Feels Good, metal leaf on glass, acrylic & enamel paint, 30” x 24”, 2019.
Opening January 28th in our Main Gallery is Screen Time by artist Kyle Beal.
Screen Time is a collection of recent artworks that considers ideas of individuality, performance of the everyday, and our online existence. Tracing an ever blurring line between performing ourselves and at-rest ‘authenticity’, the exhibition features a mix of objects, which all rely on an interplay between reflection and transparency; slyly all surface no depth. Of the sculptures- The Green Room refers to the room actors use before the performance, in costume but not in character; realized here as a model minimalist glass house, as a counterpoint Mirror Stage presents a stage to stand on and perhaps watch yourself fall off of. On the walls a series of mirrors with embedded and abstracted text doubles the space and doubles you. The exhibition acts as a platform with viewers positioned in dual roles of ‘content creator’ and ‘cultural consumer’, while aiming to parasitically capitalize on the inevitable selfies.
Screen Time will be on from January 28th - March 12th 2022 in our Main Gallery.
Canadian artist, Kyle Beal, challenges convention through his conceptual art practice. Using a multidisciplinary approach, he incorporates a wide variety of media including drawing, sculpture and installation. Formal and informal research is applied to deepen understandings and explore the ideas and concepts that he finds resonant. Images of ubiquitous objects and spaces appear as a common thread throughout his works. The initially apparent simplicity of his subjects, however, is underscored by Beals application of optically illusionistic techniques. Engaging audiences with nuanced surprise, humorous tropes, and wit, Beal presents an accessible platform for his viewers to reconsider their day-to-day routines and behaviour.
Beal holds a BFA from the Alberta College of Art and Design (2001) and an MFA from the University of Victoria (2004). His work has been exhibited across Canada and the USA in Montreal, Toronto, New York City, Calgary, Saskatoon, Seattle, and Vancouver, notably including presentations in the 2015 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, and the Esker Foundation, Calgary, among others. Beal currently lives and works in Edmonton, Alberta. Recent activities and upcoming exhibitions include a solo Series Exhibition at the Nickle Galleries at the University of Calgary rescheduled to 2022, and he will be participating in the La Napoule residency in France in April of 2022 His art is represented by VivianeArt (Calgary AB)
