Shadow Boxing

The Trianon Gallery located in downtown Lethbridge is currently home

to a very unique and talented art exhibition. Nick Wade has transformed the
gallery space into an illustrious experience with the installation of his
exhibition The Study of Where is Near. Wade, a familiar face to the
Lethbridge art community has enjoyed an immense amount of success
throughout his career ranging from his sculptures to his paintings which
effectively manipulate the use of light and shadows. The ambiguous
approach to his artwork varying between two and three dimensional
representations helps him to appeal to the audience and grab their attention.
This is achieved through his use of isometric perspective in depicting threedimensional space and form on a two-dimensional surface (Wade, 2014)
which allows the audience to view his art in a less conventional manner. The
manipulation of the material qualities of light combined with the ambiguous
relationship between two and three dimensional issues, and the seemingly
simple and familiar materials used to create his artwork are all factors that
contribute to Wades success.
Nick Wades exhibition The Study of Where is Near has drawn from a
variety of influences in his recent works. These influences included his
prolonged interest with the material qualities of light and the relationships
between small structures such as boxes and typological forms, and their
architectural counterparts (Wade, 2014). One of Wades most renowned

sculptures was The Illumination which consists of the letters T, H, and E

interlocking in an architectural form and has been encaptured in a painting in
The Study of Where is Near. The architectural form has the ability to bring
ambiguity to his work and provide the audience with a different perspective.
Wade exhibited a preoccupation with household items such as bowls in his
sculptural works. The process of pursuing ways to fill them with an idea,
without actually filling them was very interesting to him and was the
inspiration for his concrete cast bowl. The bowl which was half solid, and half
open portrayed the idea that it was eclipsing itself with the manipulation of
light and shadows. Viewing a painting created by Antonello Da Messina
entitled St. Jerome in his Study proved to be a pivotal point in Nick Wades
career. The experience collected from this painting motivated Wade to
replicate the study in the form of a sculpture and also construct a study in his
backyard that functions as a camera obscura. The replica sculpture was
produced from Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) which dawned the
beginning of his engagement with this material. This MDF board has provided
the base for all of Wades paintings and sculptures in The Study of Where is
Near.
Artists are known to become attached to the materials that provide
them with the desired results they are aiming to achieve through their
artwork. Nick Wade creates his art work using relatively simple materials
such as MDF board or Medite and craft paint. The MDF board is a familiar
material that is valued for its structural qualities. With the addition of craft

paint Wade is able to transform the everyday MDF board into a work of art.
Craft paint is used because of its ability to achieve hard edges without
evidence of brushstrokes and the various color choices available. Wades
color choices bring out the qualities of the board and effectively bring
painting to life. Nick Wades use of light and shadows and the way he
constructs his artwork proves to be another successful material. The box like
3D structural form allows Wade to manipulate the MDF board to let light pass
through and cast shadows allowing the viewer to see more of the interior
than [a] one-point perspective would (Wade, 2014). This type of structural
design creates architectural and spatial concerns as it depends where the
viewer is standing so they get the full effect of the painting.
Nick Wades use of the liquidity of light and its material qualities, the
seemingly simple materials used, and the ambiguous relationship between
two and three dimensional concerns all contribute to making this gallery
successful as a whole. Upon entry of the gallery I was unsure of what I was
about to experience as I entered a wide open room filled with natural light
but as I continued through I realized it was quite a pleasurable experience.
The painting labelled where is near was particularly interesting as it is the
remnants of an original piece that was deconstructed and then put back
together as a collage with an armature to hold it. The manner in which this
collage was constructed allows light to pass through the piece which adds to
the overall appeal. The exhibition consists of various wall hung paintings and
one sculptural work labeled: Vanity and the Reader For the Study of Oneself

While Reading. The sculpture, made of MDF, resembles a cabinet sitting on a

brightly colored elevated floor. On top of the cabinet is a Kleenex box and a
reading stand with an MDF mirror placed on the wall above it all. The
sculpture, located towards the back of the gallery compliments the paintings
quite nicely and does not at all seem out of place. The Study of Where is
Near comes highly recommended and is truly something that needs to be
experienced with your own eyes.