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Indepth Arts News:
"Cambium: Allen Hirsh's Original Wood Constructions"
2005-04-09 until 2005-04-30
Lonsdale Gallery
Toronto, ON,
CA Canada
Gouged and brightly painted wooden blocks offer the base structure of Allen Hirsh’s abstract and intricate pieces of art. His upcoming show, “Cambium” is at the Lonsdale Gallery, April 9th to the 30th. Energetic, colourful and dense, the work reads like a bold and complex pattern of forms and shadows and is visually playful. Each piece is composed of multiple wood blocks that are distinctively gouged and painted. They are reminiscent of primitive jigsaw puzzles and capture a sense of vulnerability, imperfection and strength.
“I’m inspired by borders and boundaries and what happens when you cross that edge,” says Toronto-based Hirsh. “When you get below the surface or go to unfamiliar places, your senses are heightened, and you may be more enthusiastic or cautious and alert – more attuned to your environment. My work reaches outside the comfort zone.”
The tactile nature of the work inspired the show’s title, Cambium. Cambium is "between the bark and the wood and is the layer responsible for increases in tree diameter and healing wounds," explains Hirsh. The irregularly shaped pieces range in size from 1’x1’ to 7’x7’.
Hirsh, a management consultant in the field of organization change and leadership by day, was born in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1956 and moved to Canada in 1978. Cambium marks his fifth show.
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