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Culture Days will return September 20 – October 13, 2024.

  • Installation view of Articulating Legibility, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 2021. Photo: Robert McNair.
  • Installation view of Articulating Legibility, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 2021. Photo: Robert McNair.
  • Installation view of Articulating Legibility, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 2021. Photo: Robert McNair.

Articulating Legibility: Works from the Permanent Collection

In-person

Drawing Painting Photography Printmaking Visual arts
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Date and time

This activity runs the duration of Culture Days.

Location

Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery

101 Queen Street North

Kitchener, ON

Directions: Located inside Centre In The Square.

Access

Free.

Offered in English.

Wheelchair accessible and has gender-neutral washrooms.

About

Curated by Lucy Bilson

Featuring works by Barbara Astman, Walter Bachinski, Susan Coolen, Michael Flomen, John Hofstetter, Thomas Lax, Ron Martin, David Rifat, Michael Snow, Douglas Walker, Joyce Wieland, and Ossip Zadkine

Legibility refers to our ability to clearly see what is before us: specifically, the quality of being clear enough to read. It is underpinned by the desire to communicate with clarity and avoid misinterpretation. But what does it mean for an artwork to be legible? Is it intertwined with representation and abstraction, our understanding of the artist’s intentions, or something else? This exhibition of works from the Permanent Collection explores questions of completeness, visually ambiguous forms, and the communication of the intangible.

Layered and merging planes, visual distortion, and repeating images are just some of the formal techniques employed to translate intangible thoughts between artist and viewer. Susan Coolen’s Parochial Views No. 6: Parlance #4 presents a tension between equivalent legible and illegible forms, whereas Ron Martin’s Untitled is a ghost — the marks that remain after the painting medium has evaporated. Even when intentional or obvious, illegibility embraces the fragility of the unknown and creates works which seem unfixed, in flux, and open to conversation.

Illegibility offers interesting opportunities for the viewer to contemplate or complete works in their mind, without explicit direction from the artist. It is an invitation to insert oneself into the narrative of the work and to find possibilities in moments of ambiguity.

Visitors will be admitted to a maximum capacity of 34 at any given time to ensure physical distancing within our exhibition spaces; entry will be managed on a first-come first-served basis. Appointments are not required and the majority of our visitors encounter no wait time to enter the Gallery. Face masks are required for all visitors and hand sanitizer is available upon entry. Visitors exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are not permitted to visit the Gallery; visitors will be screened for symptoms and asked to provide contact information on entry to support contact tracing if required.

Links

Organizer

Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery

KWAG is Waterloo Region's leading public art gallery, connecting people and ideas through art, with a focus on the best of contemporary culture. For the benefit of current and future generations, the Gallery collects, preserves, researches, interprets, and exhibits the visual arts and offers dynamic public programming relating to the visual arts, all with a view to inspiring creativity and an appreciation of the visual arts in the Region. Established in 1956 and incorporated in 1968, KWAG is a non-profit organization open to the public and administered in the public trust. The Gallery emphasizes contemporary art, often premiering works by Canadian and international artists. Exhibitions frequently draw upon selections from over 4300 works from the Permanent Collection to provide a context and forum for dialogue on current exhibitions and contemporary issues. KWAG plays a vital educational role in the community, offering a full spectrum of artistic experience for adults, children and families alike.

Contact

Stephanie Vegh

svegh@kwag.on.ca

This event is part of a hub:

Culture Days at KWAG

Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery Kitchener, ON

The Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery is hosting a number of contemporary art exhibitions during Culture Days as well as free family-friendly events such as Family Sunday and Walk the Talk: Stroller Tours. Admission to KWAG is free thanks to t...