“Originations” is the title of the March 2021 Back Room Gallery show at the Hope Arts Gallery. Cousins Sabine Keil and Gisela Good grew up sharing many creative activities and they decided that “Originations” spoke to their attempts at originality and also gave a nod to all who have inspired them- a nation of artistic people.
Both women have a passion for photography and ceramics, and in this show, Sabine is focusing on pottery while Gisela features her original photography. Sabine’s introduction to one class in clay during high school, germinated 32 years later when in 2011 she walked into the Art Machine and started throwing on the wheel. Instantly, she was hooked and found both camaraderie and fun as well as gaining a wonderful foundation for her pottery skills. In her words, “There is something very centering for my mind about throwing clay on a wheel and finding strength in the gentle touch that is required.” She especially enjoys making functional pottery like tableware and flower pots and revels in both the silkiness of porcelain and the roughness of stoneware clay.
At the tender age of eight, Gisela was introduced to photography by her grandmother when she gifted her a Kodak Brownie Box camera and introduced her to the basic principles of photography. It started a lifelong love of photography, taking her through the stages of using film and hand developing to the transformed landscape of digital photography. During her three-year apprenticeship in Germany, Gisela learned about the theory and history of photography, the practical processes of working in a studio and darkroom, and the many artistic ways of creating black and white prints. A one year visit to Canada to work and learn English, turned out to be lifelong affair and Gisela’s career gave her opportunities to work as a journalist and photographer for an international German newspaper, do wedding and commercial photography and help manage a large professional photo lab. “My passion is going into nature to capture the world around me through the lens, looking for unusual perspectives and moments of beauty.”
Like Sabine, Gisela also joined the Art Machine to learn more about pottery and she too found her mud sisters a source of boundless inspiration. Creative endeavours can take many pathways and these two talented women are certainly enjoying the journey.
The Hope Arts Gallery at 349 Fort Street is open from Thursday through Sunday, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. It is operated by the Hope District Arts Council and run by volunteers. For information, call 604-869-3400 or email hopedistrictartscouncil@gmail.com.
“Originations” will open Thursday April 1, 2021 in the Back Room Gallery. Masks are mandatory and we hope you will enjoy this wonderful exhibit.
– Submitted to The Standard
