CATHERINE BURGESS: "Absence/Presence," Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton July 14 – Oct. 14, 2012

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"Everything"

Catherine Burgess, "Everything," 2012, Courtesy of the artist.

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"Gone"

Catherine Burgess, "Gone," 2011, Courtesy of the artist.

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"Everything"

Catherine Burgess, "Everything," 2012, Courtesy of the artist.

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"Echo"

Catherine Burgess, "Echo," 2012, Courtesy of the artist.

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CATHERINE BURGESS: Absence/Presence

Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton

July 14 – Oct. 14, 2012

By Mary-Beth Laviolette

Absence/Presence, the evocative subtitle of this exhibition, addresses the seven new sculptural works on display but also, on another level, the longstanding practice of this senior artist. Catherine Burgess is a veteran of the Edmonton art scene and, in a sense, a survivor of a long period when abstract metal sculpture has been – in the face of other contemporary art developments – largely relegated to the periphery. Nonetheless, despite the absence of wider national recognition, Burgess has maintained a committed presence with this idiom. And, once again, what is eloquently on display reminds me of her contribution.

Here, the notion of presence and absence is both physical and metaphorical. Each work consists of three to five simply arranged objects, shapes or forms with an existential quality – what is there and what is not. In Gone, for instance, one element, a rectangular box, has a metal frame but no sides to enclose it. In Echo, only half a granite sphere is present, while in Everything, two sides of a metal container are absent.

In a similar vein, the artist renders what easily could have been three-dimensional forms into flattened two-dimensional geometric shapes. Made from steel, lead or aluminum and arranged on the floor or attached to the wall, these impossibly thin elements are not just ambiguous – they defy what many would consider sculptural.

Indeed, there is nothing elaborate about the objects Burgess has assembled, and while this simplicity, even purity, makes Absence/Presence easy to apprehend visually, some deeper and intangible quality connects them. Edmonton artist Blair Brennan, who wrote the exhibition essay, quotes an idea from British artist Tony Cragg that “sculpture represents a kind of thinking about materials.” Clearly, Burgess excels at this kind of thinking, displaying great sensitivity for her materials.

With the exception of a few found objects, including a large silver ladle, the elements appear hand-fabricated and bear Burgess’ exquisite workmanship. The art of nuance is definitely at play in their making and placement as well as each work’s overall balance. But as judicious and refined as all of this is, each piece also has an assertive presence and occupies the gallery with clear intent. So much so, that I wondered if less work could have been displayed. The gallery did seem a little crowded.

Inviting Brennan, a younger Edmonton-based multimedia artist with different means and concerns than Burgess, to provide his interpretation of the work in the exhibition essay, should be commended. This kind of reflection by a colleague is one way such writing can be more than just a routine exercise.