This exhibition features new work by the artist, Geoffrey Farmer. It is a site-specific contemplation of his experience growing up in West Vancouver, contrasted with his recent life, based elsewhere. Since representing Canada at the Venice Biennale in 2017, Farmer has sought out a different, quieter lifestyle, moving to Kauai, Hawaii. Recently, he has combined his art-making practice with intensive training as an agricultural farmer in Hawaii. His pursuit of this practical education is fueled by a deep concern for environmental sustainability and the devastating effects of recent natural disasters. In a serendipitous nod to his family name, Farmer has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
For this project, the artist created work that is largely collage-based, from materials drawn in part from de-accessioned books recycled from the West Vancouver Memorial Library. Themes resonating within the exhibition include reflections on personal alienation, the impacts of climate change on individuals, and the importance of gratitude inspired by everyday pleasures. Having spent much of the last year learning outside, Farmer’s work here is a demonstration of his ongoing appreciation for the absurdity of life in the natural world.
About the Artist
Farmer graduated from the Emily Carr College of Art and Design, Vancouver, in 1992, and studied at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1991. In 2017, he represented Canada at the 57th Venice Biennale. He has presented solo exhibitions at Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin (2017); The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (2016); Vancouver Art Gallery (2015); Art Gallery of Ontario (2014); Pérez Art Museum, Miami, and Kunstverein in Hamburg (2014); Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich and Nottingham Contemporary (2013); The Curve Gallery, Barbican, London (2013); REDCAT, Los Angeles (2011); Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam (2008); The Drawing Room, London, UK (2007) and The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto (2005). Farmer has been included in group exhibitions at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2018); National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (2017, 2014); La Biennale de Montréal (2016); Centre for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw (2016); The Louvre, Paris (2015); Triennale der Kleinplastik, Fellbach, Germany (2013); dOCUMENTA (13), Kassel (2012); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2012); and the 12th Istanbul Biennial (2011).
Courtesy of the artist and Catriona Jeffries Gallery.
Exhibition Details
Geoffrey Farmer: The Sound of Footsteps as Summer Walks Away
Opens October 16–December 14, 2024
West Vancouver Art Museum
680 17th Street
West Vancouver, BC