A Guelph mother and daughter art duo are presenting art they made using chicken feet, turkey wishbones, computer parts, a clay hand and previously buried book pages.
The show opens Saturday at Kloepfer Custom Framing and Gallery. The opening is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and artists Alana Farrell and her mother Nancy Farrell will be there to answer questions about their art.
“Things you think are junk are really inspiring,” said Alana.
The exhibition Weird but Good Show will be on until May 30.
The name for the exhibition came from a conversation Nancy had with a friend when she was describing the art. She said “It’s a lot of weird things. Different things.”
Her friend suggested “It’s weird stuff but good stuff.”
The exhibition was going to be put on in 2020 but the pandemic hit so it was put on pause.
“I knew it would be a different show for Guelph,” said Nancy.
She had always painted, drew and used clay throughout her life, but it is when she found pottery she started to engage in more art. She received her fine arts degree from the University of Guelph.
Her daughter is a mathematician and grew up with art in the home. It was something you do in your spare time, said Alana.
She said math and art relate.
“Art is patterns. Math are patterns. Patterns in palette colour. Patterns of numbers.”
She has a set of teddy bear sculptures to represent the prime numbers, which are featured in the exhibition.
“I think I got it through osmosis,” she said about how she obtained her artistic talent from her mother.
Although the pair have come together for their exhibition, Nancy never taught her daughter how to make art. She picked it up herself.
While Nancy’s artistic mediums are paint, and clay, her daughter uses found materials and makes sculptures.
“I believe that everything has a place. Everything belongs somewhere. It’s just about finding where,” said Alana.
It was by coincidence the two started working together. Alana had space at her house before she downsized and her mother needed more space to work so she would come over and work on her art.
They then started asking each other for advice.
“We do it very separately. It’s more about being in the same room,” said Alana. They have a piece called ‘Separate but together’.
In the exhibition there are pieces made by both Farrell’s but also pieces they made on their own.
While Nancy and Alana are well into their adult years, they both embrace the playfulness and curiosity children have and put it into art.
Art is play, they both said.
Nancy often asks herself if she couldn’t show her art would she still make it? The answer is no. This was news to her daughter.
“I think if I was younger, but I’m in my 80s now and so I know that I don’t have the energy to do as much,” she said.
Their art is accessible to everyone, they both said. Meaning, the materials used are things anyone can find and they do could make art out of.
The mother/daughter duo are inspired by each other and when they were asked to point out their favourite piece of artwork they both chose one of each other’s.
“I like this one that looks like flesh,” said Nancy. Appropriately described since the piece is called UNDER MY SKIN.
“I like it because I can’t do it,” said Alana pointing out a painting of her mother’s with the title Solitude.
They both have different artistic skill sets.
Alana said she finds her mother inspiring because she knows when she gets older she can still produce art like her mother.
