Curated by Rafi Ghanaghounian, Samara Contemporary

Beautiful Haze explores the boundary between reality and fantasy. Offering a thought-provoking experience that challenges our perceptions, to captivate our imagination and to evoke emotional responses and introspection. By intertwining elements of our natural world with imaginative and fantastical elements, the artists encourage viewers to question what they see and contemplate the nature of reality itself. It's a journey that invites us to reconsider our understanding of the world around us and embrace the various possibilities of our actions and resulting consequences. 

Enclosures can be both artificial and natural barriers, they serve to keep things out as well as keep things in. Rivers, valley’s, mountains and tectonic plates once acted as natural enclosures they separated animal species, land masses and continents. These landlines carved up the earth over millennia and are still today markers of pre-human geological time.  

Artificial enclosures have a distinctly human feel. Fences, walls, the lines drawn on a map all carve up space and for centuries have divided public and private lands as well as separated labour and capital. Thought about in physical terms human enclosures refer to a politics of space, a net thrown over a nonhuman world. Non-physical enclosures play just as much a part of contemporary culture as their physical relatives. They aim to protect but also in turn restrict access and movement, freedom and equity. From firewalls, to online security systems to age old non-physical enclosures like the class system and ideas surrounding nationality, religion or race. Both physical and non-physical enclosures have historically dramatically affected the environment we inhabit and they continue to do so today. From European colonization of America in the late 15th century to the highland clearances of the 18th century in Scotland from the US, Mexico border wall to perhaps the largest enclosure of all the human made impact of climate change which threatens our very existence on planet earth.  

The works in this show play with the painted surface as if it were an enclosure or partition of sorts. The canvas occupies a middle ground between real and illusionistic space. The surface of the painting acts as both a boundary and a portal. At once pushing the viewer back into the reality of the exhibition space while simultaneously asking the viewer to penetrate the painted surface and peer deep into illusionistic space.  

Gurrey’s paintings are made by way of a reductive painting process. The gestures you see are sections of the painting that have been removed to reveal layers beneath the painted surface. What appears to be positive space is actually negative and vice versa. The reductive nature of this painting process alludes to the breaking down of boundaries rather than the construction of enclosures. The painted gestures are in fact gaps that pierce the upper most layer of paint. This reversal of illusionistic space which seems to vibrate on the painted surface asks the viewer are they inside looking out or on the outside looking in. Gurrey’s paintings are a form of resistance, a means of challenging binaries and the human action of partitioning in favour of a concern for the nonhuman.

opening reception: Thursday, October 19, 6 - 8 PM

Five Shapes by Micah Lexier is being presented on the twenty-fifth anniversary of Micah Lexier and Robert Birch’s relationship as artist and dealer. In that time Lexier has presented thirteen solo exhibitions in three different spaces (King St West, The Distillery and Tecumseth) and three different iterations of the gallery (Robert Birch Gallery, Birch Libralato and Birch Contemporary). This is Lexier’s fourteenth exhibition with the gallery.

 Working with two dozen different artists and fabricators—including a baker and a writer—Lexier has created an exhibition that highlights the roles that friendship and collaboration play in his work.

 Lexier has presented his collaborators with five found geometric shapes to engage with: in the main gallery, he has invited twelve artists to arrange the shapes however they please, and in the back gallery, he's asked six makers to recreate the shapes in their signature materials.

 In addition, one artist has painted the shapes on a wall off-site, the documentation of which has been turned into a twelve-page, free newspaper available at the gallery; a baker has turned the five shapes into cookies, complete with colour-matched icing to be served and consumed at the opening; and a writer has contributed a text to accompany the exhibition.

 The five shapes which constitute the exhibition are specific and carefully chosen but not meaningful or significant in and of themselves—their role is to inspire action and reaction from Lexier's collaborators.

 Five Shapes is being presented with the participation many individuals, including Polly Apfelbaum (New York), Lolly Batty (London UK), Ruth van Beek (Amsterdam), Claude Closky (Paris), Susan Day (London ON), Lindsey Gazel (Toronto), Faye HeavyShield (Standoff, Alberta), Ihor Holubizky (Hamilton), Erris Huigens (Wageningen, The Netherlands), Paul Ramírez Jonas (Brooklyn), Jill Magid (New York), Jonathan Monk (Berlin), Lisa Naftolin (New York), Jocelyn Prince (Providence, RI), José Quintanar (Rotterdam), Joel Robson (Toronto) Kay Rosen (Gary, Indiana), Ricky Swallow (Los Angeles), and Elsa Werth (Paris).

Curated by: Rafi Ghanaghounian. Samara Contemporary

Upon entering the gallery, the viewer is confronted by what appears to be a flock of birds that have flown directly into the wall. There is an ambiguity between the recognizable bird anatomy (feathers/wings) and the plant forms such as orchids and varying foliage that make up each amorphous shape. Salazar poignantly asks the viewer to contemplate the cultural symbolisms associated with birds such as freedom, love, divinity, peace intertwined with the abrupt juxtaposition of the bird's metaphorical loss of flight.

Salazar continues to lead the viewer to contemplate decomposition and the transformation of the bird's journey into new growth as the work alludes to a continuum metamorphosis and begs the viewer to ponder such questions as to what life looks like after trauma when we individually and in certain circumstances collectively are no longer whom we were before. Individually hand-sculpted in red clay, these sculptures draw us in with their natural details and tones.

Salazar's artistic brilliance has garnered international recognition, with his work showcased in prestigious exhibitions and biennials. Notably, his solo exhibition "Forever Bird: Botanicals" at the Gardiner Museum in 2021 stood as a testament to his ability to transcend boundaries and immerse viewers in captivating narratives. Further solidifying his position on the global stage, Salazar participated in the 3rd International Biennial of Asuncion in Paraguay in 2020, presenting his remarkable "Forever (Bird Botanical Installation)" in its second iteration. This profound exhibition revealed Salazar's ability to traverse cultural landscapes, bridging diverse traditions with his visionary artistry.

Physical landscape, everyday objects and common labour practices heavily influence my work. I take great interest in our material culture, processes of production, and how we use objects to communicate. By relying on traditional and industrial methods of fabrication to alter mass produced objects, I subvert their intended existence from one of utility to cultural signifier. Examining culture through material exploration, physical experience and personal labour. I am recasting objects as the performers that reflect who we are and the landscape around us. Exploring the cultural and political economies of objects, by addressing issues of representation, value, and perception. - Zeke Moores

This exhibition is a story told using visual rhymes and transmutation of materials. In it, there is a special emphasis on sequencing that incorporates humor, repetition and contrast.  

Some works were inspired by the question; my mother is a textile artist, could I make a work on paper that used her language? How is a silk thread like an ink line?  

But I was also thinking; my father is a sculptor, how does his work relate to mine? How does a small drawing of a monumental sculpture collapse space?  

Then I looked back over the last few series I’ve completed and asked, how is the imagery in these works emphasized or contradicted by the materials they refer to? They are all ink on paper but recall mediums as varied as shadow puppets, tattoos, green screen image capture, sculpture made from sticks and bobbin lace. What can you say by how you pair them up and make them talk to each other?  

“Affinities” is a selection of works that flow from one to the next in a way that I hope is surprising, funny and engaging.

Windsor-based artist, Catherine Heard brings forth an enlightening exploration of the complexities of religion and politics in her captivating artwork. Through her though-provoking creations, Heard delves into the underlying themes that shape our understanding of these influential spheres and the profound impact they have on society; unveiling a dialogue that challenges conventions and sparks contemplation.  

Combining four bodies of work, two from decades ago and two from her current practice, we are given access to themes of interest throughout the artist’s career. Materiality and craft-historical techniques combine with subject matter to offer a retrospective glance at ongoing themes.

Drawing inspiration from diverse cultural, historical, and philosophical sources, Heard's art serves as a catalyst for dialogue and introspection. Investigating the realms of religion and politics, she elucidates the ways in which these two forces often converge, intertwine, and shape human experiences.

Heard's artwork invites viewers to delve into the intricate tapestry of religious and political ideas; navigating the complexities of belief systems, power dynamics, and social structures. Through vivid imagery, symbolism, and meticulous attention to detail, she unveils the often-unseen threads that connect these influential spheres.

The work evokes a range of emotions and challenges preconceived notions about the relationship between religion and politics. Her thought-provoking creations serve as a mirror reflecting the multifaceted aspects of these domains, encouraging viewers to question their own beliefs and societal paradigms.

Heard's masterful use of various artistic mediums, including drawing, sculpture, and textiles, showcases her versatility and innovative approach to often volatile subjects. Her artistic language bridges the gap between past and present, drawing upon historical iconography while incorporating contemporary elements that resonate with the current socio-political climate.

Through her artwork, the artist initiates a dialogue that encourages open-mindedness, critical thinking, and the exploration of deeply ingrained ideologies. By shedding light on the influence of the subjects, religion and politics, on our lives she invites viewers to reflect upon their own beliefs, values, and the societal structures that shape their lives.

This exhibition looks back 26 years to the introduction of the artist's series of diptychs titled Twelve Colour Pair.  The title comes from the fact that there were only twelve pairs of paintings made. Unfortunately, one pair was destroyed in the making of them (according to the artist) and one pair has gone missing during the ensuing 25 years leaving behind only ten pair. This exhibition brings together four of the remaining ten. 

The artist painted sheets of paper particular colours that were not his earlier, usual palette of primary colours plus black, a palette that had served him well for more than a decade, but this new palette, used also for the previous two series, was heavier and more complex; perhaps a reflection of the artist's inner subconscious state. A darker and more serious period clouded the artist's personal life and career at this time, and this would be the last series of works he created and exhibited before becoming a recluse for the next 13 years.   

The sheets of paper were die-cut into small rectangles which he then arranged into sets of four stripes butted together; creating a square of colours complimenting and contrasting each other, undulating in tonality. He would then make a corresponding square of four stripes with different colours, equaling in visual weight to the first; sometimes in a direct relationship to the first set, while in other pairs, as a mirror image in tonality.  The artist often set parameters to the development of work, like a game, and like games, they had rules to follow and to help understand them.

Poldaas had a keen interest in utilizing Edwin Land's theories of colour when producing work and talked often about how the mind's eye would pick out colours in a particular order. He was specific about the mathematical composition of the colours and often measured them carefully in syringes to achieve the correct ratios of pigment from one to the next. The relationship between colours was, for him, more of an intellectual pursuit than an emotional one. This conceptual approach to painting is what sets him apart from other abstract painters.