When I heard that Graeme Patterson was exhibiting a new body of work at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, I wasn’t sure of what to expect. Would it stand up to the lasting impact that Patterson’s first solo exhibition Woodrow from 2007 had on me as a second-year art student? Or would it simply be more of the same?
Graeme Patterson, Secret Citadel
Secret Citadel felt familiar at first. The installation follows in his usual style: a number of intricately constructed dioramas distributed and dramatically lit within a dark room. Patterson’s scale-model buildings and landscapes are meticulously constructed, and filled with small details and hidden rooms. These set pieces were constructed to form the backdrop for a feature-length animation. Projected into the structures are the animations that they were used to create, meditations on friendships and their effect on our identity. One installation shows a car accident; another shows one of the characters burning his toys. In the corner is a player piano that plays a melancholic composition to accompany a video of the characters apart, drinking alone. All together, the installations weave a vivid psychological portrait of two friends who grow up and dream together, build things together, and slowly begin to grow apart.
Secret Citadel comes together as a strong and cohesive body of work that continues down many of the paths laid out in Patterson’s earlier work, and dives into the complexity, joy, and sorrow of friendship. Don’t let this one by.
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia: http://www.artgalleryofnovascotia.ca/en/AGNS_Halifax/exhibitions/graeme-patterson-secret-citadel
Graeme Patterson: Secret Citadel continues until May 30.
Daniel Higham works in a butcher shop where he’ll talk to you about art, food, and life. He’ll probably also sell you a roast. Daniel writes for Visual Arts News, is Akimblog’s new Halifax correspondent and can be followed @highamdaniel on Twitter.