A new art installation at the Kelowna International Airport may turn the heads of visitors on their way to the departure gates. Small things left behind is the creation of Kelowna-based artist Katherine Pickering and is comprised of a series of shaped paintings that fill the 40-foot long exhibition space. Pickering often explores the overlap between painting and sculpture, and uses pattern, colour, and the materiality of paint to suggest different themes.
"Small things left behind is composed of broken geometric forms with generous use of white space", says Pickering. "Some viewers may feel the shapes read as symbols, script, or even a mathematic equation. The repetition of sloped lines creates a visual rhythm and the combination of blue and green colours evokes a sense of flow and motion. I used the angular crossbars of a lattice baby gate to explore the idea of movement from one place to another."
Regardless of how visitors interpret the piece, Pickering’s dynamic installation will give passengers a reason to pause on their way to their departure gate. Small things left behind is on view until June 2020 at the Kelowna International Airport. Pickering received her BFA in Visual Arts from the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus in 2006 and an MFA in Studio Arts from Concordia University, Montreal, QC in 2009. She is currently a Lecturer with the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC’s Okanagan campus.
Pickering will give a talk on Thursday, April 23, from 6 to 7 pm, as part of an ongoing Artist Lecture Series at the Kelowna Art Gallery. This event is free and open to the public.
For more information about current exhibitions, public programming, or special events, please visit the Kelowna Art Gallery online or call 250-762-2226.