News at a Glance
Elvis Comes to Island Mountain Arts
Jun 6 2008Elvis Lives On Through Kamloops Artist, Patricia Sellmer & Writer, Alexander Forbes in their Show...
Sun Records & Texaco Stadiums
Exhibition Opening & Artist Talk June 20th 7pm at the Island Mountain Arts Public Gallery
Show runs until July 14
Elvis Presley (1935 – 1977) is one of the most enigmatic characters of the 20th Century. Though he never toured outside of North America his musical reach touched all corners of the globe and crossed many cultural boundaries. The appeal that Elvis had, and still has over thirty years after his death, forever begs further investigation. Through the exhibition of artist Tricia Sellmer and poet Alexander Forbes entitled, Sun Records and Texaco Stadiums, one is prompted to delve into the mystery and charm that surrounds this man.
Indeed Elvis Aaron Presley reached the greatest of those heights becoming arguably the most famous musician that has ever lived. He has garnered fans so dedicated that they still arrive by the hundreds of thousands each year to pay homage in Graceland, or spend their lives literally becoming him, by dressing in his likeness and touring the world singing his beloved music.
Questions come to mind as one does the sock hop amongst the images put to canvas by Tricia Sellmer. Portraits – some lighter, some darker – following Elvis through the stages of his career, radiate the essence of a man so strong and captivating, whose emotion rises to the surface with bold painterly strokes. These alongside a series of paintings of popular culture icons, synonymous with Elvis, including an ice cream sundae, Cadillac and juke box, reveal Sellmer’s own curiosity and love affair with nostalgia that punctuates the imagery.
Further building the picture, Alexander Forbes’ poetry mirrors the mystery explored through the artwork. Like Sellmer’s paintings, Forbes examines both the dark and light sides of Elvis’ life, such as the record shop in Vancouver that he was rumoured to have visited in his poem, Elvis in Vancouver. “Every musician ended up at Al’s grocery and record store at least once,” writes Forbes. Also contemplating the ambiguity of Elvis’death, Forbes poem Two Days, asks the reader to ponder the fact that Elvis died at the same age that his mother did – forty-two – and only two days from the anniversary of her death. “Imagine what he must have felt, two days before he died,” writes Forbes.
The images of Tricia Sellmer and the words of Alexander Forbes in Sun Records and Texaco Stadiums pay homage to Elvis Presley, one of the world’s most loved and praised icons of our time. Together their works beg of the viewer to dig deeper into the myths that surround this larger than life character. As much as he lived his life in front of an audience, whether it was on the 1956 television history-making-episode of Ed Sullivan where they couldn’t film his swinging hips; or in his thirty-one Hollywood movies made between 1956 and 1969, there is much about Elvis that one can never know. Sellmer and Forbes offer one more exploration into the man behind the myth, helping to honour his legacy, incite thoughtful reflection, and remind the audience that Elvis indeed lives on.
To find out more about this exhibition both artists will be present at the Opening in order to talk about their work and answer questions. For more information about the Island Mountain Arts School of the Arts, Public Gallery or the ArtsWells Festival visit www.imarts.com or call 1-800-442-2787.
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Jun 1 2008 ArtsWells Festival Line-up Announced
