Gallery 803

Gallery 803 is an exhibition venue based on a seemingly obvious yet surprisingly unique concept. The gallery is located in the showroom of Elan Designs, a furniture and drapery retailer, and it functions as an essential element of the store’s esthetic.

Janice Rosen, Elan’s designer and consultant, with the assistance of local artist and curator Collin Zipp, created the gallery space by transforming the unoccupied walls of the store with works of contemporary art. Displayed alongside the business’ signature un-upholstered white furniture pieces, the art contributes colour and texture to the otherwise-monochromatic displays.

Gallery 803 has been in operation since the fall of 2005 and showcases the work of local artists such as Jenny Moore Koslowsky, Lisa Wood and Cam Bush. Currently, Neil Dyck’s Strolling Gumbo occupies the formal gallery space on the second level of the store.

The show features a variety of paintings and mixed-media works executed in an abstract expressionist style. Primarily painted, the acrylic compositions are rich with colour and mark, and many incorporate elements of collage.

The show includes works from three collections Dyck has created over the last several years — Cradle, Balcony and Coyotes. Cradle could be considered the signature collection, and it draws its name from the commercially produced wooden supports that the artist creates his work on. Essentially wooden stretcher frames fronted with hardboard, the surface both allows Dyck to highlight the texture of the wood through staining.

One of the strongest paintings in the exhibition is Cradle #6, a small but complex piece. A compact eight-by-10-inch work, its surface is divided in half, with one side stained brown and the other painted a subtle pink. Breaking a cardinal rule of composition — do not visually split a picture plane in half down the centre — Dyck uses the division as a device to suggest mirroring. On each side of the painting a series of loosely applied strokes of paint are mimicked by a wandering contour line that appears on the opposite side.

Stylistically similar to the cradle pieces, several large paintings are also on display. Both Hanging Barn #29 and Hanging Barn #30 appear as painted collages with fields of colour interrupted by smaller shapes. Painted to replicate separately applied pieces of paper, the horizontal rectangles effectively bridge the divided compositions.

The large size (four-by-eight feet) of the two paintings is impressive, with each demonstrating Dyck’s skill as a designer. Colour, texture and layout are equally considered, with sophisticated and attention-grabbing results. Dyck’s primary focus, the fundamental design elements of painting, provides a perfect link to the furniture pieces his art accompanies.

In Gallery 803 there is a remarkable reversal taking place. Here the clientele will find inspiration in the artwork and inevitably try to match the upholstery for their newly purchased furniture to the displayed paintings, rather than match artwork to their sofas.

“It’s very comfortable and it doesn’t feel like a gallery,” said Zipp. “It will definitely help people not be scared [to search for art]. I think [Gallery 803] is a different environment and more enclosed.

“It’s not as cluttered, not that commercial galleries are cluttered. But people who aren’t used to going to art galleries [will notice] the soft lighting.”

In addition to the unique space, Gallery 803 also has an online gallery, which will be an extension of the physical gallery but will also showcase other works.

“The online gallery will have a little more freedom and more of a contemporary feel. The online gallery also means we can showcase more artists at once,” said Zipp. “I think we have a bit of freedom and more exciting things. We’re not really worried about paying the bills. Almost all or a good percentage of the money goes to the artists.”

They had thought of several names and many seemed irrelevant and forced, said Rosen. One name considered was Abandoned, but they opted against it because of its obviously negative connotation. 803 was chosen because it’s the gallery’s address: 803 Erin Street.

But whatever the gallery name, local artists can rest assured that there’s a great new place where the viewing public can behold these masterpieces. Besides, it’s a new way for laid-back art lovers to enjoy work: from the comfort of the couch.

Kristen Pauch-Nolin