Casualty

Additional Information

Lorna Brown, Bernie Miller

Other associated events: Artists' and Curator's talk, Saturday, September 15, 1:15 pm; Opening Reception, 2:00 pm

The word "casualty" usually evokes images of war, disaster and accidents. Generally it's associated with body counts and catastrophic extremes. However, this exhibition draws attention to another species of casualties - the ongoing social, intellectual and emotional losses that are an effect of everyday-ordinary 21st century North American life. Armed with a wicked sense of humour and a passion for intellection, the artists Lorna Brown and Bernie Miller ruthlessly probe the heart of this fearsome predicament. For the most part, these sorts of casualties are nearly invisible largely because "mind counts" and "soul counts" (rather than body counts) are at stake and because the over stimulation, speed and material saturation that characterizes North American life is the status quo. We accept that we will work longer hours and play and consume faster and harder than ever before. Like water is to a fish, this is simply the environment in which most 21st century urban North Americans live, think, eat, sleep, socialize and dream. But how does one think (really think) or participate (critically participate) in the political process (or for that matter, simply get a good night's sleep) when there's no uncluttered time or mental space? How does ongoing immersion in a fraught consumer environment affect our desire(s), our hopes, our intellectual capacity and our ability to act ethically?

Casualty (Installation View), 2007.