Press Release

Barbara Cole’s Newest Series Surfacing Heads to Bau-Xi Photo this September, with Artist Q&A Featuring Renowned Journalist,  Anna Maria Tremonti
Surfacing will be accompanied by Cole in conversation with Tremonti on how her art has been instrumental in her personal quest for beauty and meaning in our world 

TORONTO – JULY 2019 – Artist Barbara Cole’s newest collection of works and upcoming exhibition, Surfacing, is heading to Bau-Xi Photo Gallery in Toronto for its fifth stop on a touring run throughout the US and Canada. The underwater photographic series depicts female figures rising above adversity in an effort to open a dialogue on the prevalence of mental health issues, while breaking the stigma typically associated with mental illness. 

Bau-Xi Photo Gallery in Toronto will host an opening reception of Surfacing on September 12th, 2019 with special guest and renowned journalist, Anna Maria Tremonti (founding host of The Current, CBC Radio’s flagship current affairs program). Tremonti and Cole will discuss normalizing the greater conversation about mental health in our society today.

Surfacing’s shimmering figures are set against an enigmatic backdrop of the ocean, staying true to the fantastical elegance in much of Cole’s work. Yet this series, fueled by personal history in many ways, is an ode to the power of will, and the strength it takes to rise above life’s most challenging environments, especially as a woman. Cole is demonstrating her openness and vulnerability regarding her own struggles, as she also aims to speak to a broader audience and tackle topics that are often ignored and burdened by stigmas, such as assualt, depression, suicide, and other mental health issues.

Cole has been providing useful links and resources to not only assist those in need, but to promote the accessibility of getting help, knowing how difficult it may seem at first. Throughout Cole’s exhibition of Surfacing, the artist has also teamed up with renowned organization Bell Let’s Talk and the Campaign to Change Direction  to further their initiatives in spreading awareness of mental health. You can learn more about Cole’s involvement and read why these causes are so important to her here.

DETAILS
Surfacing
Opening Reception & Artist Q&A: Thursday, September 12th, 5-7pm
September 12th – September 28th, 2019
Bau-Xi Gallery 
350 Dundas Street West 
Toronto, ON M5T 1G5

Press Release

MONTREAL – March 14 – Artist Barbara Cole’s newest collection of works in the upcoming exhibition, Surfacing, represents triumph, survival and self-actualization. The underwater photographic series on display this April at Montreal’s Galerie LeRoyer depicts rising, shimmering figures against the enigmatic backdrop of the ocean. Like many of Cole’s other underwater images, there is a fantastical elegance to this body of work. Yet this series, fueled by personal history in many ways, is an ode to the power of will and strength to overcome.

Capturing the motion of rising through water, Cole metaphorically depicts the trials which bring us ultimately toward resilience, allowing us to arrive at a place of true empowerment. Using depth as a common motif in both the physical setting and greater psychological message, Surfacing is the embodiment of what it means to rise and conquer. For Cole, who entered the fashion and photography world at a time when it was a predominantly male industry, navigating “unfamiliar waters”, is a familiar feeling.

Cole’s female subjects are not merely self referential. They also address the many women who prevail through the daily turmoil of assault, depression, other mental health issues and, not insignificantly, the stigma that often accompany them.

The goal of Cole’s exhibition and series is not only to open up a dialogue on mental health, but also to reveal to those who are suffering silently that there are effective resources available to them. Cole is working with the organizations Bell Let’s Talk and the Campaign to Change Direction to further their initiatives in spreading awareness and destigmatizing mental health issues, as well as highlighting the accessibility of getting help. Those most in need are often least aware of how easy connecting with someone can be. Barbara Cole is providing important and useful links and resources for those in need as part of her exhibition, Surfacing. You can learn more about Cole’s involvement and read why these causes are so important to her here.

“These pictorial metaphors echo my own struggles as well as the realization of my personal and artistic aspirations. These are women who are taking back power and leading the way.”

DETAILS
Barbara Cole
Surfacing
April 1 – April 30, 2019

Galerie LeRoyer (GLR60)
60 St-Paul Street West
Montréal, QC
H2Y 1Y8 CA