WAG offers peek at creative process By: Caitlyn Gowriluk Posted: 7:00 PM CST Friday, Nov. 30, 2018 Last Modified: 7:36 PM CST Friday, Nov. 30, 2018 Updates

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A new exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery is giving people a behind-the-scenes look at the artistic process.

Behind Closed Doors features work by 10 artists who have connections to Winnipeg. Some of them work in the city and some have Winnipeg roots. It shows aspects of their art that the public rarely sees, such as the artist’s process in their studio or their research from the museum vault.

“I wanted to expose the enchantment of a studio visit,” said Jaimie Isaac, the curator of Indigenous and contemporary art. “You often really only get to see the completed works in gallery spaces and in exhibitions, so it’s fascinating to see how the artists begin with an idea, conduct the research and experiment.”

The new exhibition encourages viewers to explore each artist’s approach to their work, and what inspired the finished products, Isaac said.

“As they develop the concept, they emerge with this final creation,” said Isaac. “I also really enjoy seeing the studio spaces themselves, and the artists’ collections of things that they gain inspiration from… And seeing the artwork from the Winnipeg Art Gallery collection reinterpreted and remediated through their contemporary lens was amazing.”

As curator of Behind Closed Doors, Isaac collaborated with the artists to decide how best to display their artistic process. Takashi Iwasaki, whose work is featured in the exhibition, said each artist interpreted that differently.

“This exhibit is an eclectic mix,” said Iwasaki. “Some artists went into the vault of the gallery, because there are lots of artworks which are hidden, protected in the proper shelving space, and the public doesn’t get to see it very often.”

Iwasaki said he often thinks about the textures of his art pieces when he creates them, so for Behind Closed Doors, he decided to invite people into this process by allowing them to touch and interact with his work.

“I can communicate better with the viewers that way,” said Iwasaki. “By just looking at it, not sitting or touching, (texture) is really difficult to grasp. Unless you’re allowed to, you don’t usually touch pieces of artwork.”

Iwasaki said he hopes the variety of mediums and styles he used in his work for the exhibition – embroidery, collage, wood sculptures, acrylic paint – will allow viewers to engage with his artistic approach.

“It’s not the process that you see, but sort of the idea,” said Iwasaki. “That’s how I work… I jump into this medium, then move to this medium.”

The exhibition, which runs until spring, also features work by Ian August, Irene Bindi, Mia Feuer, Shaun Morin, Melanie Rocan, Kristin Nelson, Matea Radic, Dominique Rey and Robert Taite.

caitlyn.gowriluk@freepress.mb.ca