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TARA AZZOPARDI
CREATIVE EVOLUTIONISM: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY
MAY 21 - JUNE 18, 2015
OPENING RECEPTION: THURSDAY, MAY 21, 6 - 11 PM
Evans Contemporary is pleased to present Creative Evolutionism: An Unnatural History, an exhibition of curiosities by Tara Azzopardi.
A room full of dinosaur bones, eternally frozen in upright positions. A flock of taxidermied birds. Primitive man and woman looking almost comical crouching around a cave. A collection of quartz and gem stones, glittering under the light. Beads, Egyptian crypts, marble statues, shells and fossils. These, and thousands more remarkable objects found within the doors of natural history museums serve as the inspiration and impulse for Azzopardi's exhibition. Her lucid memories of childhood visits to these institutions made a lasting impression on her young, creative mind and Azzopardi has used the curatorial process, construction, craft and installation employed by these establishments as a starting point in assembling a contemporary collection for Evans Contemporary.
Looking past the glass displays, Azzopardi observes issues of environmentalism, colonialism and cultural appropriation. An authority has decided on exhibiting particular objects, but not others, and has chosen which are historically relevant. In this way, we’ve concocted our own versions of evolution, history, nature and (past) life on earth. It’s our own Creative Evolutionism of sorts. Azzopardi questions what our Natural History Museum will look like in the future. What type of artifacts and animals will be presented? Are we evolving, and how? How are humans affecting the evolution of animals and other life on earth? What are our cultural artifacts, and what is the importance of pop culture and technology in this setting? It is with these questions in mind that Azzopardi presents her own collection of curiosities.
TARA AZZOPARDI
Tara Azzopardi is a self taught artist who attended the University of Toronto for archeology and anthropology. Her numerous experiences have led her to work in the fields of archaeology, costuming for music videos, and co-founder of The Penny Arcade art gallery in Toronto's Kensington Market. She has been part of the Small Press literary scene since 1993 and was founder and editor of the surrealist/punk magazine "Perpetual Motion Machine". Azzopardi has been a member of the Toronto bands, Dating Service, The Torrent and HANK, currently plays bass for the country band The Pining and is working on a solo project of psych/doom metal titled Aztec Ruine. Born in Toronto, Azzopardi is a graduate of Fleming College's Sustainable Building Design and Construction program and moved to Peterborough in 2014. Her first collection of poetry "Last Stop, Lonesome Town" will be published in 2015 by Mansfield Press.
EVANS CONTEMPORARY
Evans Contemporary is dedicated to the presentation of creative projects by national and international contemporary artists. Located in Peterborough, Ontario, and situated on the ground floor of a 1907 Edwardian house, the gallery's aim is to launch contemporary exhibitions in an unique and intimate setting, and allow artists to present new works and projects that transcend the trends of the commercial visual art market.
Evans Contemporary falls just outside of the entrenched public and private gallery sectors. It is privately owned and operated, and runs as a negative profit exhibition space. Through its hard working volunteers, generous supporters and patrons, it serves to provide exceptional, contemporary exhibitions to a region underserviced by visual culture. The gallery serves as a rallying point for artists, cultural workers and art lovers of the Kawartha Lakes region. Operating as an amalgamation of artist-run centre, museum, institute, and private foundation , Evans Contemporary fills a void in the cultural landscape of the region, plays an important role as a leader in the cultural fabric of Peterborough and the Kawartha region and stands as a signifying site of local culture.
Evans Contemporary launches exhibitions every four to six weeks and offers a unique space for special projects and new endeavours for each exhibiting artist. The gallery is housed in a two and a half story Edwardian style, red brick house in the 'Avenues' of the Old West End of Peterborough, Ontario. and was built in 1907. The building was originally owned by Wallace Evans, a lather, who would have installed the strips of wood used in the lath and plaster wall construction in the house.
EVANS CONTEMPORARY
302 PEARL AVE.
PETERBOROUGH, ON
K9H 5G5
HOURS: WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY 5:30PM - 8PM
PAOLO FORTIN - GALLERY COORDINATOR
LAUREN TREGENZA - RESEARCH FELLOW