James Fowler's Skin @ MADE and PieceWORK @ the Gladstone Hotel

I have been wondering lately "Where has the last month and a half gone?" I had what I thought was a very attainable and manageable goal of writing two to three blog posts a week. Seemed manageable enough, but ..... So, this posting is actually my attempt to not only get back on track, but also to acknowledge that I am just not getting out to see as much art as I would like to.

My good friend James Fowler opened his exhibit Skin in the the MADE Cooler / project space on September 24th. As I was about to grab my camera and head to his opening I realized my camera was not there. It took me a few minutes to realize that all three of the cameras I had been downloading images from the night before were not where I had left them, and another minute for it to sink in that no I did not misplace them, no my husband did not put them away, but yes - we had been robbed! So instead of heading to James' opening I waited for the police to show up, write up a report, and fingerprint my doors and windows.

James Fowler, Home, Labyrinth & Poppy (installation detail) 2009
Recycled wool, duct tape and mixed-media
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Well almost seven weeks later on the second last day of his show, I finally made it to MADE to see Skin, James Fowler's installation in the MADE Cooler.

James Fowler, Scarves (detail) 2009
Recycled felted wool and recycled silk
PieceWORK, Gladstone Hotel

I first met James though another good friend Ron Kong who manages and curates the Circle Craft Co-Operative Shop and Gallery in Vancouver and their amazing annual Christmas Market. James and I have developed this wonderful arrangement where I give him my old cashmere sweaters, and in return I get a new pair of the most amazing felted cashmere mittens. If you have not yet discovered the wonders of cashmere, head to St. Lawrence Market on Saturday morning to visit James and pick up a pair of his felted mittens. Not only will you be helping to green the planet, but you will be able to keep your hands fashionably soft and warm.

James Fowler, Recycled Wool & Cashmere Mittens, 2009
Felted Recycled Wool and Felted Recycled Cashmere
PieceWORK, Gladstone Hotel

For the second year, James Fowler filled one of the Gladstone Hotel's second floor exhibition rooms for PieceWORK the annual textile and fibre art show and sale. This sale held in conjunction with the opening of the Gladstone Hotel's Annual Juried Textile Exhibition Hard Twist: New Twist, features work created by a selection of Toronto's creative fibre artists. James filled the walls of his room with his trademark recycled wool and cashmere mittens, recycled wool and silk scarves and a new line of recycled wool slippers. The beautiful fall weather we were experiencing that weekend was not particularly conducive to the idea of wearing mittens and scarves, but living in Canada it is always good to be prepared for the winter weather that is never that far away.

James Fowler, Labyrinth & Poppy(installation detail) 2009
Recycled wool, duct tape and mixed-media
Skin in the MADE Cooler

James' work in PieceWORK is fun, affordable, well-crafted and functional. His exhibit Skin in the MADE Cooler takes his interest in recycled and felted fabric and moves it from the purely functional to the realm of fine art.

I am always intrigued by how various businesses use the architectural details and building elements left by previous tenants to their advantage. In this case a plywood faced cooler at the rear of the MADE retail space has been re-purposed as a gallery space.

James Fowler, Labyrinth, 2009
Duct tape and linoleum
Skin in the MADE Cooler (installation detail)

The industrial grade walls of the cooler were brought to life with James' large pieced quilts and-mixed media assemblages, while the floor was quilted with orange duct tape for a piece he entitled Labyrinth.

James Fowler, Canada, 2009
Recycled 100% felted wool & fabric
64" x 64"
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Canada juxtaposed the symbolism of the Hudson's Bay Blanket with mountains, wildlife and a reference to Northwest Coast native imagery. This piece is a contemporary interpretation of Canadiana and I could picture it hanging in a classic Muskoka cottage or a downtown loft.

James Fowler, Canada (detail), 2009
Recycled 100% felted wool & fabric
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Hung directly across from the entrance to the cooler, Poppy beckoned one inside. The bright colours of the poppy against the dark background gave this work the feeling of pop art, yet the tactile softness of the felted wool moved it away from this tradition.

James Fowler, Poppy, 2009
Recycled 100% felted wool & plastic mesh
32" x 32"
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Fowler placed orange plastic mesh over the felted image, making the quilted work seem pixelated and almost imprisoned. This created a resulting tension, depth and mystery in the work which was at once harmonious and at the same time challenged the viewers perceptions.

James Fowler, Poppy (detail), 2009
Recycled 100% felted wool & plastic mesh
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Home a mixed-media assemblage contrasted disparate elements of memory, art history, and folk art with a sense of nostalgia.

James Fowler, Home, 2009
Mixed-media assemblage
6' x 6'
Skin in the MADE Cooler

The void left by the cut-out canvas allowed the wooden supports to be exposed, altering the sense of permanence, safety and security we typically associate with the notion of 'home'. The almost primitive house-shaped blocks placed on the lower framed edge were in contrast to the more representative figurative painting directly above.

James Fowler, Home (detail), 2009
Mixed-media assemblage
Skin in the MADE Cooler

While the outstretched arms reference Michelangelo's Creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the figure is neither Adam nor God, but rather is reminiscent of the bust of Queen Nefertiti. While the figure's floral print clothing is not in keeping with Egyptian style dress, it creates a sense of North American nostalgia, especially when placed adjacent to the quilted and cut-out letters spelling 'HOME.'

James Fowler, Home (detail), 2009
Mixed-media assemblage
Skin in the MADE Cooler

James Fowler's Skin demonstrates his versatility and skill as an artist. He successfully juxtaposes imagery that is at once familiar but placed in an unexpected context creating both tension, harmony and encouraging discourse.

James Fowler, made for MADE textile collection, 2009
100% recycled felted wool

While Skin closed November 14th, an inspiring collection of home textiles 'made for MADE' are still available. Part sculpture, part textile, and completely recycled these pillows, blankets and throws are beautiful and functional works of art.