by Haley Cullingham
Contrast is key: LE Gallery on Dundas is showcasing two artists whose work emphasizes the possibility of extremes. Jesse The Body, a collection of work by Jesse Harris, explores the strength of bold and graphic statements. Large screenprints on vinyl in primary colours, a shattered lightbox flickering dimly, protest signs attached to baseball bats and black and white canvases, under banners, proclaiming “YOU’RE ALREADY DEAD” in block letters. (Akron/Family reference? Who knows.) His work is arresting and interesting, each piece a brash statement inviting debate and provoking reaction. Jesse calls it “An endearing mess…providing a boogie-down backdrop for a radical (and witty) political message of unbridled personal freedom and skepticism of authority.” 

Running alongside Jesse The Body is a collection that explores similar themes in a radically different way. A History of Violence II showcases the work of Amanda Nedham, whose delicate and complex multi-media works are minimalist in colour but rich with detail. With layers upon layers of finely-wrought images, mostly human and animal, Nedham “attempts to focus on those moments that create tension as they challenge the governing voice of history.” 

Viewed together, the work of these two artists create a beautiful visual dialogue between simplicity and complexity,  and audacity and minimalism. The contrast of the two prove the limitless possibilities of visual expression.  

LE Gallery
1183 Dundas St. West
www.le-gallery.ca
July 2nd-27th
Wed-Sun 12-6 pm