Claudia Pedraza León

Galleries Visit

The three art galleries that I visited were the Bateman Center, Madrona Gallery, and Open
Space. I started by making small research to find out which galleries in Victoria were considered
as public, commercial and run by artists. I decided to revisit Madrona Gallery and Open Space. I
choose the Bateman Center as a public gallery for two reasons, I have never been there and
also, I read in the website that the works they exhibit are related to nature, I felt that might be
somehow related to my work.
In the Bateman Centre, the first feeling that I had about the place was that it looked like a
museum.
I decided to join a guided visit. The guide received us with an introduction of who Robert
Bateman is, which type of art he does the techniques he uses, and the connection the museum
makes with the community through offering different activities. While she was talking, we were
looking to a slideshow of Bateman works in a screen.
As soon as we went inside, the first pieces we saw were of Bateman artwork. I found the
illumination of the space faint. I decided to leave the guided visit and kept going on my own.
Suddenly I felt confused. I knew that the museum was having an exhibition, but I didn’t see a
clear separation of where did Bateman’s work finished and the work of other artists began. The
reason why I started assuming that I was not looking anymore to Bateman’s work was that the
subject matter and style changed. I had to go back and trace by myself where did the transition
happened. In some pieces, it was hard to find the tags with the names or the art and the artist
who made it, so I just ended up making assumptions.
I found that Bateman’s center, has a vibe of seriousness, things seem to be precious. Although
we share an interest in nature, I don’t think the way I like to express myself through visual
mediums fits in this space. I consider my style and work more playful.
Open Space is the artist-run center I visited. I had been here before, so my visit is somehow
blinded by the memories of my past experiences. I like that this place is located on the second
floor. The reason why I like this is that the stairs also presents art from the current exhibition.
Those first pieces are enough to get me excited about what is about to come.
I really enjoy the adaptability of this place and how it gets transformed with every new exhibition.
The walls are tall and the space big enough to accommodate different types of work. The
ongoing exhibition is the intersection of science, visual arts, and sound art they curatorial
decisions made this three separate fields of study very interconnected.
The current exhibition is about salmon. This made me feel very excited because the mediums
that they were using seemed very experimental, and I felt I could relate to the theme. Salmon is
as important to First Nations in Canada as corn is to indigenous people in Mexico. They have a
long history and relationship to it. This is something that is not necessarily acknowledged in the
artwork, they approach this theme from a contemporary perspective to salmon. I really
appreciated how the work was at the same time beautiful, critical, and educational. Some of the
pieces even created some visceral reactions in me.
Open Space is a place that makes me feel really comfortable. They make contemporary art
approachable to the public in different ways, for example by constantly having artist talks and
forums. The works they present seem diverse, giving freedom to the artist to express
themselves.
Finally, Madrona Gallery. Everything in this place seems so pristine. I approach the clean
window, and I perceive the elegance of the space. Inside different styles, mediums and artists
are presented. I can see the price of all of the pieces. I walk around the gallery the pieces are
fabulous, but at the same time feel intimidated by the monetary price and the sophistication of
the gallery. I just do not fit here.
I can perceive a clear difference between the three different types of spaces. The Bateman
Center is mainly oriented to present artwork related to wildlife, they have a restricted subject
matter. They add another layer of exclusivity because most of the artwork they present was
created by Bateman. However, they also have ongoing exhibitions where they open their space
for different artists. Even though at first, I thought that we might have something in common, an
interest in nature, I realized that we approach it from different perspectives.
Open Space Gallery is the place I feel the most related to. I find this space very exciting
because of the wide range of work that they present. I also felt a connection with the exhibition
that nowadays is presented. The studies of salmon and the relationship to culture somehow
relate to my theme of the corn.
Madrona Gallery is the place I feel less related to. The work exhibited here seems to be
produced by mature artists who are on the peak of their careers. They have reached the point
where they can sell their art for thousands of dollars. I sure appreciate the aesthetics, but to be
realistic, I feel that I would never be able to buy something from that place or have my work
showed there.
Visiting different types of galleries and knowing beforehand its classification made me look at
this space from a different perspective. It was clear for the first time why the work looks so
different in each place. I realized that at the core they have a different direction and intention.