Main & Cell Gallery DNA: Do Not Assume Gallery 44 Members Exhibition GROUP II EXHIBITION: May 14th – 25th, 2014


Main & Cell Gallery DNA: Do Not Assume Gallery 44 Members Exhibition

GROUP II EXHIBITION: May 14th – 25th, 2014

Opening Reception: Thursday, May 15th, 7 – 10 pm

Artist Talk: Saturday, May 17th, 2 pm

 Chris Blanchenot | Linda Briskin | Keith Davidson | Saman Deilamani | Dennis Duncan | Kye Marshall | Jack Martin | Sandy Middleton | Timothy Neesam | Christine Peterson | Arthur Poirier | Peggy Taylor Reid | Paula Grgurich Shewchuk | Nelly Akerman Singer | Robert Teteruck

About the exhibition:

Members of Toronto’s Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography are pleased to announce their presentation of two group shows at Gallery 1313 in conjunction with the Scotiabank CONTACT 2014 Photography Festival.
In concert with this year’s theme of Identity, participating Gallery 44 members present the exhibition DNA: Do Not Assume. DNA, an acronym for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is the molecule that encodes all genetic information in all living organisms. As DNA constitutes our unique identity, it is a most apt name for an exhibit in which 29 persons express their individual identities through photography.

For this exhibit Gallery 44 members have appropriated the acronym to mean ‘Do Not Assume’, to emphasize the diverse artistic approaches represented in the show. The participants cooperate synergistically to become something greater than the sum of their collective sensibilities: a multi-celled, photographic life form evolving through art.

Participating photographers include Linda Briskin, whose Dance in Three Movements features ghostly images of dancing figures to suggest an ethereal, whimsical alternative space. Tobi Asmoucha shows some of her recent photographs of natural outdoor ice rinks, which capture the quirky nature of these gathering spots that only exist momentarily. Chris Blanchenot presents work from his collaborative project in which he interprets performance pieces by other artists through photography. Saman Deilamani exhibits photographs from his SOMA series depicting segments of women’s bodies, showing the elegance of flesh as it is lived. These and all the other participants have drawn on their distinctive practices to present unique and creative interpretations of the exhibition theme.

Please join us at 7 pm on Thursday, May 1st and at 7 pm on Thursday, May 15th for opening receptions for each respective group show. DNA: Do Not Assume is open for viewing during regular gallery hours until Saturday, May 25th. Selected works from the show may be viewed at www.DNA1313.com.
About the participants:
Gallery 44 members have been active participants in CONTACT since its inception. A changing collective of Gallery 44 members has presented shows, primarily at Gallery 1313, since 1998
Process Gallery : DEEP ROOTS works by Gallery 1313 member Heather Ruthig

Heather Ruthig has been creating vibrant and innovative artworks ranging from photography, painting and sculpture for nearly 20 years. She has also been retained by the Stratford festival as a Prop Builder where she has crafted elaborate masks, welded sculptural prop elements and helped to bring to life the visual majesty this world-renowned repertory theatre is famous for.
A graduate of the University of Guelph fine art program, Heather has consistently been inspired by nature and the beauty within it. Love of plants permeates her life, even venturing out on foraging expeditions with her family. Heather revels in the pure form of a plant, whether magnified into abstraction or simplified by removing its colour.
She strives to recognize the magic and power inherent in plants and nature. Her most recent works are sculptural wall pieces relating to the “Doctrine of Signatures”. Fueled by the fertile imaginations from medieval times, observations were made regarding the attributes of plants. This doctrine suggests that certain plants, when consumed, will have beneficial effects on the specific parts of the body the plant resembles. Her “Shakespeare’s Flowers” series also relates to the lost knowledge of plants, each had a symbolic meaning that the people of that time related to.
Interwoven with magic, science and text. Heather’s pieces rouse a personal reaction from the viewer relating to their past experiences. Housed in Acrylic museum cases and shadowboxes, her works are suggestive of something lost, now found, that needs to be preserved.

Window Box Gallery : DOORS OPEN The Window Box Gallery will house a floor plans of the Gallery interior when it housed the holding cells of the Police Station City of Toronto Division 6
May 24 and May 25 10am – 5pm Toronto
Gallery 1313 is the site of the holding cells (12) of the original police station – Division 6 City of Toronto from 1931-63. The gateway entrance was used to take horses from the mounted patrol to the rear stable house now occupied by artists in live work spaces. The building also served as emergency housing for about a dozen years. It was used for many films andtelevision shoots such as “RoboCop” and “It Takes a Thief”, the TV series. The building became a Metro property after it had been used for emergency housing by the City of Toronto, and with the help of Metro Councillor David Miller, Artscape, the City Councillor, and many community groups, it became a revitalized facility for Parkdale. The Gallery has over 70 exhibitions a year, showcasing local and international contemporary art. It is also a not-for-profit organization, operating since 1998.
Visitor Experience May 24 & 25
A display of the building’s history with floor plans and a video display of other areas of the building such as the shooting range and the police safe will be on display.

Gallery Hours Wed- Sun. 1-6pm