Girls: Historical Portraits from the Collection at Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Everything nice—and everything else—at the AGGV Girls exhibition

 

Victoria, BC - Images of girls and young women are everywhere, and they can affect the way we think about girls themselves, as well as their roles and potential in the world. Touched by this truth, Michelle Jacques, Chief Curator of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, is showcasing how artists have portrayed girls with a new exhibition, Girls: Historical Portraits from the Collection opening May 30.

 

“I was inspired by Margaret Atwood’s novel Cat’s Eye and Lena Dunham’s hit HBO show Girls, and their honest depictions of girls,” says Jacques. “Girls have always been a compelling subject for artists, and it’s very interesting to see a range of artistic depictions of girls and young women spanning the past two hundred or so years.”

 

Running through Oct. 5 in the AGGV’s Drury Gallery, works include formal and informal portraits, intimate character studies, as well as more poetic interpretations of the young sitters from the AGGV’s extensive collection. Girls: Historical Portraits from the Collection also includes thought-provoking text panels.

 

Atwood’s Cat’s Eye famously allows readers into the complicated, cruel world of a group of girls, and Dunham’s Girls is lauded for its realistic portrayal of a group of twenty-something female friends in New York City.

 

“Although the television show is a critical success, its detractors continue to condemn Lena Dunham for her appearance,” says Jacques. “What would be the impacts of being surrounded only by idealized depictions of girls? I hope the exhibition will provoke visitors to think about the connections between images and the real world.”

 

During the 2014/15 year all exhibitions in the AGGV’s Drury Gallery will be presented by the Associates of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Since 1953 the Associates of the AGGV have supported the Gallery by raising funds for and promoting interest in the Gallery and its broader artistic community. The Associates organize the popular fundraisers; What’s It Worth, Let’s Talk Design coming up from June 5-7 and the Annual House Tour on Sept. 7.

 

 

For more information see aggv.ca.