Raymond Gervais 3 X 1
Concordia University’s Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery welcomes an important exhibition by Montreal conceptual artist Raymond Gervais from November 1 to December 10 that will appeal to art and music fans alike.
The exhibition titled Raymond Gervais 3 X 1 features a significant body of work produced by Gervais over the last 35 years. The 3 X 1 title refers to the artist’s focus on juxtaposing or integrating sound, image and text in thought-provoking ways throughout his career.
Gervais, whose practice resonates deeply with contemporary art and attitudes, has been particularly interested in the world of music – not only because of its sound, but its visual elements, such as the promise of melody held on the vinyl used to make records or contained inside a plastic CD case.
The exhibition has been co-produced with VOX, Contemporary Image Centre in Montreal. It will be held in two stages – the latter taking place at VOX, Contemporary Image Centre in 2012.
Curated by Nicole Gingras, the exhibition reveals the artist’s complex practice of weaving the history of music and literature with phonography as well as other forms of producing and preserving music. It underlines his significant influence on sound-related practices.
More than 40 works and documents produced since 1975 will be featured in the overall exhibition. They include objects, texts and images that Gervais has either created or integrated into his art, as well as references to his installations and performances.
The first part at the Ellen Art Gallery will showcase the works and documents illustrating the passage of his practice from sound to image beginning in the mid-1970s until the ’90s, as well as his use of musical instruments and sound devices, such as record players, cassette recorders, metronomes and vinyl records.
A richly illustrated publication co-produced with VOX and edited by Nicole Gingras accompanies the exhibition. It includes the curator’s analysis of the artist’s practice since its beginnings in the 1970s, along with a text by Gervais tracing his integration of visual elements into his sound practice during the mid-’70s.
What: Raymond Gervais 3 X 1
When: Tuesday, November 1 to Saturday, December 10
Gallery hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12 to 6 p.m., Saturdays 12 to 5 p.m.
Where: Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, ground floor of the J.W. McConnell Library Building (1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Guy-Concordia Metro)
For general information, call 514-848-2424, ext. 4750 or visit the gallery site. For tours, contact Marina Polosa at 514-848-2424, ext. 4778, or by email at mpolosa@alcor.concordia.ca.
Admission is free and open to the public. The gallery is wheelchair accessible.
The Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Related link:
• Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery site
• "Ellen artists at Musée d'art contemporain" - NOW, October 24, 2011