figure ground is a collection of relating works that engage with the visual concept of how space is perceived, interpreted and expressed. Langley and Petkau’s contributions of two and three-dimensional work correspond to one-another through formal qualities and visual themes by way of dramatically different practices that embody maximalist and minimalist approaches to making. The convergence of these contrasting elements, that could appear in opposition, coalesce in the abyss of the visual landscape. The conceptual application of the figure ground relationship physically takes form in the gallery, making use of the literal horizontal “ground” and vertical “figure” through installation methods. figure ground is a play on the gestalt theory of its namesake, segmenting and distilling our visual world into object and surrounding space.
New work by Erin Langley and Hannah Petkau
