Presently the Galerie Trois Points is showcasing two solo exhibitions simultaneously.

We first meet with the work of Clint Griffin in an exhibition titled Not Staying. Griffin is a Canadian artist based in Toronto. For me the most interesting piece of this exhibition is House and Home (2013). A photography is hung on the wall, but the shape of a house has been cut out of the picture. However a model house is placed in front of the picture and when the viewer looks from a certain angle the house merges in the two dimensional picture, almost erasing itself from the gallery space. The artist is challenging our understanding of dimension and time. The past, represented by the photography, and the present, represented by the model house, combine into one unique, yet fleeting moment.
The theme of ‘merging’ is a constant throughout the exhibition, as illustrated by the artist’s use of collage: cutting photographs and piecing them together like a puzzle. In addition he also paints or draws new elements in these mixed and matched pictures merging different mediums. Griffin uses another type of collage that I had never encountered before. More superposition than collage, he juxtaposes what seems like hundreds of photographs one on top of the other, leaving only the topmost one visible. However the presence of these unseen photographs is eloquent, suggesting a life full of events, people, and places, just under the surface.

Endlessly Looping is the second solo exhibition in the gallery, comprised of the paintings and drawings of Erik Jerezano. This Mexican-born artist plays with the themes of transition and transformation, creating new mythologies and icons. At first glance they seem almost childish, with large shapes, simple pencil lines, restricted color palettes and a blank background. The viewer has to get closer, at which point they are taken into a world of endless motion. Organic shapes, plants, creatures from the realms of the imagination seem to fight for their place on the canvas. “In a small exhibition to his subconscious”* the drawings create a world of their own by interacting with each other and luring the viewer within. There seems to be a dialogue between the canvases; a dialogue so clear we can almost hear the chatter.

Although the two artists have different approaches and techniques all together it is easy to understand why they where chosen to be presented simultaneously. They both approach the idea of different spaces and times interacting with each other (past/present – imagination/our world) through techniques that solicit interaction with the viewer whether it be there position in the room or invoking their own imagination.

* From press release.

Galerie Trois Points
Clint Griffin: Not Staying
Erik Jerezano: Endlessly Looping
November 23 – December 21, 2013
www.galerietroispoints.com