Opening Reception: September 11, 2014 / 6:30 p.m.
Canadian Sculpture Centre
Camilla Geary-Martin’s sculptures are anything but ordinary. Drawing from her past experiences, they take on an ethereal quality while delivering a riveting story grounded in the human form. Experimental, unique and earthly – all this features could be found in her latest exhibition at the Canadian Sculpture Centre.
Artist Camilla Geary-Martin with her sculpture, Alice, at the Opening Reception.
Geary-Martin creates a diverse selection of intimate and engaging bronze sculptures. Her work is unique and experimental at the same time with a strong focus on the human form. A broad array of life experiences has influenced her as an individual and now informs her sculpture. The focus of this show reached back two generations to encapsulate her grandmother’s embroideries and days spent sketching embroideries and other artifacts in the Victoria and Albert Museum that resulted in a carefully curated sculpture exhibition.
Camilla Geary-Martin, Head Study, patinated bronze.
“The creative process is an important element in my work, combining the sensuality of moist clay with a fascination for the human form. While my work is both representational and semi-abstracted, I particularly enjoy the freedom of the abstract… still the presence of the model informs my work, giving meaning and credibility to the form.” wrote Geary-Martin in her Artist statement. We can see both approaches in the exhibition from the almost realistic Head Study to the more abstract figures of Woman with Child and Moon Face Man. Some work is an interesting mixture of the two like Miss Universe with an almost realistic head and the semi-abstract elongated body.
Camilla Geary-Martin, Woman with Child (left) and Moon Face Man (right), patinated bronze.
Camilla Geary-Martin, Miss Universe, patinated bronze.
The making of the piece, the handwork that formed them is always visible in the surface of these sculptures’ but they are also radiate emotions. Camilla Geary-Martin’s work realistic and magical at the same time.
Camilla Geary-Martin, Bestman, patinated bronze.
Text and photo: Haafiz Karim
*Exhibition information: September 11 – October 3, 2014, Canadian Sculpture Centre, 500 Church Street. Gallery hours: Tue – Fri: 12 – 6, Sat: 11 – 4 p.m.