OVER THE EDGE//TOE THE LINE & Ellie

Kasia Sosnowki & Claire Paquet
September 25 – November 13, 2021
Reception: September 25, 7 – 9pm

OVER THE EDGE//TOE THE LINE examines the precarious nature of the edge and how it translates to physical and mental thresholds. The work explores the anxiety of existing on a precipice where the slightest provocation might cause a shift, a fissure, or collapse. Going over the edge is, therefore, paired with the threat of harm but also carries the potential for transformation and release. Alternatively, toe the line elicits playful, almost flirtatious imagery. The tension is rooted in understanding conventional boundaries but still wanting to cross them – seeking activation or destruction. Acts of transgression are followed by consequences but they can also deliver gratification and the outcome often oscillates between satisfaction and shame. Sosnowski’s work explores the tension between self-destruction and self-preservation in moments of anxiety and pleasure, and how the lines between them are blurred.

KASIA SOSNOWSKI graduated with honours from the University of Lethbridge with a combined BFA in both Art History & Museum Studies, and Art Studio in 2014. With previous work experience at The Banff Centre and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, she most recently worked at the Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge as the AAC Works Manager. In 2020 she finished a two-month artist residency at Medalta in the Historic Clay District in Medicine Hat, making work for her show “SNEEK-E-PEEP’N” which was shown in the Project Space at the Esker Foundation in Calgary. Her work has also been shown in Lethbridge, Edmonton, Hamilton, and Auckland, NZ. She has recently been accepted as an MFA Candidate at York University where she will pursue ceramics and sculpture in Fall 2021.

ELLIE is a collection of works relating to an episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation that aired on November 5, 2003. The episode, called “Whisper to a Scream”, follows high school student Ellie Nash as she begins cutting herself in an effort to cope with her life. The episode culminates with Ellie seeking talk therapy as an alternative to cutting. While clearly intended to raise awareness about a pertinent teen issue, the show ultimately inspired some of its young viewership to emulate Ellie. Ellie reflects on this conundrum and offers new possibilities for coping, making use of a collection of porcelain popcorn. The popcorn produce soothing sounds and are deployed in material explorations which reference a variety of wellness tropes. The works pay homage to Ellie and to her legacy.

CLAIRE ELLEN PAQUET is an artist, writer, and garment-maker based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. She holds a BFA from Mount Allison University and an MFA from Concordia University. She is preoccupied with coping, and with the reality that some things are nicer to hold than others.