“Intimate, precise and tactile.” These are the three words intermedia artist Terri Fidelak, who grew up on a farm near Fairlight, used to describe her art project exhibited in the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum’s (EAGM) Gallery 1.
The Quality of your Involvement will be the Measure of Your Reward is the name of Fidelak’s first solo exhibition, which opened on Friday. And one of the guests described the show as “unashamedly beautiful.”
The exhibition explores notions of such themes as time and adaptation.
“In my work, I love the sense of balance, delicacy and the idea of impermanence, that nothing will last forever. I like exploring those ideas of time… I think those are all metaphors for humans to the planet,” said Fidelak.
Fidelak has been participating in group exhibitions since 2010, and a few years ago some of her works were a part of another group project displayed at the EAGM. But this show became her first personal milestone.
“It’s a bit nerve-wracking to be the one in the spotlight, but it’s wonderful to have the space to really just make the show what I want it to be,” said Fidelak.
In her art, Fidelak uses minimal gestures to re-contextualize and balance ordinary objects working to highlight the sense of intimacy and relationship between them. The often overlooked items that she’s been compiling since she was 20 became essential to each simple fragile arrangement. Some of them bear a lot of history, while others are ordinary pieces that for some reason caught Fidelak’s eye. But it is how they work together that's what matters.
“This delicate … works reference Terri’s history as she puts it as a ‘collector or one who gathers,’ said EAGM director-curator Amber Andersen.
As much as possible these pieces have been mounted without any fixatives, so that they could be deconstructed and probably reconciled again and again.
Balance is essential in all of her works. And the presence of the artist was that vital element that brought all art pieces together, turning the project into one harmonious body and making colours, light, shapes and materials work together.
The name of the exhibition is the statement that Fidelak received in a fortune cookie once and couldn't forget since then. And this statement was reflected in the entire show since, without the engagement of those looking at the art pieces, it wouldn't open all of its facets.
“A big part of this show is the engagement, as the title suggests. The engagement of viewers is important to me. I wanted to challenge people. I didn’t want to have the traditional plinth height for most of the pieces. And I really wanted people to stretch up on tip toe… to look inside of something, or band around,” said Fidelak.
And a lot of the reception guests followed the artist’s idea, making their experience fuller as they were exploring all dimensions of exhibits.
It took Fidelak about two years to put this exhibition together.
“Pieces have existed over those two years, but then the idea for the show really came into vision, I would say last fall,” said Fidelak.
The exhibit is free of charge to view. The exhibition will be at the EAGM until June 14.
Another exhibition named I do not Have My Words opened the same day in Gallery 2. Friday’s Southeast Lifestyles will have more on the story.
