Art Lab: July 13 – September 6
Gallery A: July 27 – September 6
Reception: RMG Fridays, August 5, 7-10pm
Artist Talk: August 7, 1-2pm
Oshawa is transitioning away from heavy manufacturing towards service-based enterprises, prompted by growth in the education sector and improvements to the transit infrastructure, and accompanied by residential development in the north and infill construction of condominiums and warehouses downtown. One of the reasons why I now live and work here is because Oshawa has a story to tell. It is a world-renowned city although it doesn’t care to brag about it. Coming across remnants and signs of the “Second Industrial Revolution” is one of my favourite ways to discover this city.
So what are the signs which symbolize Oshawa’s present transition? Is it the bright orange traffic barrels which line-up along Simcoe Street as it crosses over the 407 extension? Is it exemplified by the 1806 square feet of hatched safety zones painted on the parking lot at the recently expanded GO station? Does the increased proliferation of safety zones mean that the city is safer or riskier for pedestrians? Does it denote increased accessibility? Does it signify a surplus of commercial space? Does it signal reinvestment in economically depressed areas? Does it reflect increased countermeasures against distracted driving/walking?
These sorts of questions will be explored during my residency in the ArtLab, which is concerned with documenting and interpreting patterns of urbanization, pedestrian safety, and rezoning strategies. During the residency, Gallery A will hold an exhibition titled Zonification, featuring several photographic works as well as works from the “Counting Cars” series.
Artist Biography:
Susan Campbell is an Oshawa-based interdisciplinary artist working at the intersections of lens-based media, installation and intervention, and design. She obtained an MFA in Art, Media and Design from OCADU after extensive studies in design and digital media in her native Ireland. Her work frequently explores physical mapping practices as a means to interpret and reflect on the design dynamics found within the urban landscape, confronting issues brought about by the intensification of urban development. Her work prompts people think about and question the economic frameworks that underpin their built environment, particularly how such frameworks engender a visual culture that is predominantly techno-graphic in nature. Campbell has recently exhibited at the Art Gallery of Mississauga, Cambridge Galleries, and Katherine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects and XPACE Cultural Centre in Toronto, and she was awarded 1st prize in the Visual Arts Mississauga 35th Annual Juried Show of Fine Art in 2013. Campbell currently teaches art and design at Durham College and OCADU.