Gathie Falk: Revelations

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Gathie Falk, “14 Grapefruits,” 1970, earthenware, 13.5" x 13.5" x 11" (private collection, photo by Rachel Topham Photography © Gathie Falk)

Luscious piles of glossy ceramic fruits, highly detailed earthenware shoes, countless cabbages, and papier-mâché dresses made for ghosts. Gathie Falk’s works make practical things fascinating. 

Her sculptural work, painting practice, and performance pieces ceaselessly point back to things that are useful, materials for the everyday, now elevated as art. In Gathie Falk: Revelations, a touring exhibition organized and circulated by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, now at the Audain Art Museum in Whistler, B.C., until May 6, a small retrospective of Falk’s artworks is on view, showcasing the artist’s unique approach to the world of objects. 

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Gathie Falk, “14 Rotten Apples,” 1970, earthenware, 7.5" x 11" x 10" (courtesy of Vancouver Art Gallery © Gathie Falk)

Falk, now in her 90s, is the daughter of German-speaking Mennonites who emigrated to the Canadian Prairies in 1926 to escape religious persecution in Russia. Her father died of pneumonia a year after her birth in 1928, and Falk’s upbringing meant she grew up quickly, eventually leaving school to find employment and to care for her mother. For much of her early life, she was working to make do, mainly in low-paying factory jobs. This perhaps lends to the significance of food and clothing as recurring subject matter throughout her oeuvre, as they would have been but scarcities in her formative years.

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Gathie Falk, “The Problem with Wedding Veils,” 2010-2011, papier-mâché, rocks, 64" x 71" (collection of the artist, photo courtesy of Equinox Gallery/Scott Massey © Gathie Falk)

The show is largely presented in chronological order, opening with Falk’s painted works, many made in the early- to mid-1960s. Brightly coloured and figural, the degree of abstraction she maintains and the quality of movement gestures towards her interest in German Expressionism. In particular, the paintings Crucifixion I and The Banquet offer beautiful evidence of her inclination towards this style, maintaining a kind of distorted reality and demonstrating Falk’s capacity towards high art. 

Of course, the works she has become known for — pyramids of round grapefruits, blood oranges, apples and navel oranges, each ranging in size and number — also greet the viewer. They do not disappoint. There is something inherently sexy about the curvature of the fruit and the glossy and glorious qualities of their firm colourful skins which is so smartly countered by the perfection in which they are stacked. These are immensely pleasing forms that speak in both sensuous and matter-of-fact tones. 

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Gathie Falk, “Eight Red Boots,” 1973, red-glazed ceramic in painted plywood and glass cabinet, 40" x 42" x 6” (photo courtesy of National Gallery of Canada © Gathie Falk)

Other works such as 1973’s Eight Red Boots and Single Right Men’s Shoes, from the same year, as well as a large collection of hanging ceramic cabbages show off Falk’s wry humour and attention to detail. She hides a strawberry in one of the boots, paints individual roses inside others; meanwhile, the right-footed shoes are delightfully monotone in a rich orange, or barely serious as black and white brogues, and the cabbages, on lend from individual owners, are leaf-to-leaf unique. 

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Gathie Falk, “Picnic with Dog,” circa 1976, ceramic, paint media, 24" x 18.5" x 28" (courtesy of Vancouver Art Gallery © Gathie Falk)

Falk was trained by national treasure and ceramicist Glenn Lewis, while completing her studies in visual art at the University of British Columbia. Lewis’s influence shows through in Falk’s work, as his keen awareness of the things of daily life equally dominates his subject matter. Like Falk, Lewis’ work doesn’t take itself too seriously. 

Falk’s show is an absolute breath of fresh air. I arrived news-weary and tired but felt nothing but joy during my time in the museum, gratitude for the beauty, humour, and perfection of minor things. ■

Gathie Falk: Revelations is on view now at the Audain Art Museum in Whistler, B.C., until May 6, 2024.

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