Spoilage | Re/Dis/Covery

Gallery Gachet brings together two shows exploring similar themes around addictions, and the relationships they affect. Featuring three diverse female artists and a broad range of disciplines, this exhibit serves as a platform for both Bernadine Fox to speak out for children of drug addicts using artistic means, and for performance poets/writers, Julie and Shannon to translate their written discourse into a progressive multidisciplinary art exhibition.

SPOILAGE: Speaking out on behalf of children of drug addicts

Bernadine Fox

For those invested with the power to protect our children it seems that addictions, trafficking, and/or the manufacturing of drugs does not equate to a child at risk despite living in grow-ops, meth labs or withinthe drug culture. While their parents are offered a multitude of services, little to none are provided to their children. Canada’s Drug Strategy Program makes barely a mention of them and, although, Vancouver’s Four Pillars Program recommends these services, the funding and partners are not in place.

While not disputing the importance of harm reduction, Fox speaks out for these children who too often become the collateral damage or Spoilage of these programmes. In this exhibit, Fox has allowed the message to determine the medium. For instance, the Mommy and Me Kit replicates the type of “works” kits addicts carry except this one also includes a child’s toy hypodermic needle.

RE/DIS/COVERY

Julie Parrell and Shannon Rayne

Performance poets/writers, Julie Parrell and Shannon Rayne come together to share more than just love of mixing their words with visual mediums.  Through a series of text-based mixed media compositions Shannon and Julie explore and discover the role that drugs/alcohol has in their lives in order to rediscover their own strengths and ultimately recover. Re/dis/covery challenges assumptions surrounding the label of weakness often associated with personal addictions, the female gender and with the choice to stay with alcoholic partners and friends. Re/dis/covery is Shannon and Julie’s first exhibition and presents an exciting opportunity for them to transform their written dialogue into a visual art exhibition.

To see pictures from this exhibition, please visit our Flickr account

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gallerygachet/sets/72157625137629557

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gallerygachet/sets/72157625041099093