About the Centre
Support the Centre
Art Gallery
Arts Education
Choral Music
Heritage
On Stage
Live @ the Centre
Over the next few months, we’re in conversation with artists, curators, and others regarding our current exhibitions at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery.
This week, we chat with Reva Stone, Diana Thorneycroft, and Aganetha Dyck. All three artists are featured in the current exhibition Together Apart: Under One Roof, which runs at the CCAG until October 27.
Together Apart: Under One Roof demonstrates your collective voices and feminist bond, as well as your individual talents. What drew you to each other, and what has made your friendship and collaborations withstand the test of time?
Reva: In some ways it was a lucky accident – Diana and I found a beautiful large space and realized that Aganetha was looking for a new studio. We were able to carve up the space to fit each of our needs and the rest is history.
We began a 30-year connection in which we shared a studio space, got to know each other better and a bond that contributed to our artistic growth and development. How did we withstand the test of time – we had a strong respect for each other, were willing to share information and contacts and laughed an incredible amount.
The show is a tremendous example of celebrating your individuality as artists and your friendships with each other. Which pieces are you most proud of (from your own works or your co-artists)?
We have decided to respond to this by each choosing to talk about another artist.
Aganetha’s response to Reva’s work:
When I look at Reva’s four pieces in the exhibition, the first thing that I think about them is that they remind me of historical sculpture. I can see them as huge sculptures in an outdoor space. They are futuristic at the same time as they represent the past.
Reva’s response to Diana’s work:
I have been able to watch Diana’s work develop over more than 30 years. It has been such a privilege to have such a direct connection to her artistic and personal growth over time. I would like to talk about her diorama in the exhibition. To me this diorama is a symbol of what is yet to come – very strong animation works that synthesize how she thinks about making work, her conceptual interests, her incredible work ethic, and even who she is in the world
Diana’s response to Aganetha’s piece Drawing With the Bees, 2000-2010.
Aganetha has often talked about the importance of her collaboration with bees, and this piece is no exception. We clearly see the contribution they have made to the paper, and how Aganetha has mimicked their marks in the stitches that appear to make the paper seem to have come from a sketch book. But she has also collaborated with two other entities: Dr. E. Assmuss, the mid 19th– century entomologist, who was such an inspiration to her she created a decade worth of drawings based on his research, and Martha Street Printmakers, the printshop that contracted Aganetha to produce a suite of etchings, this being one of several.
In Drawing With the Bees, 2000-2010, I also feel the presence of Joseph Beuys, another alchemist who was deeply interested in natural sciences, and similarly, embraced unconventional materials – like wax, felt, honey and found objects. The fact that the frame sits on two folded felt blankets is no coincidence. Both of these iconic artists have made a profound impact on the culture of their time and their work will live on in perpetuity.
Dyck, Agnetha. Drawing with the Bees, 2000-2010. Ink on paper, beeswax.
As demonstrated throughout the exhibition, artwork is often best represented through unity; however, sharing your space and practice can also be a challenge. What advice would you give to other artists who are embarking on group projects?
Make sure everyone in the group has a sense of humour! The three of us frequently have intense conversations but we always end them with a belly laugh. Within the shared studio, we respected each other’s spaces and made sure anyone visiting did the same thing. Communication is another key ingredient. Meeting regularly as a group to discuss issues that pertain to the space or project enables stability but also allows for shifts in perspective. And finally, encourage a non-competitive atmosphere by sharing visiting curators, potential opportunities and celebrating each other’s successes.
Erica Rutherford’s current retrospective is also on view at CCAG. In what ways do you feel your own body of work is in conversation (if at all) with Rutherford?
Diana: Between the three of us, I would say that my work connects the most with Erica Rutherford’s paintings, specifically, her series of paintings entitled The Human Comedy.
Many of our compositions are eerily similar. We both often employ a simple landscape or horizon line in the background that gives the illusion of three-dimensional space. Although her painting marks are very different from my drawing style, Hieronymus Bosch’s influence is evident in the subject matter we have embraced. Masked creatures, human-animal hybrids, and strange-looking bodies appear to be participating in some kind of event, but understanding the occasion remains a mystery. I also like to believe that Erica and I both found pleasure in keeping things unsettled.
Erica Rutherford. The Reunion, 1997. Oil on canvas.
Diana Thorneycroft. The Skater, His Mother, Lover and Litigator, 2021. Colored pencil crayon on paper.