affect / effect – an exhibition of paintings and prints by Vaiva Slapsys

Apart, together, Vaiva Slapsys, 2018, 73×83, acrylic and thread on raw canvas
affect / effect… features large scale abstract paintings and prints by 4th year Visual Art Studio student Vaiva Slapsys.

Everything that we do as people has an effect on someone else, and everything that we come into contact with affects us is some way. Our emotions are constantly shifting, able to be flipped one way or another in the blink of an eye, delicate and forever changing, easy to manipulate, affected by all that is around us. Although we all experience the unpredictability of our emotions as a normal part of our every day lives, we are often asked to put these feelings away as invalid or unimportant, and rarely do we have the opportunity to explore how we are feeling and truly reflect on it.
My work focuses on these emotional effects that we express with our bodies, and how that expression can, in turn, affect another. Using large motions with brushes, my hands, other various assorted tools, and pouring methods, my canvas is stained and marked in immediate ways that reflect the emotions that I feel while I work, and invite viewers to connect with these emotions and reflect on what it brings up for them. The size of the work envelops the viewer, allowing them to wholly sit with what they feel and to give them the opportunity to reflect. My work also includes intricate detail through the use of sewing, embroidery and detail painting work that asks the viewer to come closer, to pay attention, and to really allow themselves to be engrossed by what they see and what they feel.
The show will also include print media that complements the large abstract paintings. My print-making focuses on the effect that a place or time can have on memory. Nostalgic screen prints filled with photographic imagery, whimsical colours and both representational and abstract shapes, bring us back to a specific time or place in our memories and ask viewers to reflect on what kinds of feelings are being harboured there.

Gallery Hours:
Monday to Friday, 9am – 4pm
Admission is free and all are welcome.