In their current exhibition of work at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery, Donna Balma (On the Bus) and FrancineDesjardins (Off the Bus) show that inspiration can be found on - and off - public transit.
With styles as divergent as their life-paths, Balma and Desjardins exhibit a shared passion for exploration of media and the human experience.
In Balma's case, her current exploration evolved from her regular commutes on the bus. With gentle humour, she turns a bus ride into an exploration of "how humans adapt to the space available" in a series of lighthearted studies termed "retral portraiture."
Noted for her broad, often wacky humour, Balma enjoys creating works that provoke smiles as well as introspection. Her performance art and limited-edition comic books featuring a troop of off-the-grid nuns loosely modelled on art expert Sister Wendy Beckett had a devoted cult following on the Coast. Balma sees nothing particularly unusual in her current source of inspiration: "As artists, we have to entertain ourselves. There is a fine line between boredom and meditation, in a way."Francine Desjardins finds her inspiration off the bus, in the texture, colour and form of materials so common as to be overlooked: whorls of fingerprints, geometric angles of circuitry, rusted bits of machinery.Those familiar with her figurative work will be surprised at Desjardins' current direction.
Influenced in particular by Vancouver artist Pnina Granire and Montreal's Françoise Sullivan, Desjardins has been simplifying her approach to studies in form and shape - incorporating mixed media, exploring texture and moving away dramatically from the figurative to the abstract. Where Desjardins uses found objects in her paintings, Balma uses found techniques.
Finding beauty in the partially-burned corners of milk cartons, she has experimented with "smoke as a medium." The result, a collage of smoky, singed materials compiled into a portrait, is strikingly unusual and thought-provoking.Balma and Desjardins will be on hand at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery for their show's opening reception on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. The exhibition continues through to Nov. 17. Gibsons Public Art Gallery, downstairs at 287 Gower Point Rd., is open Thursday through Monday, noon to 4 p.m.
