9 March – 4 June 2011. Show Room Gallery at Niagara Artists Centre.
Co-curated by Eric Schmaltz, Steve Remus, & Tyne Demerei Mester
derek beaulieu • Gregory Betts • bill bissett • Judith Copithorne • kevin mcpherson eckhoff • Marinko Jareb • Travis Kirton • Kelly Mark • Steve McCaffery • a.rawlings • Laurel Woodcock • Hallie Siegel & Matthew Donovan
The Bird is the Word explores the territory where language and visual art intersect through the work of writers and artists. This common (play)ground has been covered by Concrete Poets, Cubists, Dadaists, Futurists, and Surrealists among others. Expanding semantic expression beyond the conventional structures of language includes the exploration of typography as imagery and engages philosophy, semiotics, and political and social commentary. The Bird is the Word will feature poets and visual artists from across Canada delving into the conceptual, spatial, and material presence of the written word. It showcases a multiplicity of media and disciplines including video projection, onsite installation, collage, sculpture, and micrography.
Eric Schmaltz 