Life After Doomsday

Opening Reception: Friday 12 February 2010, 7 – 10 PM

206 Carrall St Vancouver

13 February – 27 March, 2010

Britannia Art Gallery | www.britanniacentre.org

Opening Reception: Wednesday 3 February 2010, 6:30 – 8:30 PM

Reading Group Meetings: Wednesday 10 February 2010 + Wednesday 10 March 2010, 6:30 – 8:30 PM

1661 Napier St (at Britannia Community Centre)

3 February – 28 March, 2010

Irish Heather Pub + Shebeen Whiskey House + Salt Tasting Room | irishheather.com

Located in Gastown

12 February until supplies run out…

Access Gallery, in collaboration with Britannia Art Gallery and neighbouring businesses, presents Life After Doomsday, a multi-site project by Calgary-based artist Jason de Haan.

Taken from a 1960s nuclear survival guidebook, the title of this project reflects the artist’s central concern of “overcoming problems.” Throughout this multi-site work, de Haan humorously and pensively imagines what is possible after the end of days. Drawing from metaphysics, popular culture, philosophy, and history, his work explores the untapped energy of materials. Hopeful, yet sometimes absurd, his arrangements of items such as rocks, mirrors, crystals, and books evoke spiritual and mystical attempts to attain a higher order and achieve the miraculous in the face of looming disasters.

At Access Gallery, de Haan presents two sculptural works that focus and reflect energy while referring to ideas of the commune and the social pact.

Britannia Art Gallery features de Haan’s new work Internal and external acceptance of change, awareness of higher spiritual realities, unconditional love and acceptance of others, the realm of miracles. Made of paperback science fiction novels and cut stones, minerals, and crystals, this sculpture highlights the metaphysical properties of its materials.

A special edition of drink coasters will be distributed at local pubs Irish Heather, Shebeen, and Salt.

The artist and Access Gallery will host two reading groups at the Britannia Art Gallery on 10 February and 10 March 2010 to address several histories, phenomena, and implications directly related to this project. The reading materials will be available for pick up before each group meets. Please contact access@vaarc.ca for more information on the reading group.

Jason de Haan is a multidisciplinary Canadian visual artist whose work includes installation, sculpture, drawing, and bookworks. Recent exhibitions include Clint Roenisch Gallery (Toronto, ON), Galleri Kling and Bang (Reykjavik, Iceland) and Museo de la Ciudad (Queretaro, Mexico). Upcoming solo exhibitions include Odd Gallery (Dawson City, YK) and The Khyber ICA (Halifax, NS). He will also be participating in the upcoming Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art (Edmonton, AB). de Haan is a member of the collective UGIV, and with Scott Rogers is co-director of Pocket Projects, an artist multiple commissioning project. He is represented in Toronto by Clint Roenisch Gallery.

Access Gallery gratefully acknowledges the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, City of Vancouver, the 2010 Legacies Now’s program, Innovations, our members and volunteers. Access is a member of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres.

Images and works courtesy of Clint Roenisch Gallery.