Dust of the Sun: A 50-year overview of the graphic and text print work of Edith Pahlke
A 50-year retrospective of the graphic and text print work by Edith Pahlke.
Hermes Gallery is pleased to welcome Edith Pahlke and her exhibition of graphic and text print work, co-curated by Peter Dykhuis and Ariella Pahlke. As a tenant of Northwood Manor, Edith is a close neighbour to Hermes.
Formally trained in the 1950s and 60s in graphic arts and printmaking at the Hochschule für bildende Künste in Hamburg, Germany, Pahlke has continued to create linocuts, prints, and graphic projects for much of her life that focus on the interplay of letters, words, numbers, and images, often presented as haikus and short texts. An intrepid and curious traveller, Pahlke’s multi-lingual prints were executed in German, French, English, and Icelandic. The exhibition will feature Edith’s graphic artwork along with some audio-visual excerpts of readings, translations, conversations, and work-in-progress, which Ariella (Edith’s daughter) is recording for a larger documentary project.
The acts of creating (art) and curation/storytelling are essential elements of both Edith and Ariella’s lives. What do we choose to share/remember, and what do we leave behind? Each decision is in essence a direction for moving forward, but Edith’s artwork and choice of texts reflect ambivalence. With great precision, the work both articulates and obscures at the same time, undermining commitment to a static place, time, or beliefs. It floats in the present moment without landing – as dust of the sun, an expression taken from her translation of a Jacques Prévert poem in her work.
In keeping with the Nocturne theme of Legacies, and in the spirit of intergenerational care and respect, Ariella is pleased to share Edith’s long-term creative production with the visual arts community – but also with her mum’s community who live in the neighbourhood. Understanding that the Northwood seniors complex was hard-hit during the waves of COVID-19, this exhibition of Edith’s work will truly be a celebration shared by all in October 2022.
Sound and video created by Ariella Pahlke, with additional filming by Nance Ackerman and Ann Verrall. Musical excerpts by Charlie Kunz and the Fostbræður Choir.
Sound and video will change throughout the duration of the exhibition.
The exhibition will be open to the public October 8th to 30th from 12-5 pm Saturdays and Sundays or by appointment. Saturday October 15th open noon to midnight.
Closing reception and chat: Sunday October 30th 3pm-5pm
