Anouk Desloges  &  Helen Liene Dreifelds
Outside the Lines
November 23- December 22, 2016
Opening Reception- Saturday, November 26th,  2-5pm

Lonsdale Gallery is pleased to present Outside the Lines, a two-person exhibition featuring work by Anouk Desloges and Helen Liene Dreifelds. With practices based in textile arts, Desloges and Dreifelds use fibre and various other elements and approaches in their exploration of materials. By removing textiles from their traditional supports, the fragility and femininity of the visible stitch is replaced by a hard edge.

The influence of sculpture can be witnessed in each artist’s diverse, yet intertwined visions. Desloges stitches embroidered gestures into acrylic while laser-cut applique forms rest on the surface. Dreifelds textile works are sculptures; hand-woven using monofilament nylon, the shapes curl and bend, casting penumbral shadows that visually confuse the perceived softness and surface of the forms.

By activating the median zone between flat image and 3D surface, the work in Outside The Lines represents unique contemporary perspectives from two emerging Canadian artists. Carefully organized preparation merges with their precise physical movements, as fibres become an extension of the body. Fine details and traces of the human hand are what make the work of Desloges and Dreifelds intricate as they are searching for anterior modes of expression.

 Anouk Desloges (b. 1980, Québec City) embroidered works explore the representation of abstract concepts, which she describes as her “attempt to illustrate what doesn’t exist in physical form”. The resulting works radiate a certain precious fragility combined with an intimate illusion of space and depth.   Desloges received a BFA from the Université Laval, Québec City, and a Diploma in Sculpture from the Maison des Métiers d’Art de Québec. She has exhibited in Canada, France, and Guatemala and her work can be found in various public and private collections across Canada. She most recently completed an Artist-In-Residence program at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Desloges lives and works in Toronto.

Helen Liene Dreifelds (b. 1987, Toronto) uses natural and synthetic thread to prolong the emotional and physical experience of change. Through planning and repetitive physical labour, Dreifelds considers her work to be a form of record keeping, resulting in three-dimensional wall pieces, suspended installations and free standing sculptures. Dreifelds work has been exhibited in Toronto and Montreal. She holds a DEC diploma in Textile Construction from the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles and a BA from Concordia University.