Vic Mantha-Blythe, The Pyre House (video still), 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
Brenda Mabel Reid, quilt block from the From Behind the Mask community quilt, 2021. Image courtesy of the artist.
Please join the University of Waterloo School of Architecture at the Design at Riverside Gallery for the opening reception of two new master’s theses exhibitions on Monday, May 9th from 6 pm - 7:30 pm. Masks are required in the gallery. All are welcome.
Exhibitions will be open to the public Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Masks are required upon entry.
Another Way Through
May
9
-
June
10,
2022
Design
at
Riverside,
Main
Gallery
Another Way Through highlights the paths in which master’s theses travel; not a straight line but one full of exploration and process, often hidden between the lines of the final work. Bringing together the thesis work of two recent graduates from the Master of Architecture at the University of Waterloo, this exhibit showcases two distinct and alternative approaches to expanding architectural research. Both Brenda and Vic’s work embody what unconventional theses, engaged in alternative methodologies of research and production, can look like: sitting in-between and beyond the traditional thesis format.
Brenda’s Care As Architectural Practice exemplifies the role of craft, mixed-media, and community engagement as a method of creation. Vic’s The Witch’s House delves into the practice of drawing and writing as a method of research, design and critical thinking. They come together in this exhibit as a celebration of the friendship and collaboration that flourished throughout the production of their work and continues to impact their success as emerging artists and researchers. Through physical artifacts and accompanying interpretive text, the exhibition invites people behind the scenes of the master’s thesis and presents a glimpse into the relational process of design integral to the work of architecture and art alike.
Both Brenda and Vic offer reflections on this thesis work and draw connections to their current work as artists, researchers and educators.
Material Memories
May
9
-
July
22,
2022
Design
at
Riverside,
Window
Gallery
Material Memories explores the identity of place embedded in the harvest, craft and experience of material through three thesis projects: Clay Shapes the Hand by Kelsey Rose Dawson, More Than a “Thing-In-Itself” by Elizabeth Lenny, and Within the Ruin is Colour by Jade Manbodh. The first focuses on understanding site through finding, digging, and processing wild clay, displaying material tests from all stages of clay’s lifecycle and the resulting sculptural work from the artist's ongoing research. The second traces the life of wood from a tree to a chair. It includes a selection of five seats. Along with each seat, there are maps that trace the becoming of the work from the source material through to the place the wood was made into a seat. The third illuminates the colour of post-industrial material. Twenty-eight extracted pigments are displayed in the form of rubbings on paper. They are accompanied by the artist’s field note reflections, sketches, and maps.
The exhibition uses site as a starting point. Each artist then explores an intimate relationship with the land by harvesting their materials, giving time and labour to these places. Each installation reflects upon site and recognizes how it has influenced their work and lives.
Free parking is available in a large lot at the end of Melville Street South and River Street.
For questions and accessibility requests, please email archadmin@uwaterloo.ca or phone (519) 888-4567 ext. 27602.
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