Articles of Faith

The works in Articles of Faith are stunning, romantic, allegorical renderings of time. The large, thin, photographic assemblages are not specific images of something, but rather marker buoys in the flow of memory. They are glimpses of the present and past, reality and fantasy. Douglas Clark has turned a lifetime of obsessive and eclectic collecting into reconstructions of the human experience. In this work the artist addresses issues of childhood, sexuality, the environment and death. True to the title of the series, Articles of Faith tests the validity of memory and perception while supplying us touchstones to guide us in recollection.  

Clark's large, luscious, colour prints command attention. His ability to capture the collective memory gives the work a stunning presence. The artist imbues lost pieces of past lives with voices that speak to all of us. His objects have the power to capture the imagination - and the soul. As Clark writes, "Why is it that out of the limitless choices, we carry home from the beach a single stone?"  

The artist's eccentric collection of things and stuff, pieces of pipe organ, medical models, metal springs and such, pervades his chaotic studio and frenetic life. However, his images bring clarity from clutter, the artifacts are distilled into seductive, incisive pastiches. Articles of Faith is a bold, important exhibition by one of Canada's leading photographic artists. 

This exhibition was curated by Edward Cavell, Curator of Art, Whyte Museum, and was organized and circulated by the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.