Beginning Nov.. 7, Manitoba artist Bette Woodland’s exhibit, Casting Shadows, will be showcased at the Gurevich Fine Art gallery. The exhibit features scenes of Manitoban life and landscape.
Woodland creates paintings of people and places within Manitoba by capturing the vast beauty of the prairies through the juxtaposition of bright highlights and dark shadows.
This exhibit will include 20 paintings by Woodland and with titles such as “Churchill Park” and “Storm: Lester Beach, it is easy to see how local the focus will be.
Woodland says “the experience of a specific landscape of whatever sort is central to an understanding of who we are as individuals.” As Manitobans, this is relevant to the blistering hot summers and frigidly cold winters found within our province.
The paintings featured in this exhibit differ from each other in size but are all effective at pulling the viewer in and getting their attention.
The small and vibrant “Zeus in the Garden” captures nature in a tight space that draws whoever is looking at it in for a closer look, while the large painting “Wave,”engulfs and surrounds the viewer with its immensity.
The curators at Gurevich Fine Art believe that “at her core, Woodland is concerned with the capturing of life’s moments.” This is apparent in her paintings – most evidently in “Lester Creek,” which features three boys playing in a creek together during the summer. This piece brings up memories of exploration and adventure experienced by people during childhood.
Shown in Woodland’s paintings are images of dogs, cats, and children, none of which are ever seen directly by the viewer. Woodland obscures the faces of these characters by showing them from the side or from behind. This creates an interesting contrast of anonymity and familiarity within the pieces.
In addition to Casting Shadows, the Gurevich Fine Art gallery has older pieces from Woodland on display.
Woodland also illustrated a children’s book entitled A Walk in Pirate’s Cove, written by Winnipeg author Marisa Hochman. This book features oil paintings similar in style to the ones included in Casting Shadows.
This is an important exhibit for any Manitoban to view. Not only does it invoke feelings of nostalgia in those who grew up in Manitoba; it reminds us of the natural beauty that our province has. Viewing these pieces will have Manitobans remembering the time they have spent with friends, at the beach, or looking up at the clouds in the sky.
Casting Shadows will be displayed from Nov. 7-29 at Gurevich Fine Art (200-62 Albert Street) open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday to Friday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.
