Lou Lynn's latest exhibition, entitled "Envisioned/Revisioned," opened recently at the Two Rivers Gallery in Prince George, British Columbia. Running through January 7th, 2018, the exhibition features works drawn from three ongoing series: "Utensils," "Tools as Artifacts," and "Implements and Objects." The gallery's curator and artistic director George Harris collaborated with Lynn in selecting the final pieces, and in his curatorial statement, he describes the exhibit as “playful deception” through “juxtaposing versions of historically rooted objects alongside those of fabricated origin that nevertheless masquerade as real.”
In an email exchange with the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet, Lynn stated that she has “always been comfortable in exhibiting works from various collections together, since the common thread is one of function.” There is an overarching theme that connects the three series, but Lynn strategically varied the content to avoid repetition. “Sometimes the work references tools from a workshop, or kitchen or sewing room but they all suggest extensions of our hand, albeit too large or impractical to function,” elaborated Lynn.
The artwork from "Utensils" ranges from household items serving a specified purpose, like spoons and forks, to miscellaneous kitchen items whose function we no longer recognize. They’re meant to evoke a nostalgia for the times when these basic items were used; a longing for the past permeates the exhibit.
The pieces chosen from the "Tools as Artifacts" series are also deceptively simple, but the bronze finish on tools like corkscrews and boot hooks reveal a deeper purpose. Their presentation as artifacts symbolizes the history associated with these seemingly basic work and labor materials.
The industrial and utilitarian objects and tools that were created for "Implements and Objects" are unique in their effect. They’re recreated versions of what were used in more specialized trades, their specific purpose uneasily definable and upholding Lynn’s attempt to urge us to “accept an unfamiliar narrative to help us explain and understand an aspect of our history whose boundaries she up-ends,” as explained by Harris in a prepared statement.
The selected pieces from each collection presented in one exhibit will further “draw upon a history while reminding us there is always another story left to learn,” according to Harris.
IF YOU GO:
Lou Lynn
“Envisioned/Revisioned"
Through January 7, 2018
Two Rivers Gallery
725 Canada Games Way
British Columbia, CANADA
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