A new show at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery has a local twist. Alleys by Margaret Phillips is a collection of photos of Yorkton alleyways, taking in a wide swath of the local landscape.
Phillips won the opportunity to mount a solo exhibition at the gallery after getting first place the inaugural Parkland Regional Artist Development Opportunity (PRADO) weekend. After that, she decided to put together a show of entirely new work for the Godfrey Dean, focusing on the local alleys in the area.
"It was seeing the bricked in pathways and starting to notice other things in alleys... They're kind of forgotten spaces, people don't pay any attention to them. Especially down town, they put a lot of attention into the front of the building, and really it's a false front," Phillips says.
The work was primarily done over the past year and a half, though some photos are from three years ago. Phillips said she took the opportunity to wander down alleys at interesting times of day in order to capture those forgotten areas.
With both residential and commercial alleys, there is a contrast between the greener residential areas and the more industrial looking commercial side. Phillips says that they're similar in that they are also the areas between streets, though they have that lush greenery.
One thing that Phillips says has come as a result of the show is that people have told her they explore the alleys of the town, looking for the spots she found.
"I think it's neat, because it's a subject people haven't thought about until now, and it's an engaging subject, you can go and look at it for yourself, and you can read what goes on in alleys on a different level," Phillips notes.
Also at the Gallery is Plants and Machines, a touring exhibition featuring a number of Saskatchewan artists. The show features a wide variety of work showcasing 14 different artists. The work is about the contrast between nature and machines, explains gallery director Don Stein.
"It's such different work but it somehow ties together," Stein notes.
The show features paintings, photographs, assemblages and even a large metal sculpture of a grasshopper.
"There are a lot of fun things to see, and the work is so good, every piece is very strong. It adds up to a nice little show," Stein notes.
Finally, in the Serpentine Gallery, the more informal space in the gallery, Martin Phillips has a collection of wildlife photos.
"He manages to capture a lot of hard to get wildlife, animals that usually scurry away when they see people. He's got some really good work of that nature," Stein says.
Much like the work of his wife Margaret's collection, Martin's photos document local wildlife, though there are some exceptions.
"It's the rural compliment to Margaret's urban work," Stein says.
The shows run until the end of October at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery. Admission is free.
