If you find yourself in Oshawa in the next month, swing into the Robert McLaughlin Gallery and check out this solo show by Akin alumni Colleen McCarten. The show opens tomorrow and runs until December 3. There will be a reception is on Friday December 1, 7-9 pm and Colleen will be giving an artist talk on Saturday December 2, from 1-3 pm.

Looking at the journey of the line, in regards to the similarities between thread/textile techniques and drawing, this show will explore the technical aspect of textile construction as well as the relationship that happens between minimalism and the handmade; emphasizing the techniques and textures that come through allowing and embracing ‘mistakes’.

The pieces in this show will take inspiration from minimalism, op art, and the digital age, but using traditional textile construction techniques such as weaving and sewing. This show will consist of fabric sculptures and drawings that have been created in tandem with each other in an exploratory sense and they will look at how a subtle shift in material or technique can have drastic changes to the end result of the piece.

About Colleen:
Colleen McCarten (formerly a member of both Akin Dufferin and Akin Dupont) is an emerging Toronto-based artist whose work is based primarily in textile, weaving, sewing and other fibre-based practices, as well as drawing and collage. She uses these techniques to examine the legacy of 20th Century art movements such as Op Art, Minimalism and hard-edged abstraction. McCarten holds a Bachelors of Material Design from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCADU), and is the recipient of the Material Art and Design Medal for her graduating year. Her work has been exhibited in group shows at Harbourfront Centre and the Textile Museum of Canada, and she has received awards for her textile-based practice, including the “Best in Fibre” award at the 2014 iteration of the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. She has also produced artworks for commercial and retail clients, including Simons, and will be exhibiting in Angell Gallery’s Project Space this summer.