Organized by the Dunlop Art Gallery 
April 27 to June 14, 2012
Dunlop Art Gallery, Central Library
Saskatoon
artist Susan Shantz presents a series of sculptures and prints in this
exhibition entitled, creatures in transition. Her work encompasses a
fascinating process of drawing upon on-line photographic sources to
remake a selection of 20th century Japanese ceramic animal effigy
teapots from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s permanent collection.
Shantz uses three-dimensional computer clay modeling software
technology and a haptic tool to recreate the selected badger, sparrow
and frog pots in two and three-dimensional forms of varying sizes. Such
an exhibition questions “the ubiquitous manufactured versions of nature
in our culture,” while focusing on how virtual treatment of art
generates a loss of cultural information.
Susan
Shantz graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from York University in
1989 and currently teaches sculpture and mixed media in the Department
of Art and Art History, University of Saskatchewan. Her work has been
featured in public and artist-run galleries across Canada including:
Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria,
Definitely Superior, Thunder Bay and Galerie Articule, Montreal. Among
the numerous permanent holdings that feature Shantz’s art are:
Saskatchewan Arts Board, Canada Council Art Bank, MacKenzie Art Gallery
and the Burlington Cultural Centre.