Curatorial Essay

The Craft NB’s Biennale is an opportunity for members to showcase their finest work.  The challenge for the curator is having so many wonderful works to choose from. This year’s exhibition is titled Spectrum and the theme is colour, the most expressive of design elements.  It was both exhilarating and heartbreaking to receive almost double the applicants than we could accommodate. It is apparent that colour is an exciting theme!

We chose pieces that were either monochromatic or colourless, with the exception of a few pieces that expressed the entire color spectrum.  We selected works in which the colour (or lack of colour) was a major consideration in their creation.   How different would the piece be if it had been made in a different colour? or had no colour? or if a colourless piece was given colour? I appreciated artisans who stepped out of their comfort zone and used colour for the first time.  I loved reading artist statements for this project. Some overflowed with passion for colour and the importance of it in their work, while others allowed the process of creation to ultimately decide the colour for the piece.

Colour is a powerful force: it can change our mood, it can lift us up, and it can bring back a memory.  My hope is that visitors to the exhibition Spectrum will experience all of these sensations and more.   Enjoy!   And admire the thoughtful and meticulous craftsmanship of each object, as a rainbow of colour surrounds you.

– Bronwyn Gallagher, Curator