Slate Fine Art Gallery showcase
Ceramics, iron flowers, owls, oh my! /Source: slategallery.ca
After only five months of being open the gallery makes a name for itself
Russell Yuristy and Michael Hosaluk are two artists who couldn’t be further apart in terms of style, medium, and themes. They do share a talent in art and a venue to host their unique pieces. Slate Fine Art Gallery has been open since April 2013 and for the month of June, the gallery played hostess to these two Saskatchewan gentlemen.
Yuristy’s section of the gallery, titled “Fauna,” hosted a variety of mediums in oil, pastel, dry point, acrylic, watercolour, and even a collage piece. From the work on display, the theme of animals and nature is commonplace, usually shown through paint on a canvas. When viewing his work that depicts anything from bears to great horned owls to pigs, the care he takes in presenting these creatures is obvious.
In pieces such as “Crow,” Yuristy takes an animal seen in a dim light and makes this common creature look more appealing, as well as incredibly realistic. His acrylic piece titled “Mud Lake Reflection,” done in acrylic on canvas, displays the chaos of trees and growing life surrounding the calm waters of a muddy pool. The dark colours are appealing to the eye, but the bright blues, greens, and yellows thrown in hold the viewer’s gaze. He has a way of capturing the character of an animal and it is evident he has had a long relationship with this type of work.
Another highlight of his would be “Louise’s Day Lilies,” which is his collage piece. The flowers look as if they are directly painted on to the canvas instead of painted separately then applied to the base canvas. It’s certainly not something one sees every day.
Hosaluk’s work in “Transfers” is mainly three-dimensional work such as vases, sculpture, bronze pieces, wood, and steel. His pieces experiment with colour, pattern, and shape. His diversity is what makes him such an interesting artist. There’s always something new to discover through him.
“Things I see in my Garden” is certainly a memorable piece. The sculpture made from steel, bronze, and yellow cedar gives the impression that these plant-like creatures have personalities. Some look to be grinning while others frown.
“Nurture” has tear-shaped metal objects wrapped together that end up looking like seals huddled up on land as they sunbathe. That, of course, is just one interpretation of the three pieces. That is one of the other appealing things about Hosaluk’s work: it makes you think.
“Strange Fruit” has a lot going on, though. The wood carvings painted with acrylic showcase what Hosaluk is best at, experimentation. There are no two “fruits” that end up looking alike in the wooden bowl they reside in. The colours are vibrant and the patterns are just as unique as the shapes the fruits take on.
Despite how different these artists are, their work coincides with the others and creates a surprising harmony in the gallery that should not be there.
To find out more on Hosaluk’s work, you can visit his website http://www.michaelhosaluk.com/. To receive updates on Slate Fine Art Gallery, you can visit their website http://slategallery.ca.
