Soft & Heavy by Melanie Kathlene
April 18, 2019
Tone Poems by Rob Froese
April 22, 2019
Exhibition runs May 14—July 17, 2019
Opening May 23, 2019 from 6-8pm.
This exhibition is part of the 2019 Medalta International Artists in Residence program.
Breaking down the content of how objects connect to memories, Chloe McKim explores what individual moments mean and how they have affected the life she lives. Always having a beautifully influential and authentic bond with her Grandmother, hearing stories of her family raised and living on a farm in the prairies of Saskatchewan, the generational origins of craft in Chloe’s family has inspired her own development of craft. Drawing aspects from this culture of sewing, mending and refurbishing items instead of discarding them has given her a strong appreciation for those traditions. This piece is honouring her grandmother’s countless moments and time spent in her loft. Creating a space where when submerged, the viewer can feel the similar sense of nostalgia, ease, and permanence as she does.
“The art that I create is a reflection of the person and the artist that I have become. As a collector, I am always influenced by the everyday experiences we share and the aftermath they form. Memory objects and the distortion from creating works by memory allow me to push the ideas of these fragments of time and replace them with what I treasure. I may not remember every intricate detail, which allows me to become more imaginative, and subconsciously allows me to create the object how I need it to be. By recreating mundane objects, I am expressing the importance these items and moments have on us as they pass through our daily lives. Creating very unique and rare 3D still life scenes out of clay and more specifically porcelain shows the permanence of objects, although in a moment’s time, if fumbled or held carelessly, they can instantly shatter between our fingers.”
Artist Biography
Chloe McKim is known for her thought provoking ceramic installations. Graduating in 2016 from the Alberta College of Art + Design, Chloe has continued pursuing her passion of studio practice ever since. Studying in Norway in 2014, Chloe has showcased her work internationally as well as nationally. Focusing on still lives, Chloe recreates moments that have surfaced in her life, which may have been taken for granted at the time they occurred. She creates a body of work showing the longevity of memory objects, deliberately emphasizing when fumbled or held carelessly they can instantly shatter.
