When women get together, conversation flows, and the newly renovated Lobby Gallery at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre is reverberating with dozens of emotional, intellectual, and poetic crosscurrents since A Gathering of Women opened on Sept. 25, followed by a reception on Oct. 1, from 1-3 p.m. with musical accompaniment provided by Harpist Nadine McInnIs.
The works by Diana Durrand and Kenna Barradell speak volumes about the life experiences of two mature artists. Their language is colour, composition, scale, and theme on canvas, and they approach their ‘stories’ from very different perspectives. But in a sense, the story is about the telling—about artists, both in their 70s, who are exploring and expressing their lived realities.
“My pieces are usually about women’s stories that don’t get heard or don’t get attention. I want people to hear those stories,” Barradell said.
Most recently, she has been responding ‘ekphrastically’ to the work of Los Angeles poet Alexis Rhone Fancher—they are collaborating on a book titled Triggered, to be released in October. The poetry is described as ‘erotica’, but Barradell takes exception to the label.
“It’s not really accurate to call it ‘erotica’, she said, citing Calgary ‘journalist, poet, photographer, and musician’ Jude Dillon. “It’s more about a search for love—how difficult it is and how sometimes it’s never found.”
Durrand’s pieces are contemplative mixed-media portraits, working with various fabrics to capture and express an emotion or a moment in time.
The series began with her Paper Doll portraits, inspired by the fashion paper cutouts children used to play with, dressing up cardboard facsimiles, mostly of women.
“Every day you get up in the morning, you make a decision of what to wear, what to cover your body with. The patterns and colours found in the fabric are endless and often inspire and motivate me to explore and follow certain directions.”
It’s that kind of intro/extrospective approach that Barradell and Durrand share; how it lands on the canvas is altogether different—and vive la différence, they say.
“I think that people are going to be happy to see a lot of colour and a lot of action,” Barradell said of her paintings. “When I do my work, that’s something that I always have, is a lot of colour.”
Durrand takes a more contemplative approach. “You have quite a lot of action in your pieces—lots of movement,” she said to her co-exhibitor. “Mine are quite still, and there’s a certain calmness in the chaos.”
A Gathering of Women is on display at the Lobby Gallery until Oct. 30. The gallery is located on the 3rd floor of the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre and is open for public viewing one hour prior to show times without a ticket. Private viewings can be arranged by emailing Laura Stephenson at laura.stephenson@cvrd.bc.ca