After a few minutes at the show, the notion of confession is set aside as the subtleties of Vander Kooij’s work come through. This is not an uncomfortable experience where someone you barely know has revealed too much and all you have done is nod and smile. Instead, in Vander Kooij we find an engaging conversationalist with a flair for wit and play. The ways that she initiates this dialogue are for me the most intriguing element of the show.
Sac Noir Hand embroidery on cotton. 27” x 23”, 2008.
Note found on the street taped to a garbage can, enlarged and embroidered.
As one example, two of the show’s pieces (Telephoner and Sac Noir) are embroidered facsimiles of hastily scribbled notes found by the artist. Vander Kooij’s renditions capture the speed of the hands that wrote these notes in the original, mundane moments that they were created. That Vander Kooij’s has done so with the painstaking effort of a needle and thread in her own hand reifies the already unusual messages contained in the notes.
Rivalry, a colourful, quilted piece, serves up the same messages at two levels. I found myself intrigued by the details of the work and it wasn’t until I had moved along to the show’s final pieces that the macro level of Rivalry was obvious to me. It was then that I received Vander Kooij’s unexpected pun.
Misconception Embroidery and appliqué on vintage table cloth. 52.5” x 57.5”, 2008
One consideration of hanging large bed sheets in the middle of a gallery is that they have two sides, and Vander Kooij works this element to its full advantage. Part of the playfulness of the exhibition is finding yourself on one side of a sheet wondering how the other side looks. How visible are the stitches? Can you see any of the rough bits? Vander Kooij is a pro, so we only see what she wants us to. Misconception, the piece that had the greatest impact on me, is also the best example of this form of double-sided play. On one side we see an embroidered, expectant mother in a style from the 1960s. On the second side, we are privy to a view of the curious fetus growing inside the calm and seemingly oblivious woman on the other side.
Misconception (detail)
Because Vander Kooij’s playfulness tends to have us smirking or puzzling things out, it is possible to forget the fineness of the medium that she is working in. Bloom is a piece that showcases the beauty of Vander Kooij’s artistry. Although Bloom’s origins are notable, I find in this piece, one opportunity to pause and focus on Vander Kooij’s remarkable skills.
Leaving the show, I had the satisfying, full feeling of having shared a great conversation with a friend over a cup of coffee. Praise to Vander Kooij for initiating this unforgettable dialogue! I look forward to our next conversation.
submitted by Dianne Dechief
DIAGONALE
Centre des arts et des fibres du Québec
5455, avenue De Gaspé, espace 203,
Montréal, Québec H2T 3B3, Canada
Métro Laurier, sortie rue Laurier
Open Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 5:00 pm until November 29, 2008
Poplar Gallery.Online
CARE Canada
