New group of seven

There’s a new group of seven at Definitely Superior Art Gallery these days, with their Biindigaate Contemporary Aboriginal Regional Exhibit.

First impression in the first gallery: lean, clean, bright, and a sense of spacious solid. We don’t want to look away from the four walls where large panels are so vivid and striking; but our attention keeps getting pulled toward a couple of sculptures in the centre of the room.

Off-handedly we think 'OK, we’ve certainly seen deer antlers before.' On closer inspection it is hard to fathom how the artist rendered his flawless craft.

The material of antlers doesn’t have the integrity of marble or granite. It certainly isn’t like poplar wood, pliable when saturated with water. Or is it?

How on earth are there a delicate butterfly, a larvae and a bee on fronds sculpted into the natural horns of an animal now entitled ­Flou­rish?

At least a little more prepared for the surprise, we move over to the other sculpture. Instead of an antler, The Chase gives us an exciting underwater world of action: coral undulating alongside vicious grace.

Again, how did the artist determine precisely what he needed to remove in order to create the result we see?

“I’d imagine you are working with a finite material, its shape and everything, so the artist must envision something there, see what he wants to bring out of that. And challenging,” noted exhibit curator David Karasiewicz,.

“Because, well, you really can’t afford to make any mistakes. And so there’s a vision there for sure. I guess most of us will appreciate when we see his final product.”

In the second gallery, more surprises taking many hours of careful planning: electric guitars like you’ve never seen and lovely ornamental functional home decor from a pair of collaborative artists; these alongside other two-dimensional panels saturated with colour, pleasing curvature and symmetry. With other panels, the social-political conversation continues.

Visually meet this group-of-seven: Candace Twance, Patricia ­Nin­ge­wance, Christian Chapman, Randy Thomas, Christy Cameron, Erick and Lisa Hanson, and Mike Anderson.

In the third gallery, a visual-audio roadmap for artists who might be just beginning to develop their creativities: OAC Film Shapeshifters offers nine short films (three minutes each) by mentors for peers.

“This is a key medium to take a look at. Interviews with specific artists all across Ontario and how the OAC (Ontario Arts Council) has really helped in their careers. By funding their creativity; and to know that,” Karasiewicz added.

“It’s not as intimidating as it looks, and not to be afraid; there are many people around who can help with grant writing proposals. But the whole result is for anyone, for all artists. That’s the nice thing: we see that these artists have developed careers via this funding. It extends; and then magnifies what we do best of course, and that’s art.”

Plan to be surprised by Biindigaate Contemporary Art at Definitely Superior between now and Oct. 13.