The Elusive Landscape: A Canadian Collaboration
Gerald Pedros, Esther Rausenberg, Richard Tetrault
The Elusive Landscape is a collaborative exhibition revolving around the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. The fusion of symbols within landscape, derived from both west coast and central and eastern Canadian locales, inspired the overall vision. The intention was to achieve a spontaneous, tapestry-like quality on the theme, staying open to a broad range of interpretations. The collaborative process was developed through an interchange: a long distance dialogue between artists, with the work assembled ‘in situ’ in Croatia. Two exhibitions were mounted in 2015, and the artists were present for the grand opening at Kastel Benkovac in June. For these shows, the group works on a substrate called Mylar, a transparent, vellum-like material. This material facilitates the work’s transportation and installation of large pieces, accentuating the distinct qualities of photography, painting and drawing. Out from the conventions of frames, this material allows for a versatile configuration within the exhibition space: in this instance, a castle’s interior galleries and an ancient Croatian archive/gallery.
The artists explore their expressions through projects that push beyond traditional gallery formats and constraints. As a group, they are interested in local and international projects that engage the public and that stimulate a dialogue about creativity and the re-shaping of public space. Past work includes extensive murals and exhibitions in Cuba, Argentina, Mexico and various parts of Canada.
This project was a collaboration between Project Pridraga (Croatia) and Creative Cultural Collaborations Society (Canada) and was exhibited at Kastel Benkovac, Croatia June 18-July 6, and Zadar State Archive Gallery July 15-25, 2015.
