May 26, 2018 - July 14, 2018
Humour, pathos, unusual materials and an uncanny ability to represent the indescribable characterize this sample of Alberta/New York artist Jude Griebel’s sculptures from the last five years. Jude’s beings and landscapes are interchangeable, with elements of each – plants, shells, trees, man-made environments and machinery – characterizing the other. Evoking a range of human emotions, situations and environmental disasters, the sculptures are at once whimsical and touching, dismaying and delightful. Jude Griebel’s work is based in his intimate knowledge of rural Alberta, but opens outward to connect with issues of humanity’s environmental impact world-wide. It is complex and unique in its representation, and even integration, of these environmental issues with human psyche, emotions, thoughts, and situations. Jude’s sculptures connect with viewers through a wry and sometimes dark humour, with emotional impact and a sense of wonder. The works are extraordinary in their detail, level of artistic invention and perception, and resourceful, skilled use of objects, materials and processes.
Jude Griebel holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Sculpture and Ceramics from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design; he participated in the MFA International Exchange through the University of Lapland, in Finland. Jude has exhibited his work in solo and group exhibitions in Germany, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Italy and the United States. His work is held in public collections in Canada, Belgium and Japan. Jude lives near Sundre, Alberta, as well as in New York, where he is participating in the Ground Floor NY Residency Program through the International Studio and Curatorial Program in Brooklyn.
IMAGE: Feeder, 2014, epoxy resin, wood, foam, papier-mâché, textiles, oil paint, 68” x 46” x 46”.
