Ottawa-based artist Cheryl Pagurek will be at Surrey Art Gallery on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 2, 2 p.m. start) to talk about Winter Garden, an exhibit developed from her still-life photography series during the winter 2021 pandemic lockdown.
Admission is free for the two-hour conversation focused on the interactive digital collage, which mirrors the presence and movement of its viewer to create "an ever-changing collage composed of patterns of lively indoor plants against a desolate winter landscape."
Winter Garden is displayed in the central part of Surrey Arts Centre for an extended time, until April 27, at Bear Creek Park.
Through the use of Under the Hood, a "machine learning library," computer software identifies the viewer in front of the camera and creates an unseen skeleton of their limbs to follow movements. This information is then used in determining where collage patterns are placed.
"The playful interaction of the digital collage hopes to evoke joy and solace while inviting the viewer to contemplate the cyclical nature of life," says an advisory the art gallery.
During Saturday's talk, Pagurek will share how she uses technology as an extension of her artistic vocabulary. From the School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) at Simon Fraser University, Freya Zinovieff will moderate the conversation. More event details are posted on surrey.ca.
Also at Surrey Art Gallery, in a Thursday Artist Talk called "Seeing Beyond the Light" on Nov. 7, hear artist Kathleen Tonnesen share the influence of martial arts on helping her discover a new way of seeing and painting after losing sight, starting at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Tonnesen practices Yoshinkan Aikido martial arts as part of her rehabilitation process. Anecdotally, she maintains that this has rewired her brain so that she is able to paint and draw again, albeit differently from her previous works, according to a post on surrey.ca.
In her illustrated talk, Tonnesen will present completed paintings that show the drawing skills that she regained due to her diligent daily practice of martial arts.