The obsessive attention to detail that Mother Nature practices is impressive — trees with thousands of leaves or the exquisite patterning of plumage. Surrounded by the display, we are apt to lose attention and miss the phenomena.
Headbones Gallery changes the eye’s focus by first zooming in with the work of Rose Sanderson and Christian Singer in Pins and Needles, Feather and Fur, and then zooming out to David Wilson’s Water with a premier presentation of four large acrylic paintings.
“Headbones Gallery has been a contemporary hot spot for the visual and performing arts here in Vernon since 1994,” said owner Julie Oakes. “(We’re) a bit of a rogue, but (we’re) informed and connected so that we offer a wide and professional stable of artists.”
Hailing from Bristol, England, Sanderson uses a range of North American animals as her subject matter, depicting even the most minute details.
Sanderson, who has worked as the illustrator for the BBC’s series on nature, visually acknowledges the magnificence that lies within the small. Using the miniscule in the service of grand themes, Sanderson’s work is an affirmation of the miracle of existence.
Singer, who lives in Owen Sound Ontario, doesn’t paint the forest, however. He uses the forest to create his sculptures and installations, utilizing pine needles as his building material.
Pins and Needles, Feather and Fur is a delicate, detailed pairing.
Water signals a broad expanse of space where the landscape is large juxtaposed against the smallness of mankind.
Drawing from pictographs, stories, and indigenous imagery, Wilson’s paintings can be seen as contemporary icons. In four large acrylic works from Water, Wilson zooms out. In Turtle Spine, he has depicted North America as if from an atmospheric perspective based on a story where the continent is a turtle with the Rocky Mountains forming the spine.
“Our program is public minded,” said Oakes. “We strive to bring in a high caliber of diverse exhibitions.”
The exhibitions Pins and Needles, Feather and Fur and Water will be at Headbones Gallery From June 1-15, with an opening reception June 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. with Christian Bernard Singer and David Wilson, to which the public is welcome.