Exquisite Corpse Parlour Games
Donna Balma and Nadina Tandy
Dear Friends and Art lovers,
This last fall a magical collaboration between respected visionary artist Donna Balma and Nadina Tandy birthed a playful, inspired and surreal collection of a number of Exquisite Corpses. As a result of this collaboration, Donna and Nadina have been invited to exhibit and share their collection and the game with the public at the Sunshine Coast Arts Council, in Sechelt, BC.
July 5 -30th Opening Reception July 8th 2-4pm
Meet the Artists July 15 @ 1:00pm
Sunshine Coast Arts Council, 5714 Medusa in Sechelt, B.C. CANADA
“Surrealist artists played collaborative, chance-based parlour game, typically involving four players, called Cadaver Exquis (Exquisite Corpse). Each participant would draw (or, in some occasion , paste and image down) on a sheet of paper, fold the paper to conceal their contribution, and pass it on to the next player for his/her contribution.” ”
Exquisite Corpse Parlour Games
It was an invitation to tea that started it. The creative collaboration between Donna May Balma and Nadina Tandy began in the fall of 2016 as a whimsical thing, an amusement. Over cookies and tea and talk of art and life they began playing the surrealist parlour game, 'Exquisite Corpse'. Originally based on a collaborative poetry game, 'Exquisite Corpse' was adapted by members of the Parisian surrealist movement in an attempt to 'draw a poem' of unexpected ideas and imagery.
In the days and weeks that followed, illustrated heads, torsos and feet began flying back and forth between the two artists in decorated Mail Art envelopes, dutifully delivered by Canada Post.
Once each received the other's contribution, the receiver would add to the previously drawn, scratched or collaged, but hidden image. This addition was then folded and concealed and mailed back to the previous contributor for them to add to. And so it went.
The result was a series of images of unexpected, but connected expression of colour and form. Now, this collection of 'Corpses' has grown into a village of surreal imagery and an unusual, unedited and beautiful body of work created by two artists of imagination and talent.
Donna Balma is an innovative and prolific Canadian artist and is a member of the West Coast Surrealist Group. Her work is profoundly affected by nature and her internal vision. Donna has established herself as an imaginative artist who's work has been variously described as fantasy, singular, outsider, visionary, naive, classical, folk, cosmic pop and surreal while she considers it simply painting the reality of her dreams and fantasies.
As a young child, Nadina Tandy used to draw on every surface she could find: inside book jackets, on door jambs, the underside of tables.“I had this constant impulse to make my internal world visible.” Currently living on the Wild West Coast of B.C. Nadina continues to make her internal world visible. The essential nature of Tandy's work in various media might be summed up as forceful sensitivity, a combination of elements that leads to her vibrant and moving art.
Sunshine Coast Arts Council Exquisite Corpse Parlour Games Donna Balma and Nadina Tandy
July 5 -30th Opening Reception July 8th 2-4pm
Meet the Artists July 15 @ 1:00pm
Sunshine Coast Arts Council, 5714 Medusa in Sechelt, B.C. CANADA
Up-coming Group Exhibits
'The Sunshine Coast Pavilion'
JUNE 29-30, 2017 Gibsons Public Art Gallery
'Exquisite Corpse Palour Games', Donna Balma and Nadina Tandy
JULY 5-30, 2017 Sunshine Coast Arts Council
'50 Canadian Things' This exhibition is based on stories from the book "A Number of Things" by Jane Urquhart. AUGUST 2-20, 2017 Sunshine Coast Arts Council
Eleven Equal Artists presents : 'Power of Paint' AUGUST 18, 19, 20, 2017 Seaside Centre
Upcoming Exhibition The 5th Annual Power of Paint Exhibition takes place August 12-14, 2016, at the Seaside Centre (5790 Teredo Street, Sechelt, BC) with an opening reception Friday, August 12 at 5pm. The unique quality of Eleven Equal Artists as a group is in their varying styles and deep respect for one another. After 15 years of meeting regularly to share their work, they conspired to exhibit together on the Sunshine Coast in what has become an annual event. This year's collaborative piece is "What Does Power of Paint Mean to You?" With their commitment to giving back to the community the proceeds from this event will help finance Eleven Equal Artists Bursaries. All artists will be in attendance during the show: Morley Baker, Josefa Fritz Barham, Todd Clark, Elizabeth Evans, Greta Guzek, Carol LaFave, Kim LaFave, Ian MacLeod, Cindy Riach, Nadina Tandy and Marleen Vermeulen. photo credit: Rhoni Lloyd Whyard, 2011 
