Art of Craft: Canada.BC.Korea Exhibition

Exhibition Runs January 14th – April 11, 2010.Curators Talk January 14th 7pm at the Museum of Vancouver. From the Craft Council of BC website:”Minds and hands work together to bring beauty to everyday objects. The Art of Craft explores the use of traditional craft techniques to explore complex contemporary issues of identity and culture, meaning and metaphor. But the pieces still call to mind the ancient, bodily pleasures of craft making – plunging hands into clay, burnishing metal until smooth, exhaling breath into hot glass – process as art. The Art of Craft is an exploration of the breathe and depth of Canadian contemporary craft – exploring the supposition that there is “no such thing as a particularly “Canadian” type of craft, there is no such thing as a single, unifying field of “Craft.” Nostalgic ideas about comfort and safety do not exist in the lived reality of Canadian craft. But this is not a negative. Rather, this is a powerful reminder of the fluidity and openness of craft materials and techniques.”(Alfoldy). Canadian craft and process is given an international context by the parallel exploration of the use of ancient Korean craft techniques in contemporary Korean art. Canada is this year’s official guest country at the Cheongju International Craft Biennale. Over one thousand artists from more than forty countries participate in the Biennale. The Canada Pavilion is a large scale exhibition of our country’s finest hand-made work enabling a deepening of the relationship between the two countries – allowing the Art of Craft to further explore the somewhat stark, sometimes unformed contrasts between two countries and how their two different cultures have impacted the development of contemporary fine craft. The first exhibition room houses Unity and Diversity art works demonstrating that Canada is home to a dynamic, inspired craft community, one that is defined through its rich layers of difference. As a result of these distinctions a unified voice begins to emerge, one that is fiercely proud of the high level of sophistication achieved by its crafts, and eager to pursue new directions for the field. Canadian craftspeople are globally recognized for their unique contributions to craft. The second aspect of Art of Craft explores the artistic process. By Hand: BC.Yukon reminds us that sophisticated pieces of fine craft are born in the hands and studios. A short video focusing on artisan’s hands during the process of creating craft objects will provide the contextual backdrop for By Hand. Highlighting the studio, materials, tools, process (from concept sketches and inspiration through to finished piece) – allows the viewer to engage in the various stages represented through various vignettes. The third exhibition consists of 47 works selected from the 2009 Cheongju International Craft Biennale Exhibition, Korean Craft Museum, Cheongju, South Korea Korea stands at the epicentre of international craft production with its long-standing traditions and sophisticated contemporary craft artists. Since 1999, the Republic of Korea has supported craft by staging the International Craft Biennale, which brings together craft artists and their patrons from around the world.”Check it out in person if you can, or find more details here.
CRAFT COUNCIL OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 1386 Cartwright Street, Granville Island,
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6H 3R8
tel: (604) 687-6511
toll-free: 1-888-687-6511
fax: (604) 687-6711
email: [email protected]