| "I have discovered that I am not the only one who responds to grain elevators," says Karen Harvich of Art Central’s Axis Gallery. "I grew up in Saskatchewan, and Ron’s works gives me a sense of nostalgia, but without being bittersweet."
The grain elevator art is that of Ron Kostyniuk, his sculptures and constructs are at the heart of Axis Gallery’s upcoming retrospective show, Ron Kostyniuk, Survey: 40 Years of Light/Colour/Space and Structure, opening on October 12.
Kostyniuk is from Wakaw, Saskatchewan. For 40 years, the light, space and iconography of the Prairies has been influential in the constructs and forms he creates. Using brilliant primary colours and clean, Lego-like relief construction blocks, Kostyniuk’s sculptures are easily recognized by anyone who has been through a prairie town. There are constructs of grain elevators, church architecture and sections of endless highways, roads and fields. The pieces are playful, bold, colourful and tactile, irresistibly urging people to touch them
"A kid could easily respond to his show," says Harvich. "The simplicity of the geometry of his work and the primary colours are very eye-catching."
Kostyniuk’s sculptures vary from free-standing and miniature wall-mounted collections of constructs on shelves. To any Canadian who either grew up in the West, or watched a single minute of CBC, the icons of the Prairies, the giant grain elevators, are easily recognized. They are part of the cultural furniture in every Canadian’s headspace.
"I like that he refers to them as sentinels," says Harvich. "The iconoclasm plays up the strength of his works. Already people are enjoying his work and we have not even put out his entire show yet. This is the largest sculptural show we have had so far in the gallery and one of the biggest names."
Kostyniuk’s works have been collected around the world over the past 40 years and have been selected for collections in museums and galleries around the world. With over 50 awards and grants, 40 publications and having participated in more than 140 exhibitions, Kostyniuk’s art brings the small-town iconography of Saskatchewan to the entire world. |
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