New exhibits bring crime scenes, self-reflection to Okotoks Art Gallery

The Okotoks Art Gallery kicked off its 2025 exhibition program with the unveiling of displays by two Alberta artists on Jan. 18.

The exhibits, Surface All The Way Through by Arianna Richardson and The Investigation by Lori L. Lofgren, are on view until March 7.

Richardson, a Lethbridge-based sculptor, performance artist and sewist, displays her many areas of artistic expertise throughout her exhibit, which she calls an exploration of superficiality, distraction, reflection, containment, emotional blockages, consumerism, accumulation and waste.

"Everything is made from plastic junk that I've collected either from my own house, my own consumer products, or the thrift store, or sometimes the beach or the alley," explained Richardson.

At the centre of the room sits The Blob, a sewn-together collection of five years worth of plastic packaging, old artwork and other junk.

"I think of it in some ways like a self-portrait, because it contains packaging of everything I bought for five years," said Richardson. "You could really get a portrait of what someone's life is like if you see old products they buy."

The phrases "time I spent" and "time I wasted" adorn numerous pieces of art throughout the room.

"It's this pairing I'm really obsessed with right now," said Richardson. "Thinking about how that's determined, whether you're wasting your time doing something or if you're spending it wisely, and kind of thinking how that can be ambiguous at times, or just the same depending how you look at it."

The entire exhibit incorporates plastic, which Richardson said she's attracted to for its shape-shifting mimicry and limitless supply of surface qualities but at the same time finds repulsive and dreadful due to it being a toxic and grossly over-produced material.

"I just think packaging is really interesting, because it's meant to seduce us into buying things," said Richardson, referring to the many exhibits that incorporate plastic containers, lids and bags. "It's attractive and it pulls you in with the colours, but then there's kind of this gross quality of garbage and all that."

With its many different pieces of art, Richardson hopes Surface All The Way Through can "pull people in to look at it, because it is bright and fun and playful, but then there's kind of the more sinister undercurrent of all of it being garbage, all of it being discarded in some way."

The sinister undertone carries over to the Small Gallery, where The Investigation depicts crime scenes and some artfully tasteful yet unsettling imagery.

"I think that it's about creepiness," said the Calgary-based Lofgren, who shares her work through her aptly-named Studio L. "It's about the uncanny."

Lofgren's work aims to trick the human eye, and it certainly succeeds: the large prints on the wall look identical to life-sized settings, when in reality they're photos of Lofgren's miniatures. 

Many miniatures are on display throughout the room, depicting everything from a swing set on a tree to eerily realistic crime scenes, complete with magnifying glasses and blacklights for patrons to play detective.

"The ability to approach the work physically and check it out... Everybody loves true crime, right? Everybody likes to be the investigator. So I got really interested in that," said Lofgren.

Four black boxes on the wall look unassuming, but a tiny peephole uncovers elaborate miniature setups on display within.

"My favourite part, the boxes, changes the way that you approach the miniature, how we experience these different environments." said Lofgren. "When you're never going to be able to experience it with another person, it's always going to be this individual thing."

Learn more about Richardson on her website and Lofgren on the Studio L Instagram page.

The Okotoks Art Gallery, located at 53 North Railway St. in Olde Towne, is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during winter.