Solvey Johnsgaard & Ron Siu | Scintilla

Nov 2

Solvey Johnsgaard
& Ron Siu
Scintilla

Focus Gallery, November 2 - 24, 2018

Scintilla
a small spark or flash

Bringing together our shared conviction that the nature of labour can only be dignified, that exertions of energy are uniquely tethered to bottomless pools of potential and sacrifice, these recent integrations of collage, painting, and sculpture were created in reference to both mass production and meticulous handiwork. We traded in practicality and efficiency for our trust in materiality. We cut corners only to pick them up and rearrange them again. Scintillating objects of amusement - decorative and fantastical icons and materials of pop culture convention - carry immeasurable histories that we wanted to honor as we painted, pressed, and hammered into their remnants. As possessions pass from hand to hand, acquired and discarded, worked and worn, we looked to their stories to guide our labour. Slices of material culture seem impossible to measure, and even harder to assess. Their edges are fuzzy and unfixed. Like small sparks, flashes of detail move about freely, igniting or dissipating without warning. We trusted that our roundabout exertions of handiwork would allow us to whittle away at “fixed” taste and value models, one scintilla at a time.

SOLVEY JOHNSGAARD

Solvey Johnsgaard is an emerging visual artist working primarily in collage and decoupage, with integrated language from painting, printmaking, drawing and sculpture. She was born and raised in Whitehorse, YT., and later moved to Dawson, YT., to attend the School of Visual Art. She completed her BFA in Drawing & Painting at Ontario College of Art and Design University in 2017, where she was awarded the Project 31 Drawing & Painting Award for excellence in drawing and painting, and the Eric Freifeld Award for excellence in figure draftsmanship. She has co-organized, curated, and participated in multiple group shows in Toronto, ON.

Ron Siu is a visual artist who was born in Toronto, ON and is currently based there as well. Working primarily in painting and mixed-media approaches, Siu has taken part in exhibitions across Canada and in Glasgow, UK. In 2018 he was one of the selected artists to participate in the Roundtable Residency in Toronto. He is presently pursuing his bachelor's in Drawing & Painting at the Ontario College of Art and Design University with expected completion in 2018.