Ordinary JOE

Joe Fafard has thrown quite the art party at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Silent clay figures that look as if they could be your next-door neighbour or your great-uncle Pete, fascinating renderings of political and artistic figures, and herds of metallic and glazed livestock are all grouped together in an incredible retrospective of the Saskatchewan sculptor's work.

Since the 1970s, Fafard has been capturing his animated surroundings in a variety of three-dimensional media. Fafard's work embraces Canada and the many facets of its culture (French, English and aboriginal) and its landscape (city and country).

It is his natural ability to recreate the familiar that has gained him widespread recognition and respect. Somehow Fafard is able to maintain a touch of humour in almost all his works. Perhaps it's the honesty with which he portrays his subjects that makes them so amusing.

The over 70 works in the WAG exhibition take viewers through Fafard's career and artistic development. His smaller figurative clay creations start off the show. The first galleries are full of small glass cases that hold ceramic representations of his friends and family from the early part of his career. Although the viewer will probably not know the people that Fafard has captured in clay, the care that is put into each wrinkle and wardrobe detail will make viewers feel as if they have met these folks before.

The rosy, weathered face of George II is an excellent example of Fafard's gift. Each skin crevice, both deep and shallow, in the face of this aged man is so exact and lifelike. His eyes are tired and full of a history that is not shown to the viewers. It is this level of attention that's seen in each and every one of the works, not just the smaller, earlier ceramic pieces.

Moving further along in the galleries, the viewer is taken on to a new area of subject interest in Fafard's career. Artists (specifically Vincent van Gogh) and Canadian politicians of the 1980s add another dimension of familiarity to the exhibition.

The suit in Dear Vincent, his representation of a paint-in-hand van Gogh, is swirling with references to the artist's work.

Walking into the next room, the focus goes from the creatively inspiring to the politically captivating through the many faces of politicians such as Jean Chrétien.

Farm animals -- specifically cows and horses -- are one of Fafard's main and clearly beloved subjects, and his trademark image. The remaining galleries are filled but not crowded with these larger works. From slightly abstracted to eerily realistic, Fafard uses cows and horses to develop and control form. But these works are never repetitive, as he is able to maintain a diverse intensity throughout his reproductions.

Piggybacking on the Fafard focus at the WAG is commercial gallery Mayberry Fine Art, which is displaying the artist's more recent output. Laser-cut steel and glittering black bronze are the materials of choice for many of the pieces.

The highlight is certainly the chunky, happy cows rendered in bronze. While many of these works, such as Non Photo Based Cow, keep the dark sparkle of the bronze, the sweetness and care shown in the creamy colouring of Monseigneur once again highlight Fafard's incredible ability to recreate life through art.

The final section of the WAG exhibition is a breathtaking installation of 11 nearly life-size steel steeds. Silently galloping through the gallery space, Running Horses moves with the fine cuts and organic colour palette on each of the beasts. His handling of this sturdy material is softened, yet still strong. The wisps of the manes flow as if they are made from silk and the detailing on each of the bodies of the horses is intricate and fine.

It's not only a stunning image to be left with from this stellar exhibition, but it also shows how Fafard has maintained an ever-evolving, imaginative vigour throughout his career.

freep.artreview@gmail.com

ART REVIEW

Joe Fafard

Winnipeg Art Gallery

515 Memorial Ave.

Until Sept. 27

Joe Fafard -- New Works

Mayberry Fine Art, 212 McDermot Ave.

Until Sept. 4

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 5, 2009 B5