For those with a soft spot for Minimalism, Galerie Roger Bellemare offers another treat: an exhibition of recent works by John Heward.

Heward presents two collections of works: a series of “paintings” on wood panel, and a selection of steel sculptures. I particularly enjoyed the works on wood. These small format mixed media pieces have an immense presence; the bold compositions and expert use of materials make the works appear much larger than they are. Heward played with the material, sanding the wood, adding and removing varnish, embedding metal hooks, or just rushing across with a bold stroke of the brush. The strong wood grain substitutes for painterly brush strokes, letting the material echo the artist’s intervention. The metal pieces also bring out the essence of their material: sharp rectangular slabs of dark, mottled steel contrast with the thin, shiny lengths of undulating metal rope draped onto the floor. Heward reveals the soul of his materials.

Galerie Roger Bellemare
space 502
John Heward
exhibition period: November 22 – december 20, 2008
www.rogerbellemare.com