Ghislaine Charest: The Artist's Heart

Additional Information

Other associated events: Opening Reception with Artist's Talk by Ghislaine Charest Thursday, January 29, 7:00 pm Sherwood Village Branch Gallery The talk will be bilingual

Montréal-based artist Ghislaine Charest makes childhood the subject of her work. Using photo-based media, Charest explores memories both real and imagined On the gallery floor sits a circle of stuffed animals, ranging from monkeys and bears to dogs. Each one possesses a small, hand-crafted ceramic bowl with a pebble resting inside. The mysteriousness of this gathering provokes questions: what is this assembly of furry creatures? Charest's work transports the viewer into the psychological, imaginary and social realm of childhood by placing them in a setting among these amenable objects. Charest photographs teddy bears in front of famous paintings by Hals, Rubens and Goya. She does this to present a dialogue or imaginary story between the confidants of children (represented by the teddy bears), and the children depicted in the paintings. As an illustration of the dialogue between adult experience and childhood memory, these works are intended to provide an opportunity to explore those memories. By transporting the viewer into this ineffable time and place, Charest shares thoughts and feeling associated with childhood without resorting to sentimentality or nostalgia.

La ronde des oursons 1996, teddy bears, ceramics, pebbles. Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay