Intermission at The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art

The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is kicking off 2021 with the next installment of the Intermission Series featuring the work of two upcoming local artists from UBC Okanagan’s Master of Fine Arts program. Curated by Board Member Bailey Ennig, MFA students Brittany Reitzel and Sam Neal will occupy the Alternators Main and Window Galleries. Reitzel presents a body of work titled ‘Wallflowers’ in the Window Gallery, while Neal takes over the Main Gallery with ‘Inland Waters’. Both artists approach their practice in unique ways in which the works of art are shaped by the body and the local environment. Neal presents a series of photographs and cyanotypes in ‘Inland Waters’. Through the cyanotype process, Neal explores the connection between the overlapping of water, light, and his engagement with the process, exploring a performative relationship with nature that can be visualized as a direct mapping of a place. In the Window Gallery, Reitzel similarly explores the relationship of the body, the environment, and the material she uses. In ‘Wallflowers’, Reitzel presents sculptural forms out of clay, evoking the material’s malleability. The work plays with the liminal zones of being and non-being and talks to the interface between the artist’s body and the natural environment. Through clay, Reitzel is able to explore the softness of the material, the absence and presence of the body, and the movement from matter to object. Intermission is a joint initiative between the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art and students of the Critical and Creative Studies Department at UBC Okanagan. It is intended to be a ‘show between shows’ to assist local art students in gaining practical work experience in a professional exhibition environment. ‘Wallflowers’ and ‘Inland Waters’ will be on view in the Window Gallery and Main Gallery from January 15 to January 23, 2021. The Alternator is open Tuesday to Friday 11am – 6pm, and Saturday 11am – 4pm. Visit our website to learn more on the Intermission Series and other programming offered by the Alternator.