Raymonde April’s Near You No Cold, now on display at Centre Clark, resulted from a residency in Mumbai. It explores the artist’s commute from her living space to her working space, and the details of that working space – her studio. This exhibition is a counterpoint to April’s recent show at Donald Browne Gallery that dealt with the artist’s domestic experience in Mumbai. The Near You half of the title represents the exhibition at Donald Browne and the No Cold half represents the work at Centre Clark. 
Raymonde April, Brasier
Although I appreciated April’s photographs at Donald Browne, their installation offered no surprises in comparison to the exhibition at Clark that appears to be more thoughtfully constructed. This exhibition consists of a series of photographs, presented with refreshing variety, and a projected video work. April’s practice beautifully and sensitively explores details of the quotidian by making them extraordinary. This body of work is no exception. Six mid-sized photographs are hung on the wall, each image printed on the top sheet of a pad of papers, elegantly folded over at the upper edge, and hanging loosely at the bottom. Three of these images are of street scenes and three depict a bonfire in a courtyard. Another mid-sized photograph of a metal chair in a bare studio-like space is laid flat on a large low shelf, while a large-scale portrait of a group of Indian women wearing saris is printed on a canvas-like material and pinned to the wall. The projected video shows the artist’s commute from home through the bustling, vibrant streets of Mumbai to her studio. Of these works, the photographs of fire are particularly striking. The bright and delicate licks of flame pop out of the mat images with startling beauty. The orange of the fire contrasts against yards of blue fabric that are strewn across the grey courtyard before being tossed into the flames by a solitary woman. These images are emblematic of how April’s depiction of everyday moments, whether in familiar or unfamiliar settings, always evokes a feeling of intimacy and effortlessness in their making.
Centre Clark: http://www.centreclark.com/en
Raymonde April: Near You no Cold continues until April 26.
Susannah Wesley is an artist and curator living in Montreal. She has been a member of the collaborative duo Leisure since 2004 and from 1997-2000 was part of the notorious British art collective the Leeds13. Formerly Director at Battat Contemporary in Montreal, she holds an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art and an MA in Art History from Concordia University. She is Akimblog's Montreal correspondent and can be followed @susannahwesley1 on Twitter.
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Raymonde April at Centre Clark, Montreal
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