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Sacha Kopelow – THESE ARE MY DISASTERS

This is a poster advertising the visual art show opening of sculptor Sacha Kopelow. Large ‘neon’ pink letters radiating a pink glow declare the show’s name: ‘THESE ARE MY DISASTERS.’ The text is overtop an image of a crescent moon. A cast glass couple sits in the curve of the moon. The woman is fat, wearing a figure-hugging dress, and she has a prosthetic leg. She holds her hand up to her mouth in anguish, her head thrown back to look up at the heavens. The man is thin. His sleeves are rolled up to the elbow. He holds one hand behind the woman’s back, the other above his lap. The entire scene is awash in pink rays, but the two figures remain a shadowy cool white-blue. At the bottom of the poster is the information: ‘OPENING Feb 3, 6-9PM, 102-329 Cumberland Ave and aanm.ca/online-exhibitions.’ Along the poster’s edge are the small logos of Arts AccessAbility Network Manitoba and Canada Council for the Arts.

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT BIO/STATEMENT: This is the bio and statement poster for Sacha Kopelow’s show “THESE ARE MY DISASTERS”, opening Feb 3, 6-9pm at AANM Gallery 102-329 Cumberland Ave. Titles are emblazoned large in ‘neon glow’ font, pink and green. In the top right corner is a small pink crescent moon with two cast glass lovers perched in its curve. In the middle of the poster is a small headshot of Sacha, a middle-aged white woman with messy dark blonde hair and a striped sweater. She is smiling and glancing up and to the left. STATEMENT This installation of illuminated cast glass sculpture ponders the complexities of newfound love and also disenchantment. The viewer will find tiny moments of emotion or revelation amongst the components of the larger view-scape. The objective is to draw focus to small pockets of beauty, slight footholds of meaning buried amidst an inconclusive narrative. This opportunity for the viewer to hone in, be quietly mindful, and appreciate small gifts is particularly poignant at this time. The COVID pandemic has reduced our worlds to individual, isolated introversions. We learn to see and feel differently, on a finer scale. We find comfort in little charms. BIO Sacha Kopelow is primarily a glass caster and metalsmith; she also paints in oil-glaze and draws in silverpoint. Sacha utilizes the translucent qualities of glass and glaze to achieve an ethereal, gemlike colour quality, contributing to an intimate and vulnerable sensibility in her work. Greatly influenced by the intersection of her experience as disabled and her interest in social justice, she explores loneliness, belonging, feminism, minutiae, animal sensitivities, and the nature and collection of life moments. Sacha holds a BFA from NSCAD University and BA in International Development/Environmental Studies from University of Winnipeg. THANKS: Lorna Kopelow, Ione Thorkelsson, D.Jeffery, Winnipeg Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts. Installation photos by Leif Norman.

Photography by Leif Norman
A translucent cast glass couple sits in the curve of a florescent crescent moon. The woman is fat, wearing a figure-hugging dress, and she has a prosthetic leg. She holds her hand up to her mouth in anguish, her head thrown back to look up at the heavens. The man is thin. His sleeves are rolled up to the elbow. He holds one hand behind the woman’s back, the other above his lap.
cast glass, plexiglass, steel, led 2023 NFS
A translucent cast glass couple sits in the curve of a florescent crescent moon. The woman is fat, wearing a figure-hugging dress, and she has a prosthetic leg. She holds her hand up to her mouth in anguish, her head thrown back to look up at the heavens. The man is thin. His sleeves are rolled up to the elbow. He holds one hand behind the woman’s back, the other above his lap. A small pink light blinks slowly high overhead.
cast glass, plexiglass, steel, led, brass 2023 NFSThis is a graphite and ink portrait of an older woman, dressed in a dark long-sleeved sporting shirt and dark pants. She is wearing sunglasses and a hat, and holding a paddle in one hand as she smiles at us.
A translucent cast glass bear paws at the dark shine of melting ice as it pools at his feet.
cast glass, epoxy, led 2023 NFS
A fat translucent cast glass woman sits on a sheer edge, legs dangling off into darkness. Her head is bowed and her hands are in her lap, empty palms up.
cast glass, wood, led 2023 NFS
A thin cast glass woman stands with head slightly bowed, atop an outdoor stage platform. On her head is a white frilly headdress decorated with white pearls. One foot is held backward awkwardly, nervously toeing the shiny dark ground.
cast glass, fabric, glass beads, epoxy, led 2023 NFS
A thin cast glass woman stands with head slightly bowed, atop an outdoor stage platform. On her head is a white frilly headdress decorated with white pearls. One foot is held backward awkwardly, nervously toeing the shiny dark ground. Before her are a number of dark empty chairs, and the ghostly dim green glow of a huge cast glass dog.
cast glass, fabric, glass beads, epoxy, led, wood 2023 NFS
A large blue cast glass dog reaches a paw tentatively over a theatre of small empty chairs. Each chair is about the size of his paw, and woodworked in a different style. The lighting is eery, dim and green-blue, causing the chairs to cast interesting shadows.
cast glass, wood, fabric, brass, epoxy 2023 NFS

To view more of Sacha’s work, visit her website: https://sachakopelow.wordpress.comThis is a portrait of an elderly woman with a short white bob. She is laughing freely, her arms raised in mirth. She wears a string of pearls and a white slip-dress.

This is a drawing of an elderly woman. She gazes though the oval lenses of a pair of glasses. She wears a dark hat. Her face is wrinkled. She wears gems set in ornate nose jewellery, and feather earrings.

This is a portrait of an elderly person. Their hair is short and messy, and they wear a housecoat. They face us with eyes and mouth scrunched shut, cheeks puffed, like they are holding their breath.

In this drawing we see an elderly woman’s face, as reflected in a mirror she is gazing into. Her eye are apprehensive, a concerned /confused look on her face.

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