Salt Spring’s premiere art show focusing on overlooked, forgotten or downright reviled materials is back for the third edition, with another round of creative artworks that are at times humorous, eye-pleasing and poignant.
Jumping into the humorous category at the Salt Spring Gallery guest show is “2 Flying Sheep,” a pair of nearly life-sized models suspended from the ceiling. Alison Sparshu somehow made use of recycled feed bags plus foam board and plastic to create realistic woolly fleeces set over sweetly sculpted faces and legs. It’s always a pleasure when materials relate so well to the created object; these sheep would be favourites even without knowing the connection.
Husband Jeri Sparshu meanwhile puts his skills at the farrier’s forge to use in a variety of art objects, including a beautiful large green bell made from an expired oxygen can and a horseshoe, and a sculptural piece made from the door of his first car.
Sam Holmes is the sole student artist this year, and shows adult-level skills in his sculpture Scarlett Macau. Welded from scraps of recycled iron, the piece has great texture and makes good use of the component forms within the assemblage.
Too many other artists to mention also have innovative and remarkable pieces in the show. It continues to March 28 in the rear exhibition room at Salt Spring Gallery.
For more on this story, see the March 21, 2018 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, or subscribe online.