via MSVU Art Gallery
George Steeves, Sublime Camoflage (2006) detailCecil Day, Winter Goldenrod (2017) detail
Bodies in Translation: Age and Creativity
Through November 12
Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery, 166 Bedford Highway
One of two current shows at MSVU Art Gallery, Bodies in Translation: Age and Creativity features work by eight senior artists who explore aging through art.
Several of the artists address the physicality of aging, as in M.J. Sakura’s "Vintage Plumbing and Wiring," where the artist explores “vintage sexuality” in the form of an informational video. Michael Fernandes tackles the mental effects–beginning to forget–while George Steeves' portraits seek to remember, to commemorate aged and departed friends.
“Has one grown old without growing up?” asks Onni Nordman in his piece "Scarecrow Amongst the Chancellors", a Terry Gilliam-esque scarecrow made of burrs against a wall of neon portraits. The artists in Bodies in Translation approach the delicate issue of mortality with humour. "Day by day life finds me less critical, more playful,” writes Fernandes, accompanying his salty audio and installation piece "Michael, Michael, Michael," featuring glittered sneakers placed to be worn on the wrong feet.