Between the Sidewalk and the Horizon – Kellen Spencer
Between the Sidewalk and the Horizon – Kellen Spencer
Between the Sidewalk and the Horizon is an ongoing series of artworks that examines residential housing construction, memory and the notion of home. What started as a short documentative series of photographs in the neighborhood of Mount Pleasant, Calgary, became a fascination with housing politics in Canada and the narratives each of us carry around these subjects. The series includes black and white photographs, pencil drawings and copperplate etchings.
By displaying drawings and etchings with surreal elements alongside my photographic work, I wonder about the difference between houses as assets in the real estate market versus homes as places that hold significant personal and familial histories. Do our private endeavours toward home ownership uphold our collective cultural values about home? How can we balance financial matters in housing with place making, meaning and family history?
Recognizing that housing politics is rife with challenges at local and national scales, my art practice acts as a means to better understand the relationship we have with home, and to question the decisions that are made regarding preservation/sustainability, development and accessibility.
Artist Bio
Kellen Spencer is a Lethbridge-based visual artist and printmaker. In 2018, Kellen completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Print Media at the Alberta College of Art + Design (presently AUArts), and was the recipient of the Board of Governor’s Graduating Student Award. His printed works have recently been included in group exhibitions at VivianeArt, The Orillia Museum of Art & History, the John B. Aird Gallery and The Hall of Awa Japanese Paper Museum in Tokushima, Japan. Kellen currently works full-time in construction as a survey crew chief and CAD technician while maintaining his art practice out of his garage studio and the printmaking facilities at Casa. Kellen acknowledges the generous support of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts in funding the creation of new works included in this exhibition.
Date:November 20th, 2021 - January 15th, 2022
Fee:free
Location:Casa - Main Gallery
Casa Program Guide
The Casa Program Guide is produced three times a year; Winter, Spring/Summer and Fall. Inside the guide find listings for the upcoming class and workshop schedule, upcoming exhibitions at The Gallery, information about artists in residence and seasonal events in the building. Program guides are free. Pick-up guides at Casa or at facilities throughout the city.