests makes a relevant local connection within the context of the many varied locations presented in the exhibition.”

Bamboo (Kawau Island), Digital C-type print, custom bamboo frame, 41.5 x 61.5 x 2.25, 2023

The exhibit will have its grand opening on Thursday, October 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with an artist talk planned for Friday, starting at 5:30 p.m.

The “Collective” will remain at the GPAG, until February 2024.

Cedar (Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington), Digital C-type print, custom cedar frame, 41.5 x 61.5 x 2.25, 2023