The Egg Throwing Apparatus

Opening Friday, October 18th, 8 pm

Exhibition Catalogue-essay by Deanne Achong

In The Egg Throwing Apparatus, Alison MacTaggart poses the symbolic gesture of projection of self into the social realm in relation to queer identity. Projectile machines and egg-like objects on platforms with wheels inhabit a space in which the viewer metaphorically interacts with the work. The aritist utilizes the defamatory act of egg-throwing to represent the experience of coming out and asserting visibility in the face of resistance or injury. MacTaggart conceives of the process of coming out as "potentially disabling and enabling," an experience of being named and naming oneself. The sculptures resemble tools or toys, and their highly-crafted nature contributes to a fetishistic fascination for the objects and relative parts. Despite their surface appeal, the sculptures have a very restrained quality due to the specific use value of the pieces, creating a tension between power and resistance that resonates throughout the installation.

Alison MacTaggart is an emerging, Vancouver-based artist. Her recent exhibitions include the Nerve, launch date t.b.a., www.iprojects.org, and the Helen Pitt Award Exhibition, Or Gallery, Vancouver BC, 1999. She has received several awards including a Canada Council grant for emerging artists, 2001, the City of Vancouver Artist Live/ Work Studio, 1999, and the Helen Pitt Award, 1997. The artist holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Simon Fraser University, 1997.