Rebecca Brewer
Eidetic Cloud
January 27–March 11, 2023

Eidetic Cloud, a new series of paintings and felted textiles, expands Rebecca Brewer’s unique practice, one attentive to the overlooked and under considered in the human and natural worlds. Using the specificities of material and the mechanisms of our perception, the artist creates an expressionistic, dynamic tension between representation and abstraction that tests our assumptions of the work’s process and its subjects.
This latest body of work continues an ongoing engagement with the esoteric art historical subgenre of sottobosco—Italian for “undergrowth” or “forest floor.” This style of Dutch still life emerged in 1650s Italy and utilized traditional Baroque painting techniques and still life composition, depicting subjects previously considered low, inferior, or even taboo. Strange, dark, and wild flora and fauna such as frogs, insects, thorns, newts, fungus, and snails were brought to eye level, revealing a previously unrepresented perspective. This movement from domestic tableaux to the life of the disregarded ground was closely tied to scientific, technological, and social developments of the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age and the invention of the microscope. This renewed a fascination with the small, overlooked natural environment, prompting curiosity of the microcosms, and expanding our understanding of the world we inhabit.
Not dissimilarly, Brewer adopts a new technological tool, one of rapidly emerging scientific and social importance: Artificial Intelligence. Brewer’s investigation into this tool led to the discovery that the artist’s earlier work could be visually approximated by AI, almost uncannily, by a lengthy, poetic input of associative words that came to mind when creating and thinking of the original work. With this process, Brewer recognized that AI could be used as a powerful device, building on existing methods and perhaps in some ways affirming them. Prompted by an interest in language, the artist experiments with how close the AI image could be to the language of the artist’s ideas. The works in this exhibition continue Brewer’s practice of utilizing the possibility of chance elements, semiotics, and the dream space of surrealism, thereby further inquiring about our inner states and their relation to the exterior world.
Akin to how the artist previously collaged found image materials and thematic ideas, here, Brewer experiments with AI language inputs and digital tools, incorporating both general and hyper-specific keywords such as “pyroclastic flow, frog point of view, convergent evolution, post-EMP scene, and bas relief.” The outcome of these experiments then produced the imagery that would be used as fragments for the works’ final compositions. Through this method, Brewer continues a practice attentive to a subconscious, intuitive process, evoking the function of emergent and associative images and how one recalls imagery from memory. The resulting works blur the boundaries of distinct entities, a characteristic hallmark of AI images, and a key aspect of historical painting practice.
Quite interestingly, the participation of AI in the works’ production appears unintelligible, for the most part, as the artist’s dissonant palette, distinct mark making, subject matter, and cohesive connection to previous works makes obvious that the work is of the artist. The use of AI then generates exciting questions of how something so semantic can get so close to something one creates in painting through an unknowable, subjective process and how a collective database of source material can produce images that feel quite painterly without asking it to do so.
Brewer received an MFA from Bard College in 2013, and a BFA from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in 2007. In 2011, Brewer was the winner of the 2011 RBC Canadian Painting Competition. Brewer’s solo exhibitions include the Frye Art Museum, Seattle (2020); Oakville Galleries, Canada (with Rochelle Goldberg, 2019); Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver (2014, 2016); and Exercise, Vancouver (2012). Brewer’s work has been included in group exhibitions at Oakville Galleries, Canada (2018); Vancouver Art Gallery (2016); The Audain Gallery, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver (2016); Marcelle Alix, Paris (2014); and Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff (2013).
Abbas Akhavan

CANADA
Apparition Room
January 14–April 8, 2023
Western Front, Vancouver
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USA
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SOUTH KOREA
Soft and weak like water
14th Gwangju Biennale
April 7–July 9, 2023
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DENMARK
June 22–November 22, 2023
Copenhagen Contemporary;
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek; Copenhagen
Brenda Draney

CANADA
Road Trip
October 22, 2022–January 29, 2023
Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton
Drink from the river
February 3–May 14, 2023
The Power Plant, Toronto
May 19–June 30, 2023
Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver
Tanya Lukin Linklater

CANADA
Movement: Expressive Bodies in Art
September 2, 2022–September 10, 2023
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
My mind is with the weather
February 26–April 22, 2023
Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge
Wayfinders, the ones we breathe with
April 22–July 29, 2023
Open Space, Victoria
—
SOUTH KOREA
Soft and weak like water
14th Gwangju Biennale
April 7–July 9, 2023
*PUBLICATION*
Slow Scrape
*REVIEW*
Chicago Review
Damian Moppett

CANADA
BEHOLDEN: New Acquisitions to the AGA Collection
August 20, 2022–February 26, 2023
Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton
March 24–May 6, 2023
Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver
Raymond Boisjoly

CANADA
We Are Story: The Canada Now Photography Acquisition
January 28, 2023–
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
*PUBLICATION*
The Capilano Review
The gallery welcomes visitors Wednesday–Saturday, 12–5
Office hours Tuesday–Friday, 9–5
Wheelchair entrance is available
950 East Cordova Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6A 1M6 Canada
+1 604 736 1554
gallery@catrionajeffries.com
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Catriona Jeffries Owner, Director
Peter Gazendam Director
Samara Aster Associate Director, Collections
Asia Jong Administration and Research
Steven Cottingham Visuals and Communications
Garnet Dirksen Head Preparator and Registrar
Wakana Shimamura Preparator
Paul Dhaliwal Finance
Rachel Topham Photography Documentation
Scott Ponik Design
Mailing List
Exhibition History
Tanya Lukin Linklater
breath ,’ echo
November 12, 2022–January 7, 2023


Jerry Pethick
‘How specialized are our interpretations of the world?’
September 16–October 29, 2022


Janice Kerbel
Speech! Fight!
Speech! Fight!
May 28–June 25, 2022


Valérie Blass, Laurie Kang, Christina Mackie, Liz Magor
Do Redo Repeat
March 19–May 7, 2022


Brenda Draney, Tanya Lukin Linklater
The best stories I know come from late night car rides or kitchen tables.
January 29–March 5, 2022


Raymond Boisjoly
🕸Some Number of Things🕸
November 6–December 18, 2021


Abbas Akhavan, Geoffrey Farmer, Rochelle Goldberg, Kapwani Kiwanga, Duane Linklater
Unseeable
Sept 18–Oct 23, 2021


Charmian Johnson
May 29–July 3, 2021


Ian Wallace
In the Museum
April 10–May 22, 2021


Damian Moppett
Vignettes
February 13–March 27, 2021


Liz Magor
Downer
December 5, 2020–January 30, 2021


Duane Linklater
primaryuse
October 24–November 21, 2020


Elizabeth McIntosh
Mom or Mother
September 12–October 10, 2020


Valérie Blass
La poudre aux yeux: Of smoke in mirrors
May 23–June 27, 2020


Ashes Withyman
Some kind of doctor receiving thunder
February 8–March 14, 2020


Abbas Akhavan
They asked the fox, “Who is your witness?”
He said, “My tail.”
November 23, 2019–January 18, 2020


Christina Mackie
September 21–November 2, 2019


Rochelle Goldberg
May 25–July 20, 2019
gatekeepers


Abbas Akhavan, Valérie Blass, Raymond Boisjoly, Rebecca Brewer, Trisha Brown and Trisha Brown Dance Company, Chris Burden, Raven Chacon, Geoffrey Farmer, Hanne Darboven, Marcel Duchamp, Julia Feyrer, Alex Frost, Cynthia Girard-Renard, Rochelle Goldberg, Dan Graham, Brian Jungen, On Kawara, Janice Kerbel, Christine Sun Kim, Duane Linklater, Tanya Lukin Linklater, Christina Mackie, Myfanwy MacLeod, Liz Magor, Elizabeth McIntosh, Damian Moppett, Stephen Murray, Kate Newby, Jerry Pethick, Eileen Quinlan, Judy Radul, Aurie Ramirez, Rob Renpenning, Marina Roy, Kevin Schmidt, Nick Sikkuark, Michael Snow, Ron Terada, Calder Tsuyuki Tomlinson, Ian Wallace, Nicole Wermers, and Ashes Withyman
Unexplained Parade
February 9–May 11, 2019


Judy Radul
Words No Pictures Pictures No Words
May 11–June 16, 2018


Julia Feyrer
Background Actors
March 16–April 21, 2018


Rebecca Brewer, Rochelle Goldberg, Charmian Johnson, Christina Mackie
Nature
January 26–March 3, 2018


Elizabeth McIntosh
ISLANDS
November 17–December 22, 2017


Ron Terada
TL; DR
September 15–October 28, 2017


Elizabeth McIntosh, Monique Mouton, Silke Otto-Knapp
May 26–July 8, 2017


Ian Wallace
Street Floor Table Page Wall Canvas, 1969–2017
March 31–May 13, 2017


Ashes Withyman
Bullae
March 10–18, 2017


Geoffrey Farmer
The Big Kitchen
January 14–February 25, 2017


Rebecca Brewer
The Holding Sky
November 12–December 17, 2016


Raymond Boisjoly
September 16–October 29, 2016


Damian Moppett
May 6–June 25, 2016


Liz Magor
March 5–April 23, 2016


Brian Jungen
January 22–February 27, 2016


Valérie Blass
To only ever say one thing forever the same thing
November 21, 2015–January 9, 2016


Janice Kerbel
Score
September 12–October 24, 2015


Liz Magor, Jerry Pethick, Ron Tran
A view believed to be yours
May 15–June 27, 2015


Myfanwy MacLeod
TELL HER NOTHING SHE TELLS ALL
March 21–May 2, 2015


Ian Wallace
The Construction Site
January 17–February 28, 2015


Duane Linklater
But the sun is up and you're going?
November 15–December 20, 2014


Ron Terada
Jack
September 19–October 25, 2014


Jerry Pethick
Where sidewalks leap upon the table: works on paper 1966–2000
May 24–June 28, 2014


Rebecca Brewer
The Written Face
March 29–May 10, 2014


Geoffrey Farmer
The Grass and the Banana go for a walk
February 8-March 15, 2014


Gareth Moore
Household Temple Yard
November 26, 2013–January 11, 2014


Damian Moppett
Salute
September 20–November 2, 2013


Brian Jungen, Duane Linklater
Modest Livelihood
June 7–July 20, 2013


Andrea Büttner, Joëlle de La Casinière, Gareth Moore
April 26–June 1, 2013


Raymond Boisjoly
March 1–April 13, 2013


Liz Magor
I is being This
November 16–December 22, 2012


Christina Mackie, Jerry Pethick
Bigger than a book, wilder than a tree
September 14–October 27, 2012


Judy Radul
April 27–June 9, 2012


Julia Feyrer
Alternatives and Opportunities
March 2–April 14, 2012


Ian Wallace
Masculin/Féminin
January 13–February 18, 2012


Ulla von Brandenburg, Guy de Cointet, Geoffrey Farmer, Janice Kerbel, Daria Martin, Judy Radul
People Things Enter Exit
October 28–December 10, 2011


Ron Terada
Jack
September 3–October 8, 2011


Robert Kleyn
Works 1969–1983
May 20–June 25, 2011


Arabella Campbell
March 25–April 30, 2011


Alex Morrison
February 3–March 12, 2011


Brian Jungen
November 19, 2010–January 15, 2011


Kevin Schmidt
September 17–October 23, 2010


Damian Moppett
The Sculptor’s Studio is a Painting
May 21–June 26, 2010


Geoffrey Farmer
The Surgeon and the Photographer
January 29-March 6, 2010


Myfanwy MacLeod
Gold
November 6–December 12, 2009


Ian Wallace
Works 1970–1979
September 18–October 24, 2009


Brian Jungen, Rebecca Belmore, Myfanwy MacLeod, Kevin Schmidt, Alex Morrison, Sam Durant, Ron Terada, Geoffrey Farmer, Jin-me Yoon
Loaded
May 15–June 20, 2009


Christos Dikeakos
March 26–April 25, 2009


Gareth Moore
Uncertain Pilgrimage
January 15–February 14, 2009


Jin-me Yoon
October 30–November 29, 2008


Jerry Pethick
September 12–October 11, 2008


Ron Terada
May 23–June 28, 2008


Germaine Koh
April 11–May 10, 2008


Roy Kiyooka, Damian Moppett, Jerry Pethick, Ian Wallace
Process as Work
February 29–March 29, 2008


Kelly Wood, Monika Grzymala
January 18–February 16, 2008


Alex Morrison
November 23–December 22, 2007


Ian Wallace
October 18–November 17, 2007


Judy Radul
September 7–October 6, 2007


Arabella Campbell
June 8–July 7, 2007


Brian Jungen
April 27–May 26, 2007


Sam Durant
Scenes from the Pilgrim Story: Natural History
March 16–April 14, 2007


Damian Moppett
Progress in Advance of the Fall
January 19–February 24, 2007


Isabelle Pauwels
November 25–December 22, 2006


Geoffrey Farmer
Airliner Open Studio
October 21–November 18, 2006


Kevin Schmidt
September 9–October 7, 2006


Gareth Moore, Jacob Gleeson
St. George Marsh
August 24–September 1, 2006
Christos Dikeakos, Geoffrey Farmer, Arni Haraldsson, Brian Jungen, Roy Kiyooka, Germaine Koh, Myfanwy MacLeod, Damian Moppett, Isabelle Pauwels, Jerry Pethick, Judy Radul, Kevin Schmidt, Ron Terada, Ian Wallace, Jin-me Yoon
274 East 1st
June 3–July 8, 2006


Christos Dikeakos
November 25, 2005–January 16, 2006


Alex Morrison, Isabelle Pauwels, Frances Stark, Johannes Wohnseifer
And to stop you interfering, I shall have to dematerialize you again
October 13–November 19, 2005


Geoffrey Farmer, Brian Jungen, Germaine Koh, Myfanwy MacLeod, Damian Moppett, Alex Morrison, Ron Terada, Ian Wallace, Kelly Wood
Mix with care
July 5–September 24, 2005
Ron Terada
May 20–June 25, 2005


Arabella Campbell, Neil Campbell, Ron Terada, Ian Wallace
Painting After Poverty
April 8–May 14, 2005


Sam Durant
Color Pictures
February 25–March 2, 2005


Germaine Koh
Shell
January 14–February 19, 2005


Roy Kiyooka
Open Window on a Slow Train
December 2004

Jin-me Yoon
Fugitive
October 22–November 27, 2004

Myfanwy MacLeod
Don’t Stop Dreaming
September 10–October 16, 2004
Artist Curating Artists:
Damian Moppett curates Allison Hrabluik and Zin Taylor
May 28–June 26, 2004


Geoffrey Farmer
Every Surface In Some Way Decorated, Altered or Changed Forever (Except the Float)
April 7–May 15, 2004


Artist Curating Artists:
Myfanwy MacLeod curates Kyla Mallett
February 11–March 13, 2004

Damian Moppett
1815/1962
October 30–December 6, 2003


Carsten Höller, Cameron Jamie, Jakob Kolding, Myfanwy MacLeod, Kyla Mallett, Valérie Mréjen, Isabelle Pauwels, Raymond Pettibon, Ron Terada, Lawrence Weiner, Erwin Wurm
Seethe
September 10–October 25, 2003

Iain Baxter, Geoffrey Farmer, Roy Kiyooka, Germaine Koh, Myfanwy MacLeod, Ron Terada
I Sell Security
May 29–August 16, 2003


Kelly Wood
Black Plastic
April 11–May 17, 2003

Ian Wallace
February 28–April 5, 2003


Alex Morrison
Housewrecker
January 17–February 22, 2003


Allyson Clay
November 29–December 21, 2002


Ron Terada
September 6–October 12, 2002

Germaine Koh, Alex Morrison, N.E. Thing Co., Ron Terada, Ian Wallace
Signage
June 8–August 31, 2002


Christos Dikeakos
March 21–April 20, 2002


Germaine Koh
March 8–April 13, 2002


Brian Jungen
February 1–March 2, 2002


Geoffrey Farmer
Catriona Jeffries Catriona
September 9–October 9, 2001


Myfanwy MacLeod
Miss Moonshine
September 7–October 6, 2001
Geoffrey Farmer, Germaine Koh, Myfanwy MacLeod, Damian Moppett, Ron Terada, Jin-me Yoon, Kelly Wood
Supernatural Fairytales (Pink Island)
June 8–August 25, 2001


Ian Wallace
My Heroes in the Street
March 9–April 14, 2001


Jerry Pethick
Traverse
February 19–March 3, 2001


Roy Kiyooka
Filmic Works 1978–1980
November 30–December 21, 2000


Arni Haraldsson
Jerusalem
September 8–October 14, 2000


Iain Baxter
Vacuum Forms
April 27–June 3, 2000


Damian Moppett
Impure Systems
February 4–March 11, 2000


Ron Terada
Jeopardy Paintings
November 1999


Ian Wallace
Street Works 1969–1995
Part I: 1980–1982, March 1999. Part II: 1969–1999, April–May 1999


Ian Wallace
Chopaka
April 1997


Jerry Pethick
Gobi Clone
March 1997

