Mix master

by Genevieve Paiement

Hans Jörg Mettler's digital photomontages recall Russian constructivist collages, but without the politics and with a lot more vegetation. They have a similar striking effect as those colourful, early communist propaganda posters, but instead of feisty workers in industrial settings, Mettler puts giant, lush, bright green palms in industrial settings, against Technicolor skies.

The former scientist's show Manipulations and Palmania, which opens this Wednesday, Sept. 5 at Galerie Raphael Essebag, just might have the power to rile up the masses.

Swiss-born Mettler incorporates architectural structures and what he refers to as "organic plant designs" (close-up photos of plants that highlight their natural geometrical patterns). Add to this a splash of bright colour and the result is nothing short of arresting. With skewed dimensions and off-kilter angles, Mettler's hybrid constructions appear fantastical and earthy at the same time, highlighting the inherently organic aspects of architecture and vice versa. At 460 Ste-Catherine, #611, Sept. 5 (vernissage 6-8 p.m.) through Sept. 18. Info: 875-9233.

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