Lorène Bourgeois & Chris Dow @ loop Gallery, 1273 Dundas St. W., June 19 - July 11, 2010 June 20, 2010

loop Gallery is pleased to announce exhibitions by loop members Lorène Bourgeois entitled Près du corps and Chris Dow entitled Landscapes.

Lorène Bourgeois’ Près du corps, “close to the body”, is a series of large-scale drawings in Conté and charcoal exploring the relationship of cloth and clothing to the body and head.

The artist is interested in the physical qualities of clothing - the manner by which garments may frame or envelop the body – the similarity of folds, buttons, and stitched openings to skin, creases, and scars. Près du corps is a reflection upon the ambiguous qualities of clothing and head wear, and upon the strange ability of such objects to oscillate between function, absurdity, and menace.

Born in France, Lorène Bourgeois has been living in Canada since 1984. Trained in Paris, Philadelphia and Halifax (MFA, NSCAD, 1986), her work in drawing, painting, and printmaking, has been exhibited across Canada, France, Korea, Russia, and the United States. She is represented in numerous private and public collections. Lorène Bourgeois gratefully acknowledges the support of The Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.

Lorène will speak about her work during a Question & Answer Session at the gallery on Saturday, July 10, 3pm.

Chris Dow explains, “For myself, painting is, in essence, an ethereal endeavour. Painting requires exploring feelings or perception that come from some place not understood and a place where words do not exist. The act of painting is experienced and the subject matter is a convenient starting point. I like painting outdoors and the way this requires intuitive response. Working in the studio forces me to take a contemplative approach, this is often more of a problem solving process where the problem itself is not an intellectual one.”

Chris Dow has spent several of the past six years living abroad in both Japan and Australia, writing software and painting in his spare time. Dow has exhibited in galleries across Canada as well as in Italy through the Ontario College of Art & Design.

Please join the artists in celebrating the opening reception on Saturday, June 19th from 2-5 pm.

The exhibitions run until July 11, 2010.

Gallery Hours: Wed - Sat 1 to 5 pm, and Sun 1 to 4pm. Artist is in attendance on Sundays and for the reception.

For more information please contact the gallery director at 416-516-2581 or www.loopgallery.ca

Official Website: http://www.loopgallery.ca