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July 9 to August 20, 2009

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Seven Canadian Sculptors:
Eric Cameron, Honsun Chu, Lylian Klimek, Ron Kostyniuk,
Walter May, Katie Ohe and Reinhard Skoracki

Eric Cameron, RCA – Shoe, 1979-2008; acrylic gesso and acrylic on shoe. Image courtesy of the artist. Calgary, in the 1950s, had little connection to major art centres of the world. Sculptors who choose to make Calgary the basis for their contemporary practice found that the history of Calgary sculpture mostly consisted of simple representational bronzes of horses, wildlife, and cowboys – a genre known as Western art that has very little relevance to the international community.

Eric Cameron, RCA – Love Sonnets from Shakespeare for Margaret, 2002-2008; acrylic gesso and acrylic on small book. Image courtesy of the artist.For this reason, sculptors who based their practice here were influenced more by external experiences and art seen during their upbringings, schooling, and international travel. The individuality of artistic influences meant the works of Calgary sculptors were, from the start, extremely diverse.

The works in the exhibition Seven Canadian Sculptors cannot be grouped into one movement; the range of sculpture shown reflects the plurality of sculpture taking place in the world. The work however may be loosely grouped into three categories. The first are the sculptors whose art is closely related to European and American mid-twentieth century art. These are: Ron Kostyniuk, Honsun Chu and Reinhard Skoracki. They are willing to allow former artists and movements to influence the Honsun Chu – Column, n.d.; white marble. Image courtesy of the artist. look of their art.  The second group made up of Katie Ohe and Walter May allow their art to arise out of deep personal reflections. They take their seen world and filter it through their own thoughts and feelings in order to obtain personal form. Finally, more processed based and conceptual approach is found in the work of Eric Cameron and Lylian Klimek. Their art investigates what sculpture is and how it may examine current societal issues.

What links these artists together is Calgary’s distance from major art centers. While some of them have viewed this distance as an opportunity to create free from the impact of new trends, others have worked especially hard to insure their work contributes to the most current international art dialogues.  (…)

Honsun Chu – Box House, 2009; ceramic. Image courtesy of the artist. The exhibition Seven Canadian Sculptors offers a glimpse into the range o contemporary Canadian sculpture done by established Calgary artists. It spans a continuum running from the more traditional to that which challenges. It proves exactly why we too should be fascinated.

Christopher Willard

Christopher Willard is a Calgary-based artist, writer, critic and educator. The above text is a fragment of his essay published in the exhibition catalogue.

The exhibition Seven Canadian Sculptors has been organized by the Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts as an international art exchange project with the People’s Republic of China and presented in November 2008 at the Liu Haisu Art Museum in Shanghai. The exhibition was curated by Harry M. Kiyooka, RCA and Honsun Chu.

Lylian Klimek – Beelines, 2006; hollow cast mortar, multi-coloured beads. Image courtesy of the artist. Lylian Klimek – Kapow!, 2000; painted chair and hardboard. Image courtesy of the artist.
Ron Kostyniuk, RCA – Relief Structure, 1969; enamel on wood and aluminum. Image courtesy of the artist. Ron Kostyniuk, RCA – Homage to Brancusi – The Kiss #2, 2005; enamel on cast aluminum. Image courtesy of the artist.
Ron Kostyniuk, RCA – Homage to Cezanne #5, 2007; aluminum. Image courtesy of the artist. 10. Walter May – Pyroscopy, 2004/2005; installation; aluminum, tripod, mini-DVD player, bucket with galvanized duct, speakers, cables, wires. Image courtesy of the artist.
11. Walter May – Umbrelli, 2007; installation; two umbrellas, charcoal, brass figurines of deer and similar animals. Image courtesy of the artist. Katie Ohe, RCA – Chalice, 2002; welded steel. Image courtesy of the artist.
Katie Ohe, RCA – Monsoon, 2005/2006; installation; welded steel, rotary system. Image courtesy of the artist. Reinhard Skoracki – All Play And No Work, 2006; bronze, bra, Plexi glass, metal, wood. Image courtesy of the artist.
15. Reinhard Skoracki - Tamed Aggression, 2007; bronze. Image courtesy of the artist. Five of the exhibiting sculptors from Calgary: Honsun Chu, Ron Kostyniuk, Katie Ohe, Reinhard Skoracki and Eric Cameron along with Harry Kiyooka, exhibition curator and the staff of the Liu Haisu Art Museum in Shanghai, China. Photo courtesy of Harry Kiyooka.
Official opening of the exhibition “Seven Canadian Sculptors” at the Liu Haisu Art Museum in Shanghai, Chine on November 4, 2008. Photo courtesy of Harry Kiyooka. Fragment of the exhibition “Seven Canadian Sculptors” at the Liu Haisu Art Museum in Shanghai, China. Photo courtesy of Harry Kiyooka.

List of Images (left to right, top to bottom):

  1. Eric Cameron, RCA – Shoe, 1979-2008; acrylic gesso and acrylic on shoe. Image courtesy of the artist.
  2. Eric Cameron, RCA – Love Sonnets from Shakespeare for Margaret, 2002-2008; acrylic gesso and acrylic on small book. Image courtesy of the artist.
  3. Honsun Chu – Column, n.d.; white marble. Image courtesy of the artist.
  4. Honsun Chu – Box House, 2009; ceramic. Image courtesy of the artist.
  5. Lylian Klimek – Beelines, 2006; hollow cast mortar, multi-coloured beads. Image courtesy of the artist.
  6. Lylian Klimek – Kapow!, 2000; painted chair and hardboard. Image courtesy of the artist.
  7. Ron Kostyniuk, RCA – Relief Structure, 1969; enamel on wood and aluminum. Image courtesy of the artist.
  8. Ron Kostyniuk, RCA – Homage to Brancusi – The Kiss #2, 2005; enamel on cast aluminum. Image courtesy of the artist.
  9. Ron Kostyniuk, RCA – Homage to Cezanne #5, 2007; aluminum. Image courtesy of the artist.
  10. Walter May – Pyroscopy, 2004/2005; installation; aluminum, tripod, mini-DVD player, bucket with galvanized duct, speakers, cables, wires. Image courtesy of the artist.
  11. Walter May – Umbrelli, 2007; installation; two umbrellas, charcoal, brass figurines of deer and similar animals. Image courtesy of the artist.
  12. Katie Ohe, RCA – Chalice, 2002; welded steel. Image courtesy of the artist.
  13. Katie Ohe, RCA – Monsoon, 2005/2006; installation; welded steel, rotary system. Image courtesy of the artist.
  14. Reinhard Skoracki – All Play And No Work, 2006; bronze, bra, Plexi glass, metal, wood. Image courtesy of the artist.
  15. Reinhard Skoracki - Tamed Aggression, 2007; bronze. Image courtesy of the artist.
  16. Five of the exhibiting sculptors from Calgary: Honsun Chu, Ron Kostyniuk, Katie Ohe, Reinhard Skoracki and Eric Cameron along with Harry Kiyooka, exhibition curator and the staff of the Liu Haisu Art Museum in Shanghai, China. Photo courtesy of Harry Kiyooka.
  17. Official opening of the exhibition “Seven Canadian Sculptors” at the Liu Haisu Art Museum in Shanghai, Chine on November 4, 2008. Photo courtesy of Harry Kiyooka.
  18. Fragment of the exhibition “Seven Canadian Sculptors” at the Liu Haisu Art Museum in Shanghai, China.  Photo courtesy of Harry Kiyooka.
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