May. 18, 2011 - Issue #813: Choose your own adventure

Prevue

Where Are We going?

A poster is, in its simplicity, an incredibly versatile medium of expression. Wherever you happen to take them in—stuck up in a clustered mass on designated street walls or attached to any old found surface, plastered with tape around pillars and light posts, carrying political commentary or marking dates of what bands are playing when—they appear and inform in an almost unavoidable way.
In that sense, they're a perfect way to pose questions, both to passers-by and to the creators themselves. And with that in mind, the posters that make up the content of  Where Are We Going?, Gabe Wong's curated show, are answers to that titular question, which Wong posed to a multitude of artists.

"Posters in general are about statement and performing and communicating, so it really helps focus the artist to do something that is meaningful," the local designer explains. "I like the aspect of the poster being an affordable and accessible medium; it sort of takes away the walls that some people may have approaching art, and opening up art to be a bit more democratic."

That said, with these posters set to inhabit the gallery walls of Latitude 53, Wong notes they take on a different sort of purpose; an interesting look at the artform itself.
"Having them in a gallery is an interesting thing, I feel," he says. "Having the posters at Latitude is actually an interesting look at where art is going, and pushing the mediums.
"It's also that question: what is art? How do you define it? When does art become design? All that stuff," Wong contunes. "I feel like having these posters in a gallery setting changes the tone and the relevance of the posters. I don't think it in any way degrades what art can be, but I definitely think it opens up how people look at it. Especially nowadays; there's so much popularity with band posters. It's just taking off from there."

Going? is the second show Wong's curated that draws inspiration from a quote by post-modern visual artist Paul Gauguin: "Where do we come form? Who are we? Where are we going?" The first question was the crux a  show back in 2009; Wong's skipped the middle question, for now, and instead forged ahead.
"I was planning to do 'who are we?' though everyone thought 'where are we going?' is much more interesting. I think 'who are we?' is also a big question, but I think that'll be my third one."
 

Fri, May 20 – Sat, Jun 18
Curated by Gabe Wong
Latitude 53 (10248 - 106 St)

 

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