Laura Vickerson

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Internal Structure for Luxe - Art Gallery of Alberta.

Luxe

Unusual sites have always been an evocative trigger for my artistic practice. I am challenged both by the physical peculiarities of a space as well as it’s history of use. When I work this way I attempt to address both.

LUXE is designed to interact with the flowing neo-baroque architecture that moves from the inside to the outside of the building. During my site visit, I noticed a structure to the right as one walks into the main lobby of the gallery: under the stairs. It was reminiscent of a streamline airplane wing with its hard, shiny metal surface. On closer inspection, I realized that this form continued through the window providing an exterior presence. It is this part of the architecture that I have upholstered with a Victorian-inspired damask fabric.

The red covering softens and feminizes the structure contrasting the historical with the contemporary. The choice to make a piece, outside of the formal exhibition space, attempts to address the gallery itself: offering alternative possibilities for siting work and perhaps even suggesting the building as a collaborator.