Art Gallery

Invented Memories
Amber Albrecht & Amy Alice Thompson

January 21 to February 28, 2010

Amber Albrecht

Le moutonnement des haies
C’est en moi que je l’ai
—Jean Wahl, poème, p.46

(The frothing of the hedges
I keep deep inside me. )

Amber Albrecht’s prints and drawings are rooted in the neo-romantic trajectory of drawing. She is inspired by the folklore of many other cultures, as well as literature, natural history, topography and the environment. She portrays dream-fueled absurdist situations, which often draw on her recollection of the creatures, landscapes and impossible happenings of the storybooks from her childhood. Much of Albrecht’s work is directed towards bringing this past that-never was, into being. She uses female iconography and of female-associated source material such as lace, ornamentation, and organic material, as a means to investigate themes of passivity and femininity, loss and loneliness, and being at odds with the world.

Amber Albrecht whiled away an idle youth on Canada’s west coast, in and around the city of White Rock. She did not acquire any fishing or whaling skills. Following some world travel she settled in Montreal, where she studied Studio Art at Concordia University. She completed her BFA in 2005. She currently lives in Montreal where she works as an artist and illustrator. She is represented by Galerie Division. Her artwork can be viewed at www.amberalbrecht.com.

Amy Alice Thompson

Through the themes of childhood, sexuality and recollection, Amy Thompson’s work reveals narratives from a dreamlike realm. Glint is an imagined land at night, filled with nocturnal creatures and full moons. Drawing on Norse myths, in which everything that is beautiful glints or sparkles but is surrounded by darkness, her images speak as well to the contrast between good and evil. Greek mythology also features prominently in the night sky as our constellations tell the story of the gods. These stories are reinvented in the work as the heroines grapple with their own discoveries.
These half-dreams and landscapes reflect the contrast between the intimacy of the self and the grand expanse of the cosmos. The further we look up and away, the more we must look inward.

Amy Thompson is an Ottawa-based mixed media artist. She studied Fine Art at York University and graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design with Honours in 1995. Her work has been exhibited internationally and has been featured in magazines and on album covers.
Amy is represented in Ottawa by Dale Smith Gallery www.dalesmithgallery.com. Her artwork can also be viewed at www.amyalice.com.

artwork photo: David Barbour

Amy Thompson wishes to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the City of Ottawa.

Invented Memories Amber Albrecht & Amy Alice Thompson

Invented Memories
Amber Albrecht & Amy Alice Thompson