Yael Brotman: Waterfront
Yael Brotman, “Mooring I," 2014
etching on Kurotani paper, foamcore, acrylic and aluminum, 44" x 25" x 11.5" (detail) photo by Larry Glawson
When it comes to nourishing her artistic vision, no distance is too far to travel for Toronto-based artist Yael Brotman. Her show, Waterfront, on view at Martha Street Studio in Winnipeg until Oct. 21, is a collection of pieces that resulted from residencies around the globe, from Haida Gwaii to Australia and Scotland, and back again.
Brotman’s work walks the tightrope ledge of landmasses that make contact with bodies of water. Her articulate interpretations of architectural impositions like bridges, rollercoasters and telephone poles, remind us of the connections between human touch and the natural world.
In one piece, she clatters paper-wrapped geometric rods out of smooth cylinders; in another, colour jolts the ends of an organic bend, taking the works back and forth between the constructed and the natural.
Yael Brotman, “Stand by water,” 2017
screenprint on Mylar, foamcore armatures, tape and hemp thread, 136” x 108” x 6” (dimensions variable) photo by Larry Glawson
In her artist’s statement, Brotman speaks of her interest in paradox. Her smaller sculptural works investigate this notion with more intimacy. She beautifully juxtaposes the delicacy and the crudeness of the materials she selects. Intricately patterned Mylar is industrial, yet luxurious; bound jumbles of wire swaddle twigs, grounding the structures. The sharp lines of branches give the works a modernist feel. Brotman’s love and deep understanding of both the mark and printmaking are evident in the soft black and grey braided patterns of tree bark she creates on delicate paper.
Geometry, history and place are honoured through the work, as a wall display outlining aspects of Brotman’s process makes clear. Photographs and newspaper clippings illustrate how she works, giving generous insights into her work and the issues surrounding it.
Brotman grew up in Winnipeg, experiencing the city’s mythical winters, and it’s easy to spot that season’s colour palette in her work. Columns of icy Mylar and tree-bark markings in a cold blue sit across from a heap of geometric ice blocks made from paper that has been given the same treatment. Evidence of the unnatural and brash is visible in the chunks of tape that hold together many of the sculptural works.
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Yael Brotman, “Waterfront,” 2017
installation view showing Blackfriars, Mooring I, Mooring II, Mooring III and Pier I (left to right) at Martha Street Studio, Winnipeg, photo by Larry Glawson
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Yael Brotman, “Pier I,” 2014
etching on Kurotani and Taiwanese papers, foamcore and acrylic, 22" x 30" x 18" photo by Larry Glawson
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Yael Brotman, “Purl Stone III,” 2017
etching on Kurotani paper, watercolour, willow and wire, 15.8” x 12” x 6.3” photo by Larry Glawson
The Canadian landscape has long interested artists. Jagged rocks, lush forests and clear cool waters have been reinterpreted in various media and styles. Brotman’s show offers a new view of waterfront vistas, here and beyond, asking viewers to think about what was, what is, and what can be.
Martha Street Studio
11 Martha St, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1A2
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Tues to Fri 10 am - 5 pm, Sat Noon - 5 pm
