FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A new art exhibit at Douglas College revives scandals of desire from Italy’s era of Black Death in an evocative take on human sexuality.
On May 19, the Amelia Douglas Gallery presents The Decameron, Analogies by Pierre Vassura, featuring 20 paintings of abstracted sexual encounters. The exhibit is named after a 14th-century novella collection by Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio. Boccaccio’s collection includes several erotic tales that suited Vassura’s signature art style, “analogical formalism,” which uses vivid colours and lines to create visual “analogues” of older stories.
“The Decameron, Analogies is my attempt to bring tales untouched by time into the modern day,” said Vassura. “Under my hand, the characters I depict play out a comedy of desire, one that is rich despite the silence of its medium.”
Amelia Douglas Gallery’s selection committee was drawn to Vassura’s translation of classical writing into dynamic visuals. Now, The Decameron is set to enthrall the Douglas community and the wider region.
"Pierre Vassura is very well respected in Metro Vancouver for the way his works reflect historical literature in modern images,” says Christine Dewar, a committee member and Performing and Fine Arts instructor at Douglas. “Providing a platform for his work in our gallery is a wonderful chance to show the community how one form of art can be used to question, transform and revitalize another.”
With over 50 years of experience in visual arts, Vassura joins Douglas College’s distinguished featured artists. He spent two decades as an expert ceramicist in Italy and France before travelling to Vancouver, where he eventually transitioned to his current art style.
The Decameron, Analogies will have an opening night reception on May 19 at 5pm, with Vassura himself attending to give a talk at 7pm. The exhibit will remain on show until August 23.
Douglas College is the largest degree-granting college in B.C., combining the academic foundations of a university and the employer-ready skills of a college to graduate resilient global citizens who adapt, innovate and lead in a changing world.
For more information, visit douglascollege.ca
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Zach Siddiqui
Communications Coordinator
siddiquiz1@dougascollege.ca