February 20 – March 2, 2008
Exhibiting Artists:
- Joseph Muscat
- Paul Walty
- Francois X. Chamberland
Snakes & Ladders, Success & Failure, Rich & Poor, Heaven & Hell or Life & Death all echo a time-old binary truth: he way up is the way down. That delicate dance of simultaneous contrasts is the quintessential prototype of the idyllic where the scales of unbiased justice hold the universe in perfect balance. This dichotomous need for equilibrium is at the root of all that is social, political religious and human.
What a game life is, with its proverbial up the ladder and down the chute. But why is the ladder always heaven- bound and why is the vilified snake always earth-bound? From Jacob’s Dream to the Garden of Eden, these two ancient symbols duel incessantly for archetypal superiority.
Hand-torn pieces of tar paper, shaped as Snakes and Ladders are painted, and weaved into collages – each randomly arranged, telling a story or prompting a thought, each offering a filigree of colour, texture and structure, each combining representation with abstraction.
This collection of recent work is a throwback to childhood memories of broken treasures restored, a parody on dreams waiting to be realized, a metaphor of current events on matters of life and death.
