Shary Boyle
"White Elephant"
Presented as part of the CAFKA.21 Biennial, "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost"
cafka21.cafka.org
On view July 22 - August 7, 2021
Location: Cambridge Art Galleries | Idea Exchange, Queens Square, Cambridge
CAFKA had the pleasure of visiting artist Shary Boyle's studio during the production of commissioned sculpture 'White Elephant' (2021). Please enjoy, 'In The Studio' by Terry O'Neill and Tara Cooper; a short film capturing an intimate look behind the scenes of this work's creation.
White Elephant is a 9-foot tall, oversized, elongated, disproportionate seated figure all in white, with a head that electro-mechanically rotates at irregular intervals. This gigantic sculpture is constructed with structural steel and shaped with foam, dressed in a custom hand-knitted sweater, bespoke trousers, sourced dress shoes and a wig. The hands and face are rendered in porcelain.
cafka21.cafka....
Shary Boyle works across diverse media, including sculpture, drawing, installation and performance. She is known for her bold, fantastical explorations of the figure. Highly crafted and deeply imaginative, her practice is activated through collaboration, volunteerism and apprenticeship. Boyle's work considers the social history of ceramic figurines, animist mythologies, antiquated technologies and folk art forms to create a symbolic, feminist and politically charged language uniquely her own.
Shary Boyle's work is exhibited and collected internationally. She represented Canada with her project Music for Silence at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013, and has been commissioned to create a new project for the 2021 Kaunus Biennial in Lithuania. Boyle is the recipient of Canada's Hnatyshyn Foundation Award and the Gershon Iskowitz Prize. In 2021, the Ontario College of Art and Design University awarded her with an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts.
Shary Boyle's Artist Talk: • CAFKA.21: Artist Talk ...
Film by Terry O'Neill and Tara Cooper
Music: Lens Distortion
Shary Boyle has launched a public Instagram account to share her studio and research as part of White Elephant. Follow @white_elephant_2021 to get a glimpse behind-the-scenes:
/ white_elephant_2021
Shary Boyle has compiled the White Elephant Reading List: bit.ly/3ydmfaG
CAFKA animated themes of the work with a suggested reading list, public lectures, book clubs, and discussion groups as part of the CAFKA Summer Reading Series: White Elephant Edition Visit cafka21.cafka.org for more information.
CAFKA had commissioned White Elephant as part of the CAFKA.21 Biennial, "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost". It was presented in partnership with Cambridge Art Galleries | Idea Exchange. White Elephant has been made possible with the generous support of the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund and the Good Foundation.
White Elephant was created with support by:
Colin Harry - Armature and motor/programming design
Alexa MacKenzie - Studio and sculpture assistance
Andrea MacKenzie - Costume assistance
Juliann Wilding - Sweater assembly
Heather Goodchild - Trouser assembly
Rex Lingwood - Custom plinth carpentry
TwoSmiths Metal - Armature prototype
Alexx Boisjoli - Mold making and slip-casting
Dallas Wagner - Synthetic haircut
Vitreous Glassworks - Diamond cutting
James Cooper - Studio space
Gordon Hatt - CAFKA
Glodeane Brown - CAFKA
CAFKA gratefully acknowledges the support of our funders, donors, and in-kind partners for the 2021 biennial Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost: The City of Kitchener, The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, Canadian Council for the Arts, The Province of Ontario, The Region of Waterloo, Musagetes Funds, Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, Momentum Partnership, Vive Development, JG Group, Good Foundation, Civilian Screen Printing, Westmount Signs & Printing, Deutschmann Law, Europro, Perimeter, Workhaus, Yeti Cafe
4 окт 2024
