Renee Van Halm at Equinox Gallery shows paintings of geometric abstraction, French ribbons & Bauhaus

“IRL - In Real Life”
paintings by Renée Van Halm
March 23 to April 20, 2024
Equinox Gallery
3642 Commercial Street
Vancouver, BC
open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm
Over a long and dedicated career, Renée Van Halm has pursued her interest in expressions of creativity by others, especially those working in the fields of craft and design. Her own practice draws on a wide range of references, from era-specific domestic paint colours, to woven patterns produced by female members of the Bauhaus design group, and in this current body of work, patterned lengths of cloth from the late 1880s made as essential fashion accessories for women to express their individuality, commonly known as French ribbons.
The title of the exhibition, IRL, is an abbreviation for “in real life," a term developed in the early days of the internet as a way to distinguish events and interactions occurring offline, outside the internet and its projected subjectivities and fantasies. The title acknowledges Van Halm’s interest in the very real, tangible impacts of pattern, colour, and design on social and cultural life. In viewing her works in person, physical characteristics of the thin brushstrokes and the materiality of the canvas are observed and felt, and one's focus is activated by lively compositions, in real life.
For additional information, please visit ...
www.equinoxgal...

[@ivorytowers3211]

As a geometric colour artist myself, I am always interested in the work and ideas of others working in a similar vein. Your critique of and obvious interest in van Halm's exhibition enhances the online experience. Thank you.

[@PaulpresentsART]

You're welcome, and thank you for your interest and engagement with my video, I really appreciate it. All the best with your artistic journey !! 🙂

[@jofferm4050]

Thanks for sharing the work of this wonderful artist. While you were exploring the "speech bubble" aspects of some of the works, it also made me think of silhouettes from the genre of portraiture, kind of like anthropomophizing ?!? an absracted form. I like how this set of works and your tour speak toward the greater sum of the parts. Cool !!

[@PaulpresentsART]

Thank you for that comment and observation about the silhouette. Definitely adds to the conversation around the artist's body of work. Appreciate it. 🙂

[@KenMackeff]

The works are dynamic in their three dimensional quality; my eyes want to reconcile the point where the vertical and horizontal bands meet--to make one turn the corner and flow into the other. I also agree with jofferm.4050 that some of the curved forms look like silhouettes. Such a steady hand--one can imagine such works being made from actual ribbon.

[@PaulpresentsART]

Thanks for commenting. And a steady hand definitely helps with a certain level of precision. You have to look up close to see evidence of the hand.

[@carmenposno8581]

🐝🍃🎨

[@PaulpresentsART]

Thank you for the emojis 🙂, I really appreicate it.