The Robert McLaughlin Gallery begins its 50th anniversary year by celebrating regional artists, a community who have been at the heart of the gallery since its conception. Durham Reach is the most comprehensive public exhibition of artists from the area to date and showcases the work of over 70 artists. I am delighted to be part of this exhibition. I wish to thank the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Canada for funding support.
Zoned Out is a sculptural installation comprising of a large clearance zone, flanked by clusters of smaller zones, which converge and unfold on top of one another, competing and jostling for monopoly of a finite space. The homogeneity of the forms stems from a branch of urban semiotics associated with urban planning. The actual forms themselves are mapped and modelled from clearance zones found in public and private parking lots located in Oshawa’s central core.
The title Zoned Out refers to the use of urban planning tools and the potential exclusionary impact of zoning ordinances to segregate certain demographics while marginalizing or displacing others.
With this in mind, the installation amounts to a mapping of socially contentious zones, while attempting to document and interpret patterns of urbanization, pedestrian safety, and rezoning strategies.
https://www.facebook.com/events/177465976056144/
January 28 – April 02, 2017 in the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Ontario.
Opening Reception: Friday, January 27, 7-10pm
Susan Campbell 