Exhibit review: A trip to Harcourt House

From October 18 to November 30, The Harcourt House Artist Run Centre showed two vastly different exhibitions: Cloth & Conscience: Transforming Clothes Into Voices of Change and The Names of Loved Ones. Cloth & Conscience was created by Garfield Morgan, the current Artist-in-Residence at Harcourt House. Meanwhile, next door was The Names of Loved Ones, by Erika Germain. By placing these two contrary exhibits side-by-side, Harcourt House was making a statement in itself: humanity contains multitudes.

Cloth & Conscience: Transforming Clothes Into Voices of Change

Through the medium of second-hand clothing, Morgan highlighted the exploitation of the clothing industry and forced the viewer to question their own materialism. One did not have to look far to see the blatant criticism and call-to-action in his work. The stark colour palettes and incorporation of used clothing emitted feelings of melancholy and alarm. This effect urged the viewer to consider the terrible working conditions that exist in the clothing industry, which our consumerist society heavily perpetuates.

In Consumerism’s Shadow, Morgan portrayed a dejected figure, weighed down by their materialism. The image of the clothing piled at their feet mirrored the pile of clothing featured in the video aspect of the exhibit, Apocalypse in Vogue.

The piece exuded feelings of depression and weariness. It asked questions such as, why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we keep buying when all it does is drag us down? The piece urged us to consider what we value and what we want to bring with us as we venture through life.

Petals of Remembrance featured dozens of used shirt collars made to look like poppies. The piece was a “tribute to the victims of the Rana Plaza Tragedy.” In 2013 the Rana Plaza factory collapsed, killing over 1,100 people. The bright red not only emulated poppies, it also captured one’s attention. It called attention to a devastating tragedy and implored that we do not forget it.

Morgan’s work brings important issues surrounding materialism and consumerism to light. His work asks, who are we to be committing these atrocities? What can we do to make it better?

The Names of Loved Ones

While Morgan’s exhibit explored some of the darkest aspects of humanity, Germain’s highlighted some of the wonderful qualities we humans possess.

The Names of Loved Ones consisted of two parts. The first is the canvases hung on the wall. Germain started this project by giving away her artwork in exchange for the names of peoples’ loved ones. As she kept collecting names, she eventually created a visual system that assigns different colours and symbols to letters. Using this system, she created canvases using the names of loved ones.

Germain’s pieces are a reminder that no matter who you are, we all love and are all loved. The playful colours and textures of her pieces further emphasize the beauty of love.

The second part of the exhibit consisted of many small tables covered in ceramic coins with the word “love.” The viewers were asked to leave a “token of love” in exchange for one of the coins. The token could either be something you have on you, or clay is provided to make a new token.

The beautiful simplicity brought attention to the concept of exchange. Germain emphasizes the ideas of giving and taking, and how it affects our relationships. Simply by leaving a token, I felt as if I had created a relationship with Germain and with the other people who had left offerings before me. The effect makes one consider the dynamics of relationships, and the value we ascribe to physical objects.

Ultimately, the two exhibits created a brilliant, juxtaposing effect. While they were vastly different in content, placing them side by side urged us to consider our humanity. We have committed atrocities. We live in a screwed up, capitalistic society. But, we also love each other. We find joy in small things. We exchange words, objects, and feelings. At the end of the day, we are human.