Perception and Identity at Play
Authored by UMIH Intern Patrick Fermin
Painting by exhibiting artist, Mark Neufeld photographed by Patrick Fermin
In Mark Nuefeld and Julie Oh’s show, icecreampowerpinkyswearlater?, understandings of perception and playfulness coincide with one another to reveal each artist’s life experiences. Curated in December 2024 by Luther Konadu at the Centre for Culture and Arts Practices, with support from the University of Manitoba’s Institute for the Humanities, icecreampowerpinkyswearlater? puts Manitoba art and Newfoundland and Labrador art into conversation.
As you walk into the space, you are greeted by multiple paintings created by Nuefeld and installations by Oh. The white walls contrast the colourful depictions of seasons in Nuefeld’s paintings, each one facing a window from a studio. Geometric motifs fill the midground in the painting Political Aesthetic Fragments; Winter Studio Window with Bust (DR as KM); the windows are frosted, and the background obscured. Snow transports you to the isolation of winter, its grey, cool tones sharply contrasting the red triangular shape in the foreground; a sculpted bust also makes up the foreground, blending into the greys and blues of the scenery. A piece of paper with grid-like patterns that resemble those of the windows is taped on the window, but the glass it simulates is shattered, and the words “gas light” are written on the corner of the paper. This highlights a main motif I noted throughout the show: disorientation. Behind the playfulness of both Nuefeld and Oh’s work is a subtle uncertainty that commands the viewer to reorient themselves.
Oh’s installations of dog toys titled Audience, installed above the exhibition entrance, is a great example of reorienting oneself. At first glance, it looks like a playful inclusion to the exhibition, but further examination reveals the way Oh transports still life into reality. Furthermore, the dog toys have a lonesome quality to them: their stagnant positions go against their purpose as items to be played with. Despite the static nature of the toys, the feeling of disorientation returns as you see them all looking down, eyes examining the viewer as the viewer examines the artwork. This disorientation is further extended in Oh’s other works, such as a piece titled Grand opening, a roll of blue ribbon with large white lettering saying, “GRAND OPENING,” an irreverent commentary on our consumption of art. How much importance do we place on things that are new and exciting, rather than engaging with the art itself. Also of note is Oh’s sculpture work Contained, a representation of her, where she came from, and what home is. The tuna can holding fog inside it calls to the East Coast’s built environment and industry, both of which inform her experience and life.
The exhibition icecreampowerpinkyswearlater? is a playful exhibition which reckons with how we view art and artist. Both Neufeld’s and Oh’s work is informed by their lived experiences in Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador, respectively. Colourful, irreverent, and disorienting, icecreampowerpinkyswearlater? forces the viewer to negotiate thoughtfully, but also playfully, with the consumption of art.