FULL/empty is a selection of works from The Winnipeg Art Gallery’s
photography collection. The works that constitute the FULL theme of the
exhibition investigate the pleasures of searching for precious things, the joys of
possession, pride of display, and even the luxury of forgetting or hiding away
such objects as they gather dust in obscurity.
While FULL tells a story about clutter and superficial accumulation, of pleasure
in and of things, empty meditates on the profundity of loss. FULL is surface and
pride of ownership; the depths of empty are painful. The array of objects in
FULL are protective structures erected against the world and alliances made with
the non-human; the nakedness of the works in empty expose everything and
force you to witness desolation and tragedy.
FULL is an exercise in building an identity with and through precious things.
empty is an invitation to sadness. Bonjour tristesse! Together, FULL/empty
offers a unique opportunity to view a rich selection from the WAG's
photographic collection assembled in a compelling and original way.
This exhibition is made possible by a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Gary Genosko,
Guest Curator,
Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario
IMAGE:
MICHAEL FLOMEN, Untitled,
1981.
Silver print.
Collection of The
Winnipeg Art Gallery.
Acquired with the
Photography Endowment of the Winnipeg
Art Gallery Foundation Inc.
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