Wild Grapes

About

Wild Grapes ia a group exhibition including artists: Farnaz Gholami, Gabriela Giroletti, Jack Sutherland, Karolina Albricht, Liam Mertens, Michal Raz, Monica Perez Vega, Sarah Tew

This exhibition presents a group of artists in search of ‘Wild Grapes’.  The title refers to the unstoppable life and unbridled joy found through painting, writing, sculpting and making. The title was inspired by a recent trip home.

-

Monica writes:

While visiting California this past Summer, I was pummelled by a certain unease. It was hot and dry, and it felt bleak and weary, not the California I knew. There were wildfires in the north and evidence of previous fires everywhere we went. Some days the sky was hazy, offering reprieve from the sun, yet an eerie reminder that the state was ablaze. Then, while walking to the river one evening, I found solace in the lushness of life that prevailed over an otherwise grim backdrop:

‘Walking towards the bike path that follows the river’s levy, I teeter to avoid the Praying mantis wobbling itself along the hot pavement. As I lift it with a leaf, I spot a baby lizard scurrying into the roadside ramble.

 We pass the green golf course as we climb towards our path. A flock of turkeys bob their blue heads down the levy slope. A setting sun still beats heavy on our heads. Evidence of a recent brush fire leaves black twisted branches dangling; spiraling silhouettes draped against the dry yellow fields. Wild grapes grow among the charred arboreal remains. Lush figs turned to stone while walnut still boasts it verdant green. A covey of quail scamper among the ashy remains, their soft prattle heard through the web-coated bramble.’

-

Wild grapes are an uncultivated entanglement; a dance of shape and line. They are gnarly, persistent and exist against great odds; a thriving luxuriance amidst aridity. Stumbling onto their refreshing sweetness is a reminder of the joy that can be found in everyday life.