Craftoronto is back! This week, Amy reviews a few of the shows at Harbourfront Centre’s fall exhibition.
By Amy Borkwood
1. Book Art
Here is the truth: Book Art is my favourite, and it’s all I really think about. When I was 17 and first getting interested in the book arts, especially bookbinding, I went to the library and took out arm-loads of books filled with work by well-known book artists. And I was really, sadly, disappointed. The books were from the late 80s and early 90s, and it showed — all the featured books were elaborate and over-the-top, they valued form over aesthetic, and they were just generally unattractive to me at that age. The exhibition at the Harbourfront Centre — Book Variations, organized by the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild (CBBAG) — reminded me of the disappointment my 17-year-old self felt looking at those library books. The aesthetic — over-wrought, metallic-on-black-with-calligraphy-and-beading — has remained the same in the small world of the traditional book arts. Of course, there were gorgeous individual works: there was Erin Ciulla’s series of fibre-wrapped books — linen, mohair, wool — in shades of off-white, stored in a gorgeous wooden box. A few books showcased immense skill: most bindings were gorgeous in and of themselves, and there were books with hand-set type, wood engravings, and impeccable detail. In general, though, the exhibition was disappointing, and may discourage those people just finding their way into the book arts. Though this exhibition would suggest otherwise, the book arts truly are changing: there are so many talented people, especially in the world of zine-making and printmaking, who are updating and pushing the book arts ahead, into a gorgeous and exploratory place.
2. Tweens
I think pretty highly of tweens. They’re stuck in the most terrible of places: their childhood has suddenly disappeared, their adulthood is too far off to realistically imagine, their worlds are over-grown and volatile and they have to go to junior high, and on top of that they’ve got to be strong and hold it all together. The Harbourfront Centre has a small exhibition of photography — Bye-Bye Baby and Celestial Echoes by Michelle Sank — which looks at these kids who have to somehow find their way into adulthood: that place they most desire. The photographs are gorgeous, each centering on a young person who suddenly has to renegotiate the way that they present themselves to the world. The images force the viewer to stop and take in the entire scene. Certain photographs really stand out: a young girl with a one-shouldered top and purse who treats the camera as if it’s below her, something to be looked down on; and a boy who can’t be over 14, his shirt off and his hair over-gelled, with two enormous tattoos across his chest and arm (I could almost feel the regret he’ll have by the time he’s 20 and the tribal-sleeve gets a bit old). Check out Sank’s site — her work, mostly focusing on youth in England, is just stunning. Then go and see her photography in person.
3. The Daily Lives of People in Love
There is immense beauty in the everyday, and Geneviève Jodouin’s series I don’t ever want this to end puts this delicate beauty on display. Her work is intimate as well as large-scale: the entire space is wallpapered to match the framed prints of couples involved in the commonplace (eating ice cream, going for a walk, talking in bed). Each of the pieces portrays the couple alone in the space they have created for themselves. The cleanness and repetition of each piece makes it hard to find much to explore, though they are pretty. Her other work is similar as well — you can see more on her website — a delicate and idealistic exploration of youth, beauty, and relationships. Make sure to note the sexy If these walls could talk.
