Seven artists contribute to Full Catastrophe

Ottawa city hall’s Karsh-Masson Gallery opened its doors on March 17 to Full Catastrophe, an exhibition of diverse art forms put together by seven local artists.

The title Full Catastrophe comes from the 1964 film Zorba The Greek, in which the memorable line is uttered: “Wife, children, house everything. The full catastrophe,” according to the exhibition’s website.

The exhibition will be showcasing contributions from local artists Elle Chae, Heidi Conrod, Adrian Gollner, Gillian King, Anthony Sauve, Justine Skahan and Annie Thibault. All of the artists are currently Masters of Fine Arts candidates at the University of Ottawa.

Gollner is a prominent Ottawa-based artist, with his public art showcased throughout the city. One piece sits atop the One3One condominium on Holland Avenue, west of Centretown.

He is displaying his abstract work in the exhibition, which includes “pieces of clay shot by a rifle,” showcasing the void left by the impact of rifle rounds.

“They’re coming off the wall as if being shot,” Gollner says. “Presented with them is a video of me sort of shooting the clay, so you get the full story of the creation.”

Gollner compares the piece’s physical appearance to undersea corals “that were grown in a millenia, when in fact they were grown in a millisecond.”

Although there isn’t an official theme of the overall exhibition, Gollner says the artists’ works compliment each other.

“I don’t think there is any particular intention of having to match (the other artists’ creations), it just happened that they did,” he says. “There’s a conversation that certainly occurs.”

Gollner points to the paintings of King in particular, and says they embody similar colours and gestures found in his own pieces. 

He also mentions Sauve’s work, which includes a video of him playing guitar riffs and then smashing the guitar “like a star.”

“The ideas of smashing or explosions seem to be written throughout,” Gollner said. “They’re sort of a physical echo from one to the other.”

The artists responded to the gallery’s open call for an exhibition last year, with the intention to “really just show art,” according to Gollner.