JUST ACT NATURAL

Curated by Lisa Visser

Studio22
320 King St. East (2nd Floor), Kingston, ON K7L 3B4
Creative Directors: Ally and Hirsch Jacob
613.842.9895 map studio22 homepage

Exhibition: June 25–27th, 2010, 1–5pm daily
Reception: Saturday, June 26th, 2010, 7-10pm

Just Act Natural is a multidisciplinary exhibition, featuring video, performative and sculptural works alongside photography and two-dimensional artworks, all of which will investigate the tenuous relationship between humans and animals.

Through creative and critical dialogue, this exhibition will investigate a long and proliferating history of animal representation in contemporary art practice. Just Act Natural features artists who bring to light issues of domesticity, capture and deportation, animal as educator or pedagogical tool, and the ethics and politics of cuteness. Reaching across the species boundaries and identifying linkages in human-animal or animal-animal relationships, this exhibition will present the animal issue through the lens of humour and a sense of hopefulness, while addressing critical issues of the animal gaze, colonization and loneliness. This exhibition will bring together critical art practices that push the boundaries of our everyday approach to, and understanding of, animals, bringing the audience into this thought-provoking, interesting, and creatively engaging exhibition.

Featuring new work by:

Darryl Bank	D.R. Harper	Lauren Hortie
Hyein Lee	Julia Mensink	Laura Paolini
Mark Prier	Nicole Rayburn	Nikki Reimer
Talie Shalmon	Tamara Sponder	Jennie Suddick
Matthew Williamson

View artist statements and biographies.

Some of the artwork only exists online:

Matthew Williamson geographically maps photos of cats that have been matched with similar looking LOLcats: LOLCat Map

Mark Prier records and captures bird language on Twitter: Tweeting Bird Song Mnemonics

Exhibition Reception:

Just Act Natural invites everyone to the opening reception on Saturday June 26, from 7-10pm. Some of the artists will be in attendance to discuss their work in the context of the Animals and Animality conference. The reception will include a reading of creative writing by Chris Urquhart (University of British Columbia, Creative Writing). Refreshments will be provided.

The exhibition has been designed in conjunction with the academic conference. All conference participants and attendees are encouraged to attend.

Just Act Natural Poster:

Downloadable PDF Version

Exhibition Contact:

Lisa Visser (visser.lisa@gmail.com)

Reception Contact:

Jess Roberts, Laura McGavin, and Jaime Denike (jaime.j.s.denike@queensu.ca)
Lisa Visser (visser.lisa@gmail.com)

Image Credit:

Mark Prier, Calling Crows, performance, 2005. Photography by Gareth Lichty. Performed in Corner Brook, NL: "Every Wednesday throughout 2005, I went out on my apartment balcony in a crow mask and black suit to call crows using a crow call."