September 13th through October 18th 2009 with an artist reception on Saturday, September 13th, 2 – 5 pm.
The exhibition features a new work entitled Falling Woman, a large scale, looped video depicting a woman trapped in a never-ending fall.
The fall specifically references art historical events and works, such as Yves Klein’s photomontage farce Leap into the Void and the loss of control in the humble gestures of Bas Jan Ader’s falling pieces. D’Onofrio addresses the influence feminist discourse has had on her own practice and positioning, and particularly references second wave feminist artist Ana Mendieta, known for her site-specific installations and performances. Mendieta attempted to retrieve the nude body from the masculine eye; in her signature “Sileuta” series she imposed her body onto the environment with impressions of her contours, a series that foreshadowed her untimely and suspicious death. In Falling Woman the body continues to be a battleground of desire and exploitation.
The fall in Falling Woman represents the D’Onofrio’s interest in contrived depictions of unconsciousness. The piece plays with the dream of falling interpreted as a loss of control or the feeling of fear and humiliation that comes in dreams of being naked. The wind from the fall forces the protagonist’s dress over her head, which simultaneously conceals her identity and exposes her body, acting as a natural yet exploitative flirtation with the camera. Autonomy and control clash, for the subject has not jumped nor has she been pushed and she will never land; instead she is in the midst of a continuous falL The meeting of these moments manifest themselves in an endless sublime sky where we witness the woman frustrated in her attempt to connect with it, in a piece that asks: can feminists fly?
Christine D’Onofrio would like to express her gratitude to the Canada Council for the Arts for their generous support in the research and execution of this project. Falling Woman is Christine’s second solo show with Republic Gallery, and will be showing from September 13th through October 18th with an artist reception on Saturday, September 13th, 2 – 5 pm. Gallery hours are 11 am – 4 pm, Wednesday through Saturday or by appointment. For more information, please contact Pantea Haghighi by phone at 604.632.1590 or via email atpantea@republicgallery.com.
