The wood's going to fly at Two Rivers Gallery on Thursday night.
The region's premier art facility will be displaying the works of Roderick Brown from May 13 to July 24 and the opening reception includes some live demonstrations of how he buzzes images of nature into nature itself. Brown will fire up his chainsaw and power-whittle some sort of flora or fauna image from a block of timber.
"With a focus on British Columbia wildlife, Brown has created sculptures of bear, caribou, wolves and salmon, which have been arranged, segmented and manipulated in order to allude to the Anthropocene era," said Megan Hunter-Gauthier, acting-assistant curator. "This exhibition invites viewers to consider the hierarchy of power among Earth's species, and what it means for humans to occupy the top position."
Brown is a Terrace-based artist. He needs tractors and power tools to create his works, not the paintbrushes and knives of so many artists. He specializes in wood, but can do both smooth and intricate work as well as the more conceptual slices and slashes of chainsaws.
"He is best known for his intricate woodcarvings of animals," said Hunter-Gauthier. "Brown's interest in the natural world influences much of his artistic practice and has brought him to consider such notions as the Anthropocene. Over recent years, the term 'Anthropocene' has been used by many scientists to describe Earth's most recent geological epoch; named for the unprecedented degree to which human beings have gained influence over the planet and the animals that inhabit it."
The reception, which includes discussions and demonstrations as well as refreshments and a sneak-peek of the full display in the Rustad Galleria, begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
