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THE OPENING is all about delving into the fascinating, quirky and wonderful visual arts in Vancouver. Each week we’ll feature an artist, cover an exhibition, discuss a lecture and everything else in-between to delve deep into who and what makes art happen! |
Installation view at FIELD Contemporary: Sunny Side Up, Christopher Kuhn, 2014.
Nestled comfortably between a burrito place and a possibly-closed travel agency at 17 West Broadway (at Ontario St,) FIELD Contemporary is an welcome presence in Vancouver's artistic community. Founded in 2013 by Owner/Director Daniel Jefferies and Associate Directors Avalon Mott and Brandon Cotter, FIELD has already staged impressive exhibitions of work by Stephanie Aitken, Christopher Kuhn, Russell Leng, Sandra Osborne, Jason Deary, Eric Miranda, David Roth, Kuh Del Rosario, Scott Lewis, a group show organized by artist Graham Landin so chock-full of Vancouver painting that I visited three times before even beginning to absorb it, and so much more. Opening July 17th is The Oasis, an exhibition about mini golf (yes!) curated by Justine Gabias. The show features work by Steve Hubert, Mark Delong, Allison Tweedie and Vanessa Brown. Rumor has it that putter and ball rental is free.
There's something especially impressive about the quality of shows that FIELD has consistently mounted since opening, particularly when one notes that all three directors are under thirty. Jefferies and Cotter, both painters, have kept studios in the back. Mott, a photographer and independent curator makes a point of moderating discussions and talks with exhibiting artists to engage the public. It's one of the most attractive qualities about FIELD: while putting on smart and ambitious shows, accessibility and unpretentiousness make it a welcoming place for viewers. The staff is incredibly generous with their time and conversation. I took to dropping in with Popsicles just to trick them into becoming my friends. Hint: it worked, if you want to try it. Mott, Jefferies and I chatted about the gallery below.
David Roth and Eric Miranda, Special Offer: By the pound, by the foot. 2014
ELLIAT ALBRECHT: It's really exciting to see three young people running a gallery with such professionalism and expertise. How did FIELD begin?
DANIEL JEFFERIES: There are three of us that started the gallery, Avalon Mott, Brandon Cotter, and myself. At the end of 2013, I returned from San Francisco to Vancouver looking for a new project after completing grad school. Opening a gallery was something that I had wanted to do for a few years and the opportunity was available. I asked Brandon, who I met in 2006 during our undergrads at Emily Carr, if he would be interested in doing this with me. Around the same time he had introduced me to Avalon who had just completed her BFA at Emily Carr. She was pursuing similar interests and we thought it fit that she should join the team.
I spent a few months walking around Vancouver and reintroducing myself to it's neighbourhoods. The city had changed since I had left and the Broadway corridor had become an interesting prospect. I wanted to find a location that was in development and the gallery could settle in and grow with it's surroundings. After viewing a few potential spaces, I came across a subtle lease sign on the window of 17 W Broadway. The space needed some work but we utilized its history and quirks.
EA: Why were you interested in running a gallery?
AVALON MOTT: I had always had an interest for curation while going through my BFA at Ryerson and Emily Carr. At ECUAD, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do co-op terms with Satellite Gallery, 221A, and Catriona Jefferies. It was during the time when I was working at these different spaces that I came to the enlightenment that I wanted to be involved with the gallery world long term. FIELD is really special because its mandate was developed from scratch by Daniel, Brandon and myself to reflect what we wanted our gallery to be about.
DJ: I wanted to provide an opportunity to artists that I think are doing amazing, expose their work to a larger group of people and to allow a new audience to see something unfamiliar. There's something really great about being able to bring artists from all over the place, put them in the gallery and let an audience experience their practice. There's been a lot of enjoyment from bringing artists together and introducing them to one another; creating new connections and shortening the geographic gap between far places. Creating a space that would allow a dialogue for contemporary art and let emerging artists be a part of this conversation has been very important.
EA: What's the mandate of the gallery?
AM: FIELD seeks to respond analytically to a society saturated with imagery. Through curation and programming, cultural dialogue concerned with contemporary art aesthetics will support the potential for visual response to theory. FIELD provides mechanisms for patrons, allowing for a further understanding of contemporary art in an accessible environment.
EA: Where do you see the gallery going in the future?
DJ: There are a few ideas and projects that have been in development for the past little while. I would like to provide artists from out of town a chance to bring their studio practice to the city and some larger out of town projects are always something I am thinking about. Right now, I think we are all happy with how the gallery is going and you can be looking at some interesting programming in the upcoming year.
See you at the opening of The Oasis on July 17th, sweet reminders of middle school dating included.
