Cube Gallery’s new exhibition Paper/Papier opened on Sept. 6, showcasing six of Canada’s print and paper artists of 2016.
The exhibition features a number of Canadian artists from across the country, including Anita Kunz, David Thauberger, Rosalie Favell, Mary Pratt, Russell Yuristy, and Daphne Odjig.
The collection combines a range of paper designs from digital art and photography to dry point and silkscreen.
Don Monet, curator of Cube Gallery, said he decided to organize the exhibit by artistic medium instead of genre or style.
“I picked these six artists because they’re at the top of their game. You’re looking at six of Canada’s greatest paper artists today,” Monet said.
According to Monet, paper is becoming a rarer medium in the world of art.
“The print market has really gone down and fallen into bad times in the art world,” he said. Monet added the decline in the value of print is often due to the volume of work that can be produced by print artists. The fall in popular use of paper is also attributed to its cost.
“It’s usually very expensive to get hold of the art where you need to print properly, especially with things like presses,” Monet said. “If you’re going to invest in the studio equipment for printing and the print market isn’t there, is it really a smart move? I think it’s minor, but [the market is] there. If somebody wants to print, they print. Somebody needs to print.”
Artists like David Thauberger are doing just that. Hailing from Saskatchewan, Thauberger became involved in printmaking in 1979 when invited by the Grand Western Canadian Screen Shop to create print editions of his paintings.
Thauberger’s silkscreens “Danceland” and “Poolhall” are featured in Paper/Papier, representing actual locations that vary in historic and personal meaning.
Thauberger said the main focus of his work was memories.
“Everybody grew up somewhere, everybody has memories,” he said.
Anita Kunz, an illustrator and artist of the series “Aqua,” “Aer,” and “Terra,” also featured in the Paper/Papier exhibit. She said the printing market has shifted over the years.
“In the ‘80s and ‘90s there was more autonomy—now the industry is really changing. You’re being told what to do with your art. Doing stuff for galleries gives me more freedom,” Kunz said.
Kunz added the theme of her exhibit was love.
“The subject was love, something that showed different kinds of love,” Kunz said.
Paper/Papier will run until Oct. 2.
