welcome to our
SATURDAY EVENING POST
August 24th, 2024
Nettie Wild under Vancouver's Cambie bridge with her 2017 work Uninterrupted. Image credit: Anthony Diehl
Paul Kyle Gallery is proud to represent distinguished artist and filmmaker Nettie Wild
Nettie Wild's documentary art is driven by her pursuit of cinematic poetry and her appetite to explore new mediums.
She is one of Canada’s most distinguished documentary filmmakers, celebrated for her compelling and innovative storytelling that brings audiences behind the frontlines and headlines of global revolutions and social change.
Her acclaimed feature length films, such as A Place Called Chiapas (1998), Fix: The Story of an Addicted City (2002), Blockade (1993), and A Rustling of Leaves: Inside the Philippine Revolution (1988), have been widely distributed both theatrically and broadcast internationally. At home, these titles have earned her two Genies for Best Feature Documentary in Canada. Internationally she has won accolades including top prizes from the International Documentary Association and the Forum of New Cinema at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Throughout her career, Wild has captured the repeated patterns of human behaviour and nature, as seen in Koneline: our land beautiful, winner of the top Hot Docs Award in 2016. Her commitment to innovation is amplified in projects like Uninterrupted (2017), where she led a team to use digital mapping to transform the Cambie Street Bridge into a moving canvas displaying the mesmerizing patterns and journey of migrating salmon. This groundbreaking work later evolved into a Virtual Reality experience in 2021.
Continuing her exploration of new forms, Wild collaborated with filmmaker Scott Smith on the kaleidoscopic video triptych Go Fish (2023), which visually immerses viewers in the stunning patterns of the herring spawn in the Salish Sea. Her recent endeavours include directing the experimental music video Klavierklang (2024), in collaboration with environmental soundscape composer Hildegard Westerkamp and pianist Rachel Kyo Iwaasa.
Scouting the Salish Sea for shots for GO FISH on board the Borealis with co-director Scott Smith. Image courtesy of Nettie Wild.
Nettie Wild filming underwater in B.C. rivers. Image credit: Michael Mckinlay.
Wild’s latest artistic exploration has developed into what she describes as "Moving Paintings," which use single documentary shots to "frame the familiar in an unfamiliar way." The first pieces in this series, UninterruptedEYES and Guangxi Totem, exemplify this approach, and will be featured in our upcoming group exhibition.
Wild has also made significant contributions as a writer, story editor, teacher, and lecturer. Her work and career were the focus of the book Wild at Heart (2009), and her work has been the subject of multiple film retrospectives. Recognized for her contributions to the film industry, in 2010 she received the BC Film Critics Circle Award and was named one of British Columbia’s most influential women by the Vancouver Sun. In 2018 she was the recipient of the Birks Diamond Tribute to Women in Film at the Toronto International Film festival, and in 2021 she was awarded an honorary PHD from Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
Director Nettie Wild and cinematographer Athan Merrick filming on the Adams River. Image credit: Sarah Butterfield.
In 2023, Nettie Wild was honoured with a Governor General’s Award for Media Arts, acknowledging her groundbreaking contributions to documentary filmmaking and public art installations.
Throughout her career, Wild has emphasized the collaborative nature of her work, expressing deep gratitude to her colleagues, especially her long-time producer Betsy Carson, co-producer Rae Hull, cinematographer Kirk Tougas and editor Michael Brockington.
Thom Mayne’s exhibition “Shaping Accident” to open at L.A. Louver, California on September 18th
Paul Kyle with Thom Mayne and L.A. Louver founder Peter Goulds.
Guests previewing the exhibition.
A Day in L.A.
Ed Ruscha / Now Then on view at LACMA
Ed Ruscha, The Back of Hollywood, 1977.
Experiencing the Ed Ruscha exhibition at LACMA has significantly deepened our understanding and appreciation of his work. The exhibition, titled ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN, provided a rare opportunity to engage with the full scope of Ruscha’s career through a comprehensive, cross-media retrospective. This experience allowed us to see beyond isolated interpretations in books, revealing the profound interconnectedness of his artistic process. Ruscha’s ability to distill the essence of American society—capturing its consumer culture, popular entertainment, and the evolving urban landscape of Los Angeles—became increasingly evident as we explored the thematic continuity and intellectual depth that defined his body of work.
The exhibition highlights Ruscha's remarkable contributions to art history, transcending the boundaries of “art” and offers a critical reflection on American life, particularly through the lens of California's unique cultural and architectural environment. From his early works influenced by the urban sprawl of Los Angeles to his iconic installations such as the Chocolate Room, Ruscha's work emerges as a cohesive and vital narrative within the broader context of contemporary art. His ceaseless photographic documentation of Los Angeles since 1965, coupled with his innovative use of colloquial language and commercial art techniques, positions Ruscha as a pivotal figure in both the history of art and the cultural history of California.
ABOVE IMAGES:
Ed Ruscha, Standard Station, 1966.
Ed Ruscha, Norm’s, La Cienega, on Fire, 1964.
Ed Ruscha, Large Trademark with Eight Spotlights, 1962.
Ed Ruscha, Two Sheets with Whisky Stains, 1973 and Babycakes Suspended, 1972.
Ed Ruscha, Angry Because It’s Plaster, Not Milk, 1965.
Ed Ruscha, Chocolate Room, 1970.
Ed Ruscha, Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Fire, 1965-69.
Ed Ruscha, The End, 1991.
Installation Views
Ed Ruscha, Hot and Cold, 2004
Ed Ruscha, Our Flag, 2017
Our Flag, 2017”Ruscha depicts the American flag in tatters, meticulously rendering each wild, fluttering scrap. Produced one year into Donald Trump’s presidential term, it suggests the artist’s feelings about the state of the country. “I don’t try to have my work be instructional,” Ruscha recently noted, “They’re pictures, and they don’t have to have true meanings, especially political meanings, but this one was a little different.” With its large, panoramic format, the work recalls earlier paintings such as Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half (1964).”
A few precious works from the Permanent Collection of the Hammer Museum
ABOVE IMAGES:
Honoré Daumier, Pleading Lawyer, 1853-54.
Honoré Daumier, Two Actors (Comedy Scene), 1870-73.
Honoré Daumier, The Holy Water Sprinkler, nd.
Honoré Daumier, The Singers, nd.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Tout, Seated on a Table, ca. 1879-81.
Vincent Van Gogh, Hospital ar Saint-Rémy, 1889.
Visiting the new Marian Goodman GalleryViewing Exhibition of Jongsuk Yoon “Yellow May”
Blythe Mayne with Georgia
We are deeply grateful to Thom and Blythe Mayne for their hospitality and generosity, always opening their home and hearts to us. Their warmth and support have not only strengthened our bonds with them but also enriched our relationships with others we are privileged to know and to work with.
In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art, it is a true blessing to witness and contribute to the vibrant developments in the art scene. We are fortunate to be busy, engaged in meaningful work that connects us with visionary artists and dynamic communities, all while cherishing the profound connections we have nurtured along the way.
UPCOMING EXHIBITION
GROUP SHOW
Opening Wednesday, August 28th, 2024
Rodney Graham, Grand Piano, Collage on paper, 8.25 x 11.5 in.
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