Today I took a trip down to the Alberta Gallery of Art today (AGA). Not much to see, a few photographs of note in one exhibition on flora and a few group of seven (again!) artist paintings but that's about it. Most of the exhibited work left me cold an not at all involved any any real emotional level.
The RBC Alberta New Works gallery had some more conceptual crap in it. This artists work was a bit of a curiosity but that's about it, I had no connection to it. The work was a wig in a fish tank being pulled around by a fishing wire (line) device. It was kind of cool to watch the fake hair move about slowly, sort of like looking at fish in a fish tank (I have 3 fish tanks so like that stuff). Once again the gallery was empty while I was there, no one seemed to care to see the work.
They also had a show called 90x90 that will feature 90 Alberta artists to celebrate the 90 years the Edmonton Art Gallery/Alberta Gallery of Art has been in business. Part 1 this first selection of I guess 45 artists took up the whole 3rd floor, there were no photographers or photographs in the show, I guess Alberta does not have any photographers in its history, who knew! Part 2 opens in October with the second 45 artists, not sure if 1 or 2 photos made that cut, will have to wait and see. One of the 90x90 works stould-out for me, a large painting of a couple in an elevator from an artist who died in a car accident at 56.
Basically a pretty boring uninvolved day, with limited curiosities and no real emotional response to anything seen. Maybe this is why the AGA is having financial problems, they need to start show stuff that visitors can be involved with and care about, something that draws some emotion out-a them. If you put only conceptual far out, unrelatetable pseudo art in your galleries no one comes! See the link for a story on the AGA's money issues.
http://metronews.ca/news/edmonton/947096/art-gallery-of-alberta-has-financial-lifeline-but-edmonton-councillors-looking-for-long-term-plan/
The RBC Alberta New Works gallery had some more conceptual crap in it. This artists work was a bit of a curiosity but that's about it, I had no connection to it. The work was a wig in a fish tank being pulled around by a fishing wire (line) device. It was kind of cool to watch the fake hair move about slowly, sort of like looking at fish in a fish tank (I have 3 fish tanks so like that stuff). Once again the gallery was empty while I was there, no one seemed to care to see the work.
They also had a show called 90x90 that will feature 90 Alberta artists to celebrate the 90 years the Edmonton Art Gallery/Alberta Gallery of Art has been in business. Part 1 this first selection of I guess 45 artists took up the whole 3rd floor, there were no photographers or photographs in the show, I guess Alberta does not have any photographers in its history, who knew! Part 2 opens in October with the second 45 artists, not sure if 1 or 2 photos made that cut, will have to wait and see. One of the 90x90 works stould-out for me, a large painting of a couple in an elevator from an artist who died in a car accident at 56.
Basically a pretty boring uninvolved day, with limited curiosities and no real emotional response to anything seen. Maybe this is why the AGA is having financial problems, they need to start show stuff that visitors can be involved with and care about, something that draws some emotion out-a them. If you put only conceptual far out, unrelatetable pseudo art in your galleries no one comes! See the link for a story on the AGA's money issues.
http://metronews.ca/news/edmonton/947096/art-gallery-of-alberta-has-financial-lifeline-but-edmonton-councillors-looking-for-long-term-plan/
