October 15, 2009

ERYN FOSTER, JOHN VAN DER WOUDE AND BRENT LEWIN EXHIBITIONS OPEN OCTOBER 23 AT GALLERY 44

OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 28, 2009
OPENING RECEPTION: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 6 - 9PM

THE ARTISTS WILL BE AT THE OPENING AND WILL GIVE A BRIEF TALK AT 6PM

MAIN GALLERY
Google Earth: Eryn Foster and John van der Woude

From the first aerial photograph made by Nadar in 1858 to the first fully illuminated view of planet Earth taken by the crew of Apollo 17 in 1972 to the release of Google Earth 3.0 in 2005, our access to views of the Earth has increased exponentially. In their exhibition at Gallery 44, Eryn Foster and John van der Woude demonstrate what can be done with the visual information made publicly available today by Google Earth.

In Eryn Foster’s animation, Flight Simulation, aerial perspectives of the landscape coalesce into the abstract renderings and discontinuous movements of computer-generated images. Flight Simulation thus brings to our attention the sociological distance we have traversed from being airplanes passengers to being “virtual navigators”—as Foster refers to the users of Google Earth—and how this “developed” perspective affects our relationship to the Earth.

John van der Woude’s series of photographs, Airports—composites of satellite images downloaded from Google Earth—show us in astonishing detail the nine busiest airports in the world. Van der Woude refers to the airport as “a metaphor for the ultimate strength and weakness of contemporary life”. Beyond their formal beauty, his images immediately bring to mind issues of accessibility in an age when populous locations are prime terrorist targets.

Eryn Foster is an interdisciplinary artist who currently lives and works in Halifax, Nova Scotia. John van der Woude is a photographic and new media artist who currently lives and works in Montreal.

VITRINES
Brent Lewin: Waste Not, Want Not

The images in the series Want Not, Waste Not were photographed at various tipping floors and material recovery facilities in the greater Toronto area. The images have a simple message: humans produce a lot of waste, and it does not disappear when it's left at the curb for pick-up.

Brent Lewin is a self-taught photographer whose work has been published in several magazines including National Geographic.

An exhibition catalogue accompanies the exhibitions. It can also be read online at http://www.gallery44.org

Gallery 44 is located at 401 Richmond Street West, Suite 120, Toronto.