Paper Bananas, a Niagara-based artist organization, presents its latest exhibition, Forces of Nature, at the Niagara Artists Centre in downtown St. Catharines. The project brings together 15 artists’ collage work, each using identical copies of the book Forces of Nature by Ian Westwell. While the materials used are the same, the outcomes vary significantly, creating a cohesive exhibition while allowing each piece to exist as independent works of art.
The opening night of the gallery was held on Saturday, Sept. 12, and the room was filled with people and music. 15 different artifacts were placed on walls and platforms throughout the room, varying in size and shape. In one corner, children and adults alike huddled over a table, with an organized mess of books and various materials. The group was putting together a collage-button-making station.
In another corner, a table filled with homemade and store-bought goods was set up for patrons and friends to snack on while they browsed. I saw Jenn Judson, the creator of Paper Bananas and organizer of the exhibit, handing out the last couple pieces of the cake she made for the event. Despite how many people seemed to want to speak with her tonight, she made time to sit down and talk with me more about the event.
Forces of Nature is the third annual art exhibit put on by Paper Bananas, but it is the first to require artists to pull material from the same book. Judson told me that the idea of using the same material came to her almost serendipitously.
At Judson’s own studio in downtown St. Catharines, people often donate miscellaneous materials to her. A few years ago, one of these materials was this book. When a friend of hers found 15 more copies at a liquidation store, she decided to buy them all. “I thought this would be a really interesting prompt for the artists to all use the same source material, because it’s very rare to find the same copy of something,” she says.
One of the artists involved in the exhibition, Nicholas Smith, agrees, saying, “I was excited to join the show because the parameters were so tight that everyone had to use the same material. I knew everyone’s work would be quite different, and it’s interesting to leave for a few months, putter away, and then come back and see what everyone had done.”
Forces of Nature is a book that explores natural disasters, both through photography and description of the disasters. Though the material came to her randomly, Judson says that the content remains timely and topical:
“It’s reflective of the times we’re in: climate disaster, natural disasters. There are wildfires happening, there are floods in St. Catharines — it’s very topical. It’s a bit of a depressing show, but I feel like, obviously, art reflects the time that we’re in, and it’s everyone’s interpretation of what that means to them.”
Judson makes an effort to bring together artists from various backgrounds for the show, as she also runs collage night and workshops all around the region, where any level of experience is welcome. She finds artists, like Smith, through these events, while also working with established collage artists in the community, like Emily Andrews and Marinko Jareb.
As a Brock graduate from the Visual Arts program and an artist herself, Judson knows how rigid the rules and world of art can sometimes, ironically, be. That’s why she chooses to hold her events the way that she does – creating a welcoming space with music, food and activities so people can engage with the art and each other.
“I’m a multimedia artist, but collage to me is the most accessible medium. Anyone can do it because the images are there, but you cut them up and turn them into art. So, for me, making art events more accessible to people is important,” she says.
Access to art fosters a greater sense of community and culture for us all to be a part of in Niagara. Paper Bananas hosts collage events every month, and you can buy tickets here or follow them on Instagram (@paperbananas) for updates.
The exhibit for Forces of Nature will be on till Sept. 30 at the Niagara Artists Centre in the Dennis Tourbin Members Gallery, with free admission.