The "C" Word: A Look at the Role of Craft in Contemporary Art

The "C" Word is a group exhibition exploring the role of craft in contemporary art, through the work of eighteen Canadian artists. Suggesting that “craft” sometimes carries negative connotations, the exhibition celebrates the making of things, drawing attention to the continued presence of craft in the work of well-known contemporary artists.

The artists selected for The "C" Word recognize that their production engages in craft—whether rejoicing in, re-framing, or battling against preconceived notions. Recognizing a diversity of approaches, the exhibition includes works in a range of media, including Gord Peteran’s furniture/sculpture hybrids, Sheila Gregory’s raucous paintings, Jay Wilson’s dollar-store-foam wall pieces, Gerard Gauci’s lush interior scenes, and Marianne Lovink’s quirky organic forms. Central to the artists’ work is a love of the process, for the struggle of working with materials and transforming them into objects.

The exhibition is accompanied by a series of video interviews, in which each of the artists speaks about the role that craft plays in their practice, and a publication featuring texts by Shelley Adler, Richard Mongiat and Richard Rhodes.