The Alberta Society of Artists

The ASA is a registered society under the regulations of the Province of Alberta. Its members include professional artists in all media as well as visual arts supporters.

 GO
Symbols in Civilization

Home > Exhibitions > Past Exhibitions > Symbols in Civilization

The exhibition will travel to Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat, Blairmore, Lethbridge and Calgary. Clicking on the respective city will provide you with the date and location of the exhibition.

Introduction
This exhibition commemorates the sixty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of The Alberta Society of Artists. It also celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of Alberta's Cultural Development Act, the first of its kind in North America. The exhibition will attempt to show the symbol-making impulses of human beings throughout history. The two and three dimensional works are all in some way human efforts in symbolic gesture. Each work is accompanied by a brief statement of the significance of its symbolic expression.

SYMBOLS are signs which stand for another object or idea. They can be natural objects, artifacts, or even abstract shapes or forms (like the triangle, the square, or the circle).

Ancient caves are decorated with 20,000 year old wall paintings. hand-sized "magic" pebbles, pieces of horn or bone were 'manually reshaped', consequently evolving into sculpture in the round. The bulbous female figure, known as the "Venus of Willendorf", was probably a mother or fertility symbol.

Advancing from the caves, where 'art' began, to the pyramids of Egypt, the great cathedrals, the sculptures and paintings of the Renaissance to the computer images of today, the use of symbols provides a kind of record of society. These artworks, whether conscious or unconscious, collectively reflect the common beliefs, practices and aspirations of a group of people.

In this exhibition individual artists 'visually voice' their yearnings for symbolic expression. These visual testimonies are the results of how artists use various media and processes to express their vision of the world, past and present.

Rosalette Mandryk
Exhibition Project Co-ordinator

Exhibition Itinerary:

The Works/ A Visual Arts Celebration
A. E. LePage Building, Edmonton, Alberta
June 28 - July 10, 1996

The Prairie Art Gallery
Grande Prairie, Alberta
October 26 - November 24, 1996

The Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery
Medicine Hat, Alberta
February 1 - March 1, 1997

Crowsnest Pass Allied Arts Council Gallery
Blairmore, Alberta
March 10 - April 18, 1997

The Bowman Arts Centre
Lethbridge, Alberta
May 1 - June 18, 1997

The Muttart Public Art Gallery
Calgary, Alberta
July 7 - August 2, 1997
  
Jurors' Statements

 It was a pleasure to assist in the jurying process for The Alberta Society of Artists' 1996 exhibition Symbols in Civilizations. I enjoyed having the opportunity to view a large number of artworks by members of the Society, and was impressed by the quality and variety of the work presented for adjudication. For sixty-five years The Alberta Society of Artists has played an important roll in the cultural life of the province, and Symbols in Civilizations offers ample evidence of the Society's continuing vitality and significance.

Russell Bingham
Freelance Art Consultant and Curator

Congratulations to The Alberta Society of Artists on its 65th anniversary and touring exhibition. "Symbols in Civilizations" shares with the viewer ideas and interpretations that reflect both the natural and built environments.

After the jury process I see that The Alberta Society of Artists greatest strength is in their members offering as art makers. The selections were made based upon the parameters within the exhibit's universal theme. All of the member artists submitted works that represented concepts of civilization such as: ancient scribblings depicting survival, human discovery of beauty, and the powerful forces of the natural/fabricated world.

My intent as a juror was to select the strongest symbols represented in the artworks. I thank the Society for inviting me to participate.

Vincent Gasparri
Artistic Director, The Works International Visual Arts Society

The theme of The Alberta Society of Artists' 1996 juried exhibition is Symbols in Civilization. Members were asked to submit artwork that incorporated symbols as used by human beings.

All submissions closely followed the theme and interpreted many different man-made and natural symbols such as the cat, the prairie grain elevator, flowers, survival and suffering. I feel the jury accomplished its goal of selecting the strongest artwork from artists that best interpreted the theme.

1996 marks the 65th anniversary of the founding of the ASA; congratulations and thank you for asking me to be a guest juror.

Brent J. Luebke
Private Fine Art Dealer, Lando Fine Art

 

List of Works

COLLEEN ANDERSON-MILLARD
Metamorphosis of the Life nd
Mixed Media on Canvas
33" X 32"

CAROLE BONDAROFF
Passover Plate I nd
Etching on Paper
12" X 18"

CAROLE BONDAROFF
Passover Plate II nd
Etching on Paper
12" X 18"

CAROLE BONDAROFF
Sabbath Plate: Breaking the Bread nd
Etching on Paper
12" X 18"

E. ROSS BRADLEY
Sculpture 1995
Conté on Grey Paper
24" X 18"

AUDREY REED BROWN
Fish Fractured Spaces, Fishing for Fishes: #9 1995
Mixed Media, Monotype Print on Paper
27" X 31"

LINDA CARNEY
Spirit River, Alberta 1996
Watercolour on Paper
18" X 23"

LOU POCKLINGTON COLE
Dream Keeper #1 nd
Acrylic, Ink, Rice on Paper
18" X 24"

LOU POCKLINGTON COLE
Dream Keeper #3 nd
Acrylic, Ink, Rice on Paper
18" X 24"

DUNCAN CURRIE
The Thorn (after a drawing Degas) nd
Bronze on Stone
10" X 11" X 16.5"

WILLIAM DUMA
Lilies with Casas Granges Pot 1996
Acrylic on Canvas
12" X 16"

WILLIAM DUMA
Tulips with Batik from Java 1996
Acrylic on Canvas
12 X 16

VIJA FINVERS
Church Spires 1996
Watercolour on Paper
15.75" X 12"

ANGELA GROOTELAAR
In the Garden 1995
Acrylic on Paper
22" X 30"

ANGELA GROOTELAAR
Rhododendrons 1995
Acrylic on Panel
22" X 30"

JUDY HAMILTON
Summer Wind 1995
Egg Tempera, Gold Leaf on panel
14" X 11"

JUDY HAMILTON
Dawn's Early Light 1995
Egg Tempera, Gold Leaf on panel
14" X 9.5"

MORLEY D. HOLLENBERG
Embrace / 4-073/95 1995
Chinese Ink on Paper
22" X 30"

MARJORIE JORDAN
My Cat (Blue/Grey #5) 1995
Interference Oil, Encaustic on Wood
24" X 20"

D. HELEN MACKIE
Bulls and Birds 1995
Woodblock on Paper
18" X 12.25"

CANDACE MAKOWICHUK
looking in, Sacred Ground Series nd
Silver Print on Paper
16" X 20"

CANDACE MAKOWICHUK
from the centre, Sacred Ground Series nd
Silver Print on Paper
16" X 20"

ROSALETTE MANDRYK
Pilgrims Carrying Offerings to a Temple in Bali 1996
Oil on Panel
24" X 18"

ROSALETTE MANDRYK
St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church (1905), Boian, Alberta 1996
Oil on Panel
12.5" X 16"

DONNA MILLER
Tranquil Waters 1996
Acrylic on Canvas
10" X 25"

DONNA MILLER
Light on Horses 1996
Acrylic on Canvas
11" X 25"

JAMES O. PAINTER
Bent Fence 1996
Watercolour on Paper
15" X 20"

BARBARA PATERSON
Creativity 1996
Fired Clay
11" X 13" X 14"

BARBARA PATERSON
Bridging 1995
Fired Clay
10" X 11" X 12"

RAYMA PETERSON
Tree of Life 1996
Watercolour
17.5" X 18.5"

SOPHIA PODRYHULA-SHAW
Elements of Duality 1996
Water Based Monotype/print, Mixed Media on Paper
23.25" X 17.25"

PHYLLIS POLANSKI
Buffalo 1996
Fired Clay
11" X 9.5" X 19.5"

JOAN VAN BELKUM
Gate to the Temple 1996
Watercolour on Paper
22" X 30"

ARLENE WASYLYNCHUK
Spring Rebirth I 1995
Oil on Canvas
21" X 23.25"

SIMON WONG
Man and His Land nd
Chinese Ink, Watercolour on rice paper
34" X 34"
 

CREDITS - EXHIBITION PRODUCTION

Anniversary Exhibition Project Co-ordinator:

  • Rosalette Mandryk

Special thanks for their assistance in collecting and transporting work for the second phase of jurying:

  • Calgary - Station Studio
  • Edmonton - Alberta Community Development, Beaver House

Thank you to all the Edmonton members who assisted in preparing the works for the second jurying and the premier opening at The Works Festival 1996.

Thanks also to the Provincial Executive for their ongoing support of the exhibition.

Promotion:

  • Ross Bradley
  • Rosalette Mandryk
  • Joan Wieser

The Works Advertising Design:

  • John Mount

CATALOGUE PRODUCTION AND DESIGN

  • Catalogue Committee: Maureen Harvey, Adeline Rockett
  • Design: Gerry Dotto
  • Text Development and Compilation: Ross Bradley
  • Editing: Bente Roed
  • Additional Photography: Ross Bradley

The Alberta Society of Artists gratefully acknowledges the on- going financial support of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. The fund raising efforts of members through regular casinos has made this travelling exhibition possible. The Society also recognizes the support of the galleries across the province that makes it possible to share our celebration with Albertans in all areas of the province.