May 14, 2022 at Equinox Gallery
“The cruelty of destroying one perfect mark for the satisfaction of new possibilities seems to be just a reflection of life and seasons’ passings. “
Bobbie Burgers
Since this year’s vernal equinox, Spring has been gracing us on the Northern Hemisphere with dazzling daffodils, magnolias, hyacinths, tulips and with cherry, apple and plum blossoms. But just as these flowers bloom, they wither.
Observing nature is a constant reminder of the cycle of birth and decay that allows perpetuity and existence. These are the things of life that Bobbie Burgers observes, is fascinated with and that give her a never-ending source of inspiration to explore through drawing, painting, collage and sculpture.
On Saturday May 14 we had the opportunity to connect with Bobbie Burgers’ newest work at Equinox gallery through a private guided visit and wine reception.
Sophie Brodovitch, director at Equinox Gallery welcomed our group and led an intimate guided visit of ‘Forest for the Trees’. She explained how the exhibition reflects the artist’s interest in the way that small details hold the potential for enormous impact and an understanding that the final image takes time to develop and emerge.
In her artist statement Bobbie Burgers explains that the notion behind the exhibition and title is for when one is “trying to appreciate the bigger landscape while focusing on the minutiae. Walking back and forth, observing from a distance, and then getting caught up in the self absorption of a small bleed of inky stains soaking into one another, embedding and colluding.” She continues by stating that she “enjoys the notion of “forest for the trees”, thinking how both aspects could be epic. Details can be their own universe, but not ignoring the bigger picture.”
As a group, we enjoyed the energy that Bobbie’s work radiated. Just as intended, we were absorbed by the large scale works and the effect of grandiosity that the multiple panels created. Yet, the works called for us to inspect closer and invited us to unveil the edges created by collaged canvas and paper cutouts. They pulled us in to appreciate the contrasts between the loud and quiet colours and to discover an array of layering and textures created with pastels spray, oil and acrylic paint.
Our visit also allowed us to spend some quality time with the photography of Fred Herzog and discover the vibrant work of Angela Teng. We were particularly drawn to Angela’s work when Sophie passed around samples of string acrylic paint while she explained Angela’s intricate process of stringing the paint and weaving with it.
We look forward to have you join us at our next adventure! Below are some photos of that day taken by our very talented friends, Fernanda Cortez and Linda Huang.