It’s a curatorial collaboration: Galerie Trois Points is welcoming three Ontario artists represented by Toronto’s p|m gallery. On display are the three abstract painters William Griffiths, Meghan McKnight, and Amanda Reeves. In return, p|m gallery will present three artists from Galerie Trois Points’ stable in Toronto next spring. Kudos to both galleries for this innovative approach to introducing talent into a new market!

I am particularly taken by William Griffiths’ thick, shimmering paintings. His lush, layered works are packed with translucent acrylic “skins” in vivid greens and deep, chocolatey browns. These skins are created by pouring acrylic gel onto a non-stick surface and allowing it to dry (a process which can take several days) and then peeling them off. By layering these films on top of each other, Griffiths creates both physical and optical depth. I am reminded of looking through a thick slab of pond ice, especially in the piece titled Rebirth. The artist also carves through the layers of acrylic paints, excavating colours and textures, and even embedding small objects, such as the compass in the painting Motion.

Meghan McKnight also uses thick paint, but her process is much more controlled. McKnight’s paintings look as though the artist covered her canvases with a thick layer of icing sugar. Working mostly with white acrylic paint, she creates concentric, amorphous shapes by placing small dabs of thick paint next to each other. The crests of the paint-slabs are sharp, jutting out of the surface like a thousand tiny blades. Instinctively I kept my distance from McKnight’s works – despite their gentle gradation of colours they exuded a mildly dangerous vibe.

By contrast Amanda Reeves’ works look tame, her cool and collected geometric shapes float calmly on flat background colours. It is only after looking at her works for a while that the depth of Reeves’ works begins to emerge. Her backgrounds are not flat colours at all, but very subtly toned to suggest a third dimension. Her repeating geometric motif, reminiscent of leaves, waves, or feathers, creates a perfect balance of colour and shape.

This trio of Ontario artists is certainly worth a visit, and maybe this exhibition will inspire further ‘cultural exchanges.’

Galerie Trois Points, space 520
William Griffiths, Meghan McKnight, Amanda Reeves
p|m gallery @ Montreal
November 12 – December 17, 2011
www.galerietroispoints.qc.ca