An artistic high school senior has recently opened a brand new exhibit of her work, thanks to Victoria’s Fifty Fifty Arts Collective.
Fiona Gregg, 17, unveiled “Resemblance” at the collective’s Douglas Street gallery last Thursday, showcasing more than a dozen paintings and etchings she’s done over the past several years. The Reynolds student was selected for the show after the collective put a callout for artists on Facebook.
“They usually work on trying to expose newer artists and artists that haven’t had their own show before,” said Gregg, who is new to the Fifty Fifty. “I sent in my portfolio and I got a show.”
One of the central themes throughout Gregg’s work is reflection, figuratively and literally. Her exhibit is described as the culmination of her desires “to bridge the gap between artist and audience,” through the use of mirrors alongside her art to create a stronger level of immersion.
“I really wanted to have the viewer a part of the show – I feel like a lot of the time I go to galleries, I can appreciate the work but I can’t always relate to it,” she said.
“Most of my works have mirrors attached to them as a way of reflecting both metaphorically and realistically. I added mirrors so the viewer can reflect in real time with my depictions.”
Some of the mirrors are positioned so that viewers can look into a mirror with Gregg’s work behind them and put themselves into the painting. Others are cracked, representing different parts of Gregg and her reflection into her past, she said.
Most of her work is inspired by personal relationships and the stereotypical idea of the nuclear family.
“I was working with a lot of relationships, almost dysfunctional relationships, and kind of deconstructing and reconstructing a certain perfect ideology of relationships, where you fall in love, you get married, you have children,” she said. “I started using mirrors as an idea of reflecting onto that relationship and how it’s changed you.”
Her exhibit runs until Jan. 3 at the gallery, located at 2516 Douglas St. The collective’s hours are posted online (thefiftyfifty.net/about), though Gregg said they may be closed on certain days over the Christmas season. To inquire about their hours, email thefiftyfifty@gmail.com.
