GallerySpace: The Waning Light

It's funny, I just interviewed artist Kelly Haigh the other day, about her art and her taxidermy collection, then I checked in at the the Bjornson Kajiwara Gallery and was confronted with a taxidermied coyote, a small deer and several other woodland creatures in various states of experimental construction. I hope the universe is not trying to tell me something, because I'm really not sure I like the message. The art, however, is worth noting.

The woodland creatures at the the Bjornson Kajiwara Gallery are part of George Vergette's new show, The Waning Light. It opened September 6th, but is still going strong with several pieces already sold, and will continue until September 29th.

It's well worth checking out if you can get there this week. The installation contains several taxidermied animals as mentioned, but in the case of the coyote, juxtaposed with neon lighting or in the case of the deer, split apart with miniature architectural models inside. Several ptarmigans, a pigeon and a weasel have Vergette's trademark lacquer hardened over them, suggesting a cruel drowning.

Interspersed amongst the creatures are painted panels reading simply, "flee". Good advice, if a little late.

The effect is interesting and quite a leap from his last Vancouver show. One might think that Vergette had been in the wild, learning to skin and preserve animals, instead of hanging around NYC these past few months. I like where he's going with the neon and the coyote, but the architectural models don't really work for me. Perhaps it comes a little too close to animal experimentations or the notion of construction building on death. It also might have something to do with my fear of weasels, alive or otherwise.

Image, Flee, courtesy of the Bjornson Kajiwara Gallery.

Bjornson Kajiwara Gallery
1727 W. 3rd Avenue
(604) 738 - 3500