After the Hunt

Emily Jan
After the Hunt

August 31 – October 28, 2017

Opening Reception and Artist Book Launch: August 31, 7:00 – 9:30 pm
SUPERCRAWL (extended gallery hours): September 8 - 10
Dinner in Conversation with Emily Jan and Janna Hiemstra: October 5, 7:00 pm (RSVP)
Exhibition Bus Tour in Partnership with Canadian Craft Biennial, Craft Ontario and the Art Gallery of Burlington: October 7, 12:00 pm (RSVP)
Artist Talk and Catalogue Launch: October 7, 1:00 pm (presented by Hamilton Artists Inc. and the Canadian Craft Biennial)

Hamilton Artists Inc. is pleased to present After the Hunt, a life-size sculptural tableau by Montreal based artist, Emily Jan. Combining elements from 17th century Dutch post-hunt still lifes with their contemporary genres of bloemetje (floral), banketje (banquet), ontbijtje (little breakfast) and vanitas genres into one sprawling sculptural staging, the installation comments upon the excesses of modern society both materially, through accretion of labour and matter; and conceptually, by referencing the colonial violence attached to the “embarrassment of riches” for which the Dutch Golden Age was known. Over the course of the exhibition, the installation will change subtly. Faux fruits and fabricated animals will remain constant, whereas real fruits and flowers wilt and decay providing a glimpse into the aftermath of this celebration of excess. Rather than a celebration, we are confronted with the remnants. Rather than the potential of death, audiences are asked to consider the conceptual implications of this literal representation. From a contemporary standpoint, found objects, discarded in local thrift stores are incorporated into the installation and allude to the sheer excess of late modernity’s runaway production and consumption. Simultaneously, the laboriously hand-fabricated objects which serve as the backbone of the piece, seduce the viewer with their tactile richness, and the visible investment of time and old-fashioned mastery, just as the Dutch still lifes seduced with their luxurious surface and detail.

This exhibition is accompanied by a critical essay by Janna Hiemstra which can be accessed HERE.

Auxiliary Programming

Dinner in Conversation with Emily Jan and Janna Hiemstra
October 5, 7:00 pm

Cost: $20
Limited to 15 guests
RSVP Required (register HERE)

If you require a vegetarian option, please email programming@theinc.ca no later than October 2.

Hamilton Artists Inc. Is pleased to present an intimate dinner in conversation featuring a discussion between artist Emily Jan and writer/ curator Janna Hiemstra on Jan's installation After the Hunt, October 5 at 7:00 pm. Our partners at MeatVentures have created a custom dinner menu creatively inspired by the installation that will feature a range of meat and vegetarian options. Discussion will be lead through an intimate conversation between Jan and Hiemstra in which the audience is encouraged to participate in this informal and welcoming means of breaking bread, in order to contextualize Jan's immersive installation within contemporary art discourse, its art historical references, and craft culture.

Note: As this is a catered event with limited seating, $20 will be charged in order to ensure that RSVPs are honoured. If you would like to attend, but feel that this fee represents a barrier in any way, please send an email to programming@theinc.ca.

Facebook Event

We would like to thank our creative food partners at MeatVentures for providing the responsive meal for this event. Be sure to check out their sister restaurants Pokeh in Hamilton!

Menu

Appetizer/Main

Charcuterie platter
Mix of artisanal and locally sourced charcuterie and cheeses
Pickles, olives, fruit, accompaniments
Selection of crackers/breads

Crudite platter
Assortment of vegetables and fruit, asiago cheese dip, edamame hummus dip

Whole lechon de leche (Filipino style roasted suckling pig) - served whole and carved on the spot by MeatVentures

Vegetarian option: sesame shiitake mushrooms
Served with
Green mango / jicama slaw
Pandesal buns
Lechon Sauce
Vinegar dip

Dessert

Pandan sticky rice dumpling, coconut milk sauce, pineapple, li hing mui, macadamia

Emily Jan is a Montréal-based artist and writer. Originally hailing from Northern California, Jan has traveled to 34 countries and lived in four, including South Africa and Mexico. Her biophilic sculptures and installations combine everyday found objects with meticulously worked raw materials to evoke the faraway and the fantastical. As a wanderer, naturalist, and collector of objects and experiences, she is guided in her work by the spirit of exploration, kinship, and curiousity. Jan holds an MFA from Concordia University (2014), a BA with Honours from Brown University (2000), and a BFA with High Distinction from the California College of the Arts (2009).

Janna Hiemstra currently serves as the Interim-CEO at Craft Ontario, and has been with the organization since 2007 leading exhibition programming. With a background in philosophy and cultural theory, as well as two years of working as a ceramic studio assistant, she works to guide Craft Ontario’s areas of focus to address member needs, educate the public regarding contemporary craft practice, and advocate for the craft community.

Exhibition Bus Tour:
October 7, 12:00 pm
RSVP Required (register HERE)

Featuring guided tours of Emily Jan’s After the Hunt at Hamilton Artists Inc. and the Canadian Craft Biennial Exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Burlington.

Join us for an afternoon of guided tours featuring the exhibition offerings currently on view at Hamilton Artists Inc., the Art Gallery of Burlington and Craft Ontario!

Upon arriving in Hamilton, our participants will experience a guided tour and talk by Emily Jan at Hamilton Artists Inc. exploring her installation, After the Hunt. This tour will feature a light lunch and will also mark the official launch of Jan’s artist designed book as well as the exhibition’s catalogue featuring a commissioned essay by Janna Hiemstra. At the Art Gallery of Burlington, participants will tour the three main exhibitions taking place as part of the Canadian Craft Biennial: a solo exhibition of work by Dutch ceramist Anton Reijnders; Can Craft? Craft Can!, a national exhibition featuring craft from across Canada; and Nothing is Newer than Tradition, an exhibition of craft by emerging Ontario makers.

Bus Tour Pick-up times and locations:

12:00 noon: Pick up at Craft Ontario, 1106 Queen Street West, Toronto.
1:00 pm: Artist led tour of After the Hunt by Emily Jan accompanied by catalogue launch. Light lunch to be provided.
2:00 pm: Pick up in Hamilton at Hamilton Artists Inc., 155 James St N, Hamilton.
2:30 - 4:30 pm: Tour of four Canadian Craft Biennial exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Burlington, 1333 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington.
5:00 pm: Drop-off at Hamilton Artists Inc.
6:00 pm: Drop-off at Craft Ontario.

Register Today!

Note: Participants are able to board the bus in both Toronto and Hamilton. A nominal fee of $5 will be charged in order to ensure that RSVPs are honoured. If you would like to attend, but feel that this fee represents a barrier in any way, please send an email to programming@theinc.ca. If you have access to your own transportation you are welcome to meet us at any of the stops outlined above and are not required to RSVP to the event.

For more about the Canadian Craft Biennial - http://canadiancraftbiennial.ca/

Emily Jan is a Montréal-based artist and writer. Originally hailing from Northern California, Jan has traveled to 34 countries and lived in four, including South Africa and Mexico. Her biophilic sculptures and installations combine everyday found objects with meticulously worked raw materials to evoke the faraway and the fantastical. As a wanderer, naturalist, and collector of objects and experiences, she is guided in her work by the spirit of exploration, kinship, and curiousity. Jan holds an MFA from Concordia University (2014), a BA with Honours from Brown University (2000), and a BFA with High Distinction from the California College of the Arts (2009).

Hamilton Artists Inc. would like to acknowledge its organizational partners: Canadian Craft Biennial, Art Gallery of Burlington and Craft Ontario.

This exhibition and related public programming was made possible through project funding by the Canada Council for the Arts and the ongoing support of our funders.