A new community art studio and gallery called Inspace is opening its doors in Cumberland this weekend.
Located at 2726B Dunsmuir Ave., Inspace offers access to its photography darkroom, screen-printing facilities, work tables and print station for a small monthly membership fee of $15. The opening of Inspace on Saturday at 7 p.m. is marked with its first art opening of the exciting and ultra contemporary series of paintings called Altered States by Ed Spence.
Spence grew up in Salmon Arm, studied Fine Arts at UBCO (formerly Okanagan University College) and is currently based in Vancouver. His work has appeared in two solo exhibitions at Grace Gallery, as part of SWARM, 12 Minutes Max and the Drift festivals, as well as numerous group exhibitions.
In this body of work, collectively titled Altered States, the act of defiling the surface undermines the authority of the static image and provides commentary on a variety of issues. Technology, progress and spirituality are just a few subjects that are addressed as images from the past are reimagined.
The meticulous process of splicing images has been likened to methods pioneered by early rap production such as sampling, looping and mixing.
By virtue of its political slant and quasi-destructive nature, Spence’s art has also been compared to graffiti or street art, in which the unwitting cultural detritus becomes the surface of the artwork itself.
Spence’s blog (http://edwardjspence.wordpress.com) has a selection of paintings from the series Altered States, which can be viewed to get an idea of the meticulous attention to detail and his fascinating commentary of popular and contemporary culture.
The reception of Altered States, which is doubling as Inspace’s grand opening, will also feature musical performances by Lexus and the Luke Guthrie Band.
After the opening, everyone is encouraged to check out the dance party at the Waverley Hotel hosted by Cumberland Village Works and Sew Sisters called Hightide. Entry is only $5 and features a mix of local DJs.
— Inspace