What comes first: humane care and concern for the chicken; or our insatiable appetite for the ‘product’ contained in and emerging from an egg?
That’s the question artist Diana Durrand asks in her upcoming show Gallus Domesticus – We are the keepers, which runs at the GAGE Gallery, 2031 Oak Bay Avenue. March 31 to April 18 / Opening Reception April 2, 7-‐9 pm.
Durrand’s latest body of work is an installation of sixteen elegant chicken portraits, twenty-‐two life-‐size felt chicken sculptures, and dozens of black and gold eggs containing information challenging the viewer’s ideas about a bird whose very name has become a simile for fearfulness and stupidity.
Gallus Domesticus follows up on a thematic strand about our relationships with animals and the environment that runs through Durrand’s work: her installation For the Love of Bees; for the Life of Bees was featured at the Martin Bachelor Gallery most recently; and before that the hugely popular Sofa Sitters of Victoria show entranced art and dog lovers at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill.
The distinctions of language are important. They reflect a commoditized attitude toward not only chickens, but toward all domesticated, commercial animals. “This show is driven by a wish to celebrate their beauty, and all things that make the world of chickens unique.”
You can see Diana’s work, including images from the Gallus Domesticus show at
Contact:
Diana Durrand ddurrand@shaw.ca 250-‐388-‐3689
