Alexandra Levasseur “Anaglyph Gardens” Opening Reception

Mirus Gallery Denver presents

Anaglyph Gardens

A solo exhibition by

Alexandra Levasseur

Opens January 26, 2024

Mirus Gallery is thrilled to announce the upcoming solo exhibition, Anaglyph Gardens, by renowned Canadian artist Alexandra Levasseur. This captivating exhibition seeks to harmonize ceramics and paintings, weaving intricate narratives inspired by nature and mythology. Levasseur draws inspiration from ancient sculpture gardens, exploring the classical concept of the garden as a space of contemplative desire. Anaglyph Gardens opens January 26 with a public reception from 7-10 pm. Please note, the gallery currently is open for exhibition viewings by appointment only following the opening reception. Admission to the exhibition and opening reception is free to attend.

About the Exhibition:

The inspiration for “Anaglyph Gardens” comes from sculpture gardens created since antiquity. Levasseur is interested in the classical notion of the garden as a place of isolated and circumscribed desire, filled with meditative, philosophical, romantic and poetic possibilities. She also looks at the garden as an organic object in which all the elements that compose it: vegetation, water, sunlight and sculptures are arranged and highlighted with harmony.

The word “anaglyph” was used in Antiquity and referred to an ornament carved in low relief. In photography, it refers to a moving or still picture consisting of two slightly different perspectives of the same subject in contrasting colors that are superimposed on each other, producing a three-dimensional effect when viewed through two correspondingly colored filters.

Influenced by Physics, mythology and the dreamscapes of symbolism, Levasseur’s work includes paintings, ceramics, sculptures and animated films. Her artistic practice is informed by a profound interest in the complex interplay between humans and nature. She uses mythology, scientific discoveries and symbolism to reinterpret certain abstract notions and make them poetic and mysterious.

Levasseur’s work reflects upon the human need to create utopian worlds where time doesn’t exist; places where to live peacefully, away from the overwhelming chaos that defines human evolution. As a response to the turmoil caused by today’s rapid changes in technology, society and climate, the characters she creates live in close companionship with nature. Inspired by the myths of ancient times, she models harmonious environments where human beings, fauna and flora exist together, connected and in balance. In that regard, throughout my artworks, the feminine form predominates with its openness and sensitivity toward other life-forms. At the heart of her work is a deep belief in biophilic behaviors as a way to achieve psychological well-being and enhance the mood and the quality of life.

In this context, the use of fired clay in Levasseur’s practice helps her further explore ideas of biophilia by creating organic shapes and textures that increase the viewer’s connectivity to nature. The addition of sculptural ceramic elements to my paintings allows her to play with the relation of the subject vis-à-vis the background. She blurs out the limits of the figures in regard to the space around, confusing the notions of dimensions and time.

About the Artist:

Alexandra Levasseur is a painter, sculptor and animated filmmaker born in Shawinigan, Canada, in 1982. She holdsa bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Costa Rica (2006), a master’s degree in illustration and communication from EINA in Barcelona (2008) and a major in animated film from Concordia University in Montreal (2014). She has received academic excellence scholarships from the Blairmore Foundation (2013) and Turtle Creek Asset Management (2014). In 2017 and 2023, she received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts to carry out animation and sculpture projects. Since 2010, her work has been exhibited in various art galleries and museums including Schloss Goerne in Berlin (2032), the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (2014) and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (2022), as well as at art fairs and film festivals around the world. In 2018, herfilm “La singularité” received the Spira prize from the Montreal Fantasia Film Festival.

She has participated in multiple collaborations as a visual artist, notably with London fashion photographer Nick Knight during Milan Fashion Week in 2014; with Lena Mejova (Jenesaq) for a ready-to-wear collection inspired by her work and for the designs of the show at Mercedes BenzFashion Week in 2022; with musicians such as Transviolet(Sony Music), Enzo Ferreira Martinez, Jorja Smith (for Redbull Music Academy), and as a set designer for the dance troupe La tresse, in Montreal in 2019. She made the illustrations for the latest edition of Sylvia Plath’s novel “The Bell Jar” in 2022 by Folio Society of London. Herwork has been published in numerous art, fashion and design magazines including AnOther Magazine, Allure/Vogue, Elle, Metal Magazine, Booooooom, Juxtapoz, 24 images, Widewalls, Vice and ArtMaze Mag(cover). She was invited as a guest artist for MFA student critiques at Concordia University in Montreal and Goldsmyths University in London in 2022 and was guest speaker at the Cut Out Fest animation festival , in Mexico in 2019. She currently lives in Montreal.