Event / Published on May 21, 2024
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With focus on nature, exhibition Convergence 2024 at Galerie Espace (4844 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, H2T 1R5) from June 27 to July 9, 2024, brings together eight artists whose diverse practices overlap through connections of place and aesthetics. Photographer Martin Schop’s large-format pinhole photography of coastal landscapes will be displayed alongside Marc Cramer’s digitally processed photos of the birds. Spiraling mobiles by Yves Cousineau bring wood-carved animals into play, accented by Christiane Lemieux’s felted birds. Silver, pearls, plexiglass and hammered silver vessels are among the features in works by jewelers Claudia Gomez, Elin Weinstein and Ting-Fen Chin. Evolving Sogetsu floral arrangements by Alain Carrière will also enhance the tea ceremony performed by Ting-Fen. Best works will be displayed on a black granite table created by Angelo Mangiarotti.
Mobile designer Yves Cousineau, inspired by Alexander Calder’s kinetic objects, creates spiraling mobiles featuring hand-carved animals and spirit creatures made of fine local hardwoods. Balance and movement in space and the search for formal beauty distinguish Yves’ mobiles. Working without a structured plan, he develops rudimentary concept sketches and lets the gradual process guide his creations. He finds inspiration in the evolution of the form, the beautiful wood figures, and the anomalies in his materials.
Journeys in Europe and Asia allowed him to immerse himself in their cultural and artistic traditions.
Felt and needle artist Christiane Lemieux celebrates the magic and mystery of the natural world with her felted wool sculptures that are attached to Yves’ mobiles. Her creations embody the vitality, soul, intelligence, elegance, and beauty of the animals she portrays.
Jeweler Claudia Gómez’s work is shaped by other areas of interest such as natural science as well as her passion for design. This attention feeds the creative process in her mind and is transformed by her use of lines that negotiate the interface between abstraction and representation or idea and matter. Currently immersed in crafting an entomology-inspired collection, Claudia endeavors to ignite a conversation about the vital role of insects in our ecosystem. She aspires to contribute to the awareness of the profound significance of insect populations in maintaining environmental balance. Each insect in our ecosystem has a unique story to tell, and she aims to translate some of these scientific narratives into objects that add another voice. Claudia’s creations aim to gently prompt viewers to ponder the intricate interconnectedness of nature.
Jewelry designer Elin Weinstein, born in northern QC, grew up on coastal BC. As a graduate student in anthropology, Elin conducted fieldwork in Bali. She was drawn to the Balinese concept that some Art is alive—the Art inspired by the Gods. Having become a jeweler, Elin places her craft at the juncture between cultural scholarship and Living Art.
Breaking away from traditional approaches to presenting pearls, Elin works them in unusual ways, seeking out unique contrasts. During a journey in Japan, Elin was delighted by Tokyo’s vertical neon lights.
Her visceral reaction to the lights inspired her to represent the colorful extravaganza in her art. She turned to acrylic for its bold colors, using it in carefully thought-out combinations to make jewels that invoke playfulness and joy. Elin will present two distinct collections, For the Love of Pearls and Techno Japan.
Silversmith Ting-Fen Chin draws spiritual and creative inspiration from nature: through careful hammering, she shapes silver into a piece of bark for a brooch, a flower for a cup, a twig for a teaspoon. Using ancient techniques, Ting-Fen creates one-piece teapots in fine silver without soldering. Her progressive hammering process requires great patience and organization.
The artist creates a connection between her hands and the metal, trusting the richness of spontaneity. Her unique creations combine art with functionality, evolving through a process that fuses tradition and innovation. Ting-Fen was one of the finalists for the 2023 François-Houdé Award, awarded by La Guilde des Métiers d’art. The City of Montréal has acquired two of her works for its municipal art collection.
Photographer Martin Schop, uses a pinhole camera to capture views of sublime landscapes. With its long exposure times, this process lends special effects to his large-format photographs. Martin has a custom frame studio in the Mile End Allied building. It includes a workshop in which his team of craftspeople create museum-quality frames for artworks, and a dust-free room used to mount and finish frames, laminate posters and perform photography.
Workshop neighbor, museum technician Alexandre McLean, creates custom luminous tables (wall mounted or on legs), panels and small display stands that our jewelers use to showcase their works. Alex can be reached via email.
Photographer and nature enthusiast Marc Cramer will present photographs of birds that transit through Central Québec. Oversized representations capture their vitality and engage our imaginations. Marc uses a combination of camera and digital techniques to make photographs that have the fluidity of painting. He has earned numerous awards, most recently from the GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN (Gold in 2022, Platinum in 2023).
Sogetsu teacher Alain Carrière is a graduate of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. For almost two decades, he studied the Japanese art of floral arrangement under the guidance of Master Mieko Seibi Watanabe. He travels frequently to Japan, where he continues to refine his practice at the Tokyo Sogetsu Headquarters. As successor to Ms Watanabe, he is the president of Seibi-Kai, the Montreal chapter of the Sogetsu school. In addition to teaching floral arrangement, Alain makes ceramic presentation vessels.
He will present five floral arrangements in his own ceramic vases and in large-format vases by Kinya Ishikawa and Marcel Beaucage. He will create new flower arrangements for the second week of exhibition.
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Yves Cousineau
514-812-0631 | yvcousin@yahoo.ca