November 7, 2016 to May 8, 2017
Satellite space at the Kelowna International Airport
[click image for larger version]
The image of the heart – the classic Valentine shape with its pleasing symmetrical form – has become ubiquitous, although its origins are obscure. It has appealed to so many artists making paintings and sculptures, as well as to illustrators designing cards or other materials. We recognize it as an emoticon: Brad heart Jane! So it is easy to see its appeal to Vernon-based artist Angelika Jaeger for her commission at the Kelowna Art Gallery’s satellite space at the Kelowna International Airport in the well-wishing area of departures wing, where people are saying goodbye to loved ones. To Jaeger, who has a strong background in sculpture, the heart shape provided a natural jumping off point to explore rendering its form in various materials: woven willow branches, ribbons, old unwound reels of film, and felt, for example. She will have seven three-dimensional hearts, joined by a thin red line to unite them against their backdrop. Visitors to the area might ponder on the identical shape and scale of the hearts, yet their vastly differing materials – perhaps a metaphor for the human heart, in all its mutability and vulnerability.
Born in Germany, Angelika Jaeger received a BFA from the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna in 2013. She has lived and worked as an artist in Vernon, BC since 1988.
