Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Lorène Bourgeois and Ingrid Mida at loop Gallery

loop Gallery is pleased to announce exhibitions by loop members Lorène Bourgeois entitled Entourage, and Ingrid Mida entitled Constructions of Femininity.

Lorène Bourgeois, White Mantle, conté drawing on paper, 57” x 45 ¼”, 2012
With Entourage, Lorène Bourgeois juxtaposes large-scale drawings on paper with smaller paintings in oil on slate.  Her images investigate the ambiguity of the face, the head, and the body, disclosed or obscured through clothing, framing and head-dress. Here, head-dress is examined not only for its social or utilitarian functions, but also as a framing device and a theatrical artifact.  A woman’s bonnet, the veil of a nun, or a bow tied upon a girl’s head are reconsidered in these works as objects of strange beauty.

Lorène Bourgeois lives and works in Toronto.  Her work has been exhibited across Canada, as well as in France, Korea, Russia, and the U.S.  She is represented in numerous collections, including the Canada Council Art Bank, the Banff Centre for the Arts, The Department of Foreign Affairs, Ernst & Young, the MOCCA, the National Bank of Canada, and the Hart House and Donovan Collections at the University of Toronto.

Stephanie, mixed media, 2012
This latest installation by Ingrid Mida is an exploration of the artifice of feminine dress and identity.  This work juxtaposes the extreme silhouettes of the 18th century dress with the armour of the modern day hockey warrior in a whimsical celebration of the power of sport to redefine femininity. Inspired by young women hockey players who display feats of courage, strength and power, hockey equipment has been transformed with feminine signifiers of ribbon, sequins and beading, and then paired with historical silhouettes made from mesh.

Ingrid Mida is a Toronto-based artist, and author of the popular blog Fashion is my Muse! She was the keynote speaker at the Costume Society of America mid-west conference in the fall of 2011 on the topic of "When does Fashion Become Art?" and will speak at the Fashion Tales Conference in Milan in June 2012 on "The Metaphysics of Fashion Blogging."