Curtain Wall

Sculpture; Tyndall stone

*This project took place as part of STAGES 2017 and is no longer on display

Location: Bonnycastle Park amphitheater, 260 Assiniboine Avenue, platform not wheelchair accessible but the artwork can be viewed from Bonnycastle Park or river walkway
Hours: Park hours 7am-10pm daily

Activating the history of set design, architecture, and craft, Kara Hamilton’s artwork brings out the performative aspects of materials. She commonly works with stone and metal, collected from various situations from discarded construction debris to used gold jewellery. Curtain Wall is descriptive of the wall like sculpture Hamilton has built from Tyndall stone for STAGES, but takes it main reference from the play Prop Tragedies by Jennifer Krasinski in which, she wrote “Curtain. But when in doubt, blame the window for the view.” Drawing the ‘curtain’ so to speak, Hamilton breaks the structure of the sculpture form a solid block by cutting out two eye-like shapes, which she positions at an average shoulder height. The eye holes open the otherwise blocked view on to the underlying Assinibione River, framing its murky water and fast current, and capturing glimpses of those walking past. She casts the surrounding environment as active elements that give the sculpture a dreamy life-like quality.

Activating the history of set design, architecture, and craft, Toronto-based, multi-media artist, Kara Hamilton’s exhibitions explore the performative nature of materials. For her installation for Stages Hamilton will erect a sculpture in a found amphitheater using discarded Tyndall stone.

Hamilton’s work integrates objects and ‘useless’, leftover or discarded materials including brass, marble, and glass. Building prototypes that actively respond to their context, or props, Hamilton’s exhibitions have been described as dioramic in structure, allowing viewers to move through the work, transformed into supporting characters to the objects that lead. Hamilton received her Bachelor in Architecture from the University of British Colombia, and her MFA in sculpture from Yale. She has shown extensively in North America and Europe at venues including Salon 94, New York; EFA Project Space, New York; Kate Werble Gallery, New York; Kunstverein Amsterdam; Taut and Tame, Berlin; G Gallery, Toronto; and Cooper Cole Gallery, Toronto. She is represented by Salon 94 and Cooper Cole Gallery. Hamilton is co-director Kunstverein Toronto.

En activant l’histoire des décors, de leur architecture et de leur artisanat, les expositions de l’artiste multimédia basée à Toronto Kara Hamilton explorent la nature performative des matériaux. Pour son installation pour Stages, elle va ériger une sculpture dans un amphithéâtre en utilisant de la pierre de Tyndall mis au rebut.

Le travail d’Hamilton intègre des objets et des matériaux non utilisés, mis de côté ou jetés tels que du laiton, du marbre ou du verre. Construisant des prototypes qui réagissent activement à leur contexte, ou des accessoires, les expositions d’Hamilton sont considérées comme étant de structure dioramique, permettant aux spectateurs de se mouvoir au travers de l’oeuvre, transformés en personnages secondaires des objets eux-mêmes.

Hamilton est diplômé d’un Baccalauréat d’Architecture de l’Université de Colombie Britannique et d’une Maîtrise ès Beaux Arts option Sculpture de Yale. Elle a exposé largement en Amérique du Nord et en Europe dans des lieux tels queSalon 94, New York; EFA Project Space, New York; Kate Werble Gallery, New York; Kunstverein Amsterdam; Taut and Tame, Berlin; G Gallery, Toronto; et Cooper Cole Gallery, Toronto. Elle est représentée par Salon 94 et Cooper Cole Gallery. Hamilton est co-directrice de Kunstverein Toronto.