Edward Burtynsky, Robert Hengeveld, Troy David Ouellette, Diane White Altered Eco June 29–July 28, 2007
Artcite Inc. was pleased to present Altered Eco, a group exhibition featuring the work of Edward Burtynsky, Robert Hengeveld, Troy Ouellette and Diane White. This multi-faceted exhibition focused on the human impact on the environment.
Edward Burtynsky’s large-scale photograph, Shipbreaking #27, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2001 depicts deformed rusting hulks of ships being disassembled by the Bangladeshi turning once beautiful beaches into ship graveyards.
Robert Hengeveld’s Forgery Island, 2005 is a sculptural work consisting of sections of a tree cast in polyester resin tree with branches and sits atop a plastic lumber platform. “Forgery Island”, along with four conceptual drawings explore our relationship to the increasingly synthetic environment that surrounds us.
Diane White’s large-scale acrylic paintings Doom Sayers – Truth Sayers, 2005, Toxic Vessel, 2005 and Tundra in Turmoil, 2005 juxtapose beautiful arctic landscapes with disruptive borders that emblazon urgent environmental messages along with stenciled cars, trucks, SUVs, smoke stacks, power lines, etc.
Troy David Ouellette’s mixed-media installation, The Politics of Trade and Trash consists of a map of North America created from trash Ouellette collected in 2005 along Huron Church Road combined with graphs and a digital display listing the items collected. His work investigates the multi-layered issues surrounding waste production.
“The pursuit to determine the origin of waste was made manifest through the stringing together of various locations, which became increasingly futile. Though a package may say “Made in Canada”, the paper resources may be from the U.S., the ink may be from Mexico, and the manufacturing facilities may have been in Toronto, with the package stored in a warehouse in Hamilton. What seems like Windsor garbage is a misnomer though the responsibility in terms of collection and accumulation is another question.” – The Politics of Trade and Trash
Altered Eco was presented by Artcite Inc. in cooperation with the Citizens Environment Alliance’s sixth annual Smog Fest.
Artcite Inc. thanks the Art Gallery of Windsorfor the loan of Edward Burtynsky’s Shipbreaking #27, Chittagong, Bangladesh, chromogenic print (3/5), gift of the artist, 2001, from their permanent collection for inclusion in the Altered Eco exhibition.