Little landscapes

In exhibiting Pierre Clemens and Manuela Lalic, Galerie B-312 managed to produce an exhibit that re-interprets the landscape genre, just in time for summer.

Lacic's installation "Degueulis rafraichissant," consisting of a table, some grayish blobs of dubious origin, styrofoam cups and a whole lot of plastic tablecloth, looks like a picnic gone awry. What it lacks in terms of concept and execution, it makes up for in fun.

Pierre Clemens' series of drawings, Landscape in Process, are brilliant little things--each one is about six inches square--that use their scale to capture the viewer's attention; the surfaces of the abstract ink washes are sensuous, intimate, understated and beautiful. From the title, we can infer that these are extreme close-ups of rocks and twigs, but Clemens never makes this clear. Instead we are left to gaze at his landscape in wonder and awe.

At 372 Ste-Catherine W., # 403, until June 10. : --Sholem Krishtalka

... more arts