![UNVEILING VISITORS: Graphic designer Jenn Christenson [left] and City of Powell River councillor Trina Isakson were among the attendees at the opening of the Resurface exhibition at qathet Art Centre on Wednesday, January 18.](https://www.vmcdn.ca/f/files/powellriverpeak/images/arts/2815_gallery_attendees.jpeg;w=960;h=640;bgcolor=000000)
Artist Conrad Sarzynick’s art exhibition Resurface, at qathet Art Centre, had its unveiling on Wednesday, January 18, to a packed gallery.
On display were a mix of hand-cut collage and wood sculptures. Guests weaved through the room eying the twisted wood sculptures, some towering over six feet.
“Much of the wood has been collected from trees that needed to come down on different peoples’ properties in the coastal British Columbia area,” said Sarzynick. “Instead of burning or discarding the wood, these unwanted woods found their way to me, so I can use them to make my art. Most of the woods used in the exhibition are recycled local British Columbia woods.”
In contrast, the collage throughout the gallery deceived the eye by looking more like colorful photographs than paper cutouts.
Sarzynick’s “artist talk” was more of a beat poetry reading than an explanation of his work, which made the evening unexpectedly fun and energized.
During the talk he said he spends hours meticulously cutting the paper, so it’s hard to see where one picture begins or ends. His artist statement indicated he “doesn’t know what the end object will look like,” whether it’s sculpture, collage or poetry.
“These sculptures are created as starting points for the imagination, capturing glimpses of hidden worlds that peek around the edges of everyday reality,” said Sarzynick.
The engaged crowd felt the playful energy of both the twisted wood towers and the provocative cutouts.
“The work is about discovery both during the process of creating and through experiencing what has been created,” said Sarzynick. “What will we find when we resurface?”
Sarzynick began sculpting wood and making hand-cut collage in Ontario in the 1990s. He moved from Vancouver to the qathet region in 2011, and has exhibited in galleries and group shows here, as well as in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond and Sechelt. He also has had outdoor public sculptures in Castlegar, Penticton, Nelson and Sechelt.
Sarzynick’s work will be available for public viewing from 12 to 5 pm, Tuesday to Thursday, until March 11, 2023.
qathet Art Centre is located at 215-6975 Alberni Street, above Powell River Public Library.
