Acknowledgements
Collaborative group exhibition featuring: Janice Gurney, Elizabeth McaKenzie and Arlene Stamp
Various Media
East and West Galleries

Canadian Artists

PRESS RELEASE

Acknowledgements is the result of a two year collaboration between Toronto artists Janice Gurney, Elizabeth MacKenzie and Arlene Stamp. During this time, ideas, techniques and source materials were freely exchanged in an attempt to examine and question the boundaries of an individual artist's creative process. The works in this exhibition reflect a variety of responses to questions of identification and identity. Acknowledgements is a continuation and expansion of the project exhibited as Je Tu Elle at the Powerhouse Gallery, Montreal, in September 1986, and includes both collaborative and individual works by the participating artists.

Janice Gurney received her BFA from the University of Manitoba in 1973. Since 1980, she has made a practice of working from already existing images from media sources or with the actual work of other artists. Her work has been exhibited extensively since 1981, in group and solo exhibitions in Toronto, Halifax, Victoria, Vancouver, Saskatoon, New York, and London, Ontario. Janice Gurney is presently represented by Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto.

After graduating from the Ontario College of Art in 1979, Elizabeth MacKenzie became a founding member of YYZ. During the last seven years, Elizabeth MacKenzie has been working on site-specific installations based on photographic resource material which she produces. She recently co-produced a four hour video production entitled I am an artist...My name is... with Toronto artist Judith Schwarz. Elizabeth MacKenzie has exhibited her installations in Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax and Montreal.

Best known for her series of images appropriated from the works of the late painter Gladys M. Johnston, Arlene Stamp continues her examination of "artistic identity" with the works in Acknowledgements. Arlene Stamp studied at the Alberta College of Art, The University of Calgary (BFA and MFA programme) and the Banff School of Fine Arts. She has held several teaching positions in both Calgary and Vancouver. Arlene Stamp is currently represented by Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto.