Michael Haisell exhibit reviewed by Sheila R. Alonzo

Nude Sculptures by Michael W. Haisell

Exhibition Jan 21-Feb 4, 2015

CACGV Gallery, Victoria BC

“You came at the best time,” she said, half jokingly and half nervously responding to my writing a review on Michael W. Haisell’s solo exhibition.  Warm sunlight filled the café when I walked through the automatic glass doors of the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre. Wrapped in white synthetic plastic, the quarantined CACGV Gallery had four signs tacked to it:

Please Note:

This exhibition explores the nude female figure in sculpture.

Please Note:

This exhibition explores the nude female figure in sculpture.

CAUTION:

Uneven Flooring

Gallery is

OPEN

My curiosity peaked. I pulled the handle and stepped inside. Thirteen fired clay figures on white table height plinths stood in front of me. My eyes scanned the small room deciding how to maneuver. On my right was an art deco oil painting titled “After Lempica”, perhaps an ode to Tamara de Lempicka (a glamorous Polish Art Deco painter of the 1920’s).  Each sculpture varied in size, the tallest roughly thirteen inches. The clay figures stood, sat or posed lying on the ground. Notes beside each sculpture read:

Lindsey

A true artist, a clothing designer, a glass artisan. She likes to wear black boots and very cool clothing. She likes to sew and model.

Fallyn

Left her foot prints on the wall from her stretch breaks (my floors are covered in clay dust), she smoked the best smelling tobacco with herbs like rosemary in it. She always wears black or green velvet. She spends a lot of time in California.

Jasmine

Was only here for the summer to work at a tourist attraction. My ad was for a fashion model type. She could stand there all day without a rest. Quiet sort of girl, probably tired from her other job.

Then it hit me. These are representations of real people. I looked more closely, admiring the details of their lips, nose, eyes and fingers; graceful, poised and human.

On the back wall hung more oil paintings, six in total at the exhibition. “Amanda on Chaise Lounge”, oil and gouache painting on canvass, is my favourite; made with a series of whimsical strokes in shades of pink. The piece I didn't like was the photograph on canvass "Rachel". The super imposed image of the skin texture revealed hair and goose bumps that somehow made me think of chicken skin.

There isn't a lot of information on Haisell that I could find prior to visiting the exhibition except that his passion is photography and that he follows Sculpting, according to his blog.

MWH's Business Card from the CACGV Gallery

On my way out, I found the guest book open with a comment:

Really don’t know why the screening material had to be put up – there is nothing here to be screened from public view – the work certainly deserves to be seen.

I am curious to know what pieces did not make the exhibition and which ones were “taken down due to controversial material,” said an informant. Stay tuned for the Artist Interview to learn more.

The CACGV Gallery is located inside the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre on 3220 Cedar Hill Road, Victoria. The exhibition runs until Wednesday Feb 4.

Sheila R. Alonzo for exhibit-v

video interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOyqRJYcWpQ&list=UUV4eaoyvilFQdKShsSYMsdg