In LANDMARKS, Jo-Anne Harder continues to explore the soil under our feet a a metaphor for life, belonging, and profound beauty. As in her previous exhibition SOFT GROUND she examines our cultural, sensual, and spiritual attachment to the Earth. Harder is interested in how the landscapes of our childhood imprint our minds and nurture our visual language.

Steel and copper become the canvases for the wall sculpture in this exhibition. Harder has a deep appreciation for the dynamic properties of the material, which can convey strength and permanence and in the same instant appear fragile, soft, or luminous. This contradiction or juxtaposition in the medium supports the aesthetics of the abstract concepts she has been exploring. While the images are deeply rooted in observations of nature, they evolve in surprising directions as she experiments with teh metal to create nuances of texture and colour.

Harder is interested in emphasizing the theme of interconnectedness in the medium and in the environment.

Artist Statement

In my sculpture, I strive to establish an interaction between architectural and natural environs. By combining contemporary and ancient motifs, I weld minimalist abstract forms that evoke a mysterious connectedness present in all life. Using recycled steel as my promary material, I am interested in emphasizing the importance and inherent beauty of the metal itself, as well as giving new life and meaning to materials deemed worthless.

More recently, I have been creating wall sculptures large and small using salvaged copper, brass, zinc, wood and rubber. These materials have subtle surface markings and scars from previous use, suggesting passages of time and traces of past lives. With etching, engraving, grinding and paint, these works explore themes of memory, place, and identity.

Contemporary architecture, pre historic shapes, music, the landscape and the people that surround me endlessly inform my work and my life.

Join us for the Opening Reception on May 20th at 7:30pm.

The Minarovich Gallery is open 9 – 5 Monday to Friday, and 1-3 on weekends.