Current
ABOVE ABOVE BELOW BELOW
Brian Lye
Residency: 1 December 2020 – 30 January 2021
Exhibition: 20 February – 20 March 2021
Thursday – Friday, 1:00 – 5:00 PM + Saturday, 1:00 – 7:00 PM by appointment (book below)
Artist Talk (Online): Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 12:00 PM NOON (PST)
Oxygen Art Centre welcomed Brian Lye as Artist-in-Residence throughout December and January where he created works for the exhibition ABOVE ABOVE BELOW BELOW, on view from 20 February – 20 March 2021.
Lye is an internationally renowned filmmaker, artist, and educator who lives and works in Nelson, BC. His practice is focused in analogue film production, merging the everyday with formal experimentations in play, special effects, and psychogeography.
Lye’s current body of work begins with crystals. Having conducted research for an experimental documentary on crystalline minerals across scientific, mining, and healing fields, Lye investigates the human and natural relation to crystals through discussion-based research. Interviewing experts on crystals from the region forms the foundational material for Lye’s experiments in 16mm analogue film.
Fascinated by the semiprecious stones and their capacity for transmission, amplification, and new age applications, Lye draws upon his background in filmmaking and installation to create an immersive body of work on view in the exhibition, ABOVE ABOVE BELOW BELOW.
During his residency Lye experimented with traditional 16mm film titling techniques, growing crystals, developing film, and creating a series of projection installations. Updates from the residency were posted on Oxygen’s social media channels. The resultant works will be on view from 20 February – 20 March 2021 at the Centre Thursdays – Fridays between 1:00 – 5:00 PM, and Saturdays between 1:00 – 7:00 PM, by appointment only. *Please contact us if you would prefer to book an online tour appointment*
Due to the ongoing pandemic Oxygen Art Centre will be welcoming individuals and groups (up to 6, same household) to visit the exhibition by creating an appointment, below. Visitors will be greeted by a projectionist who will assist in the presentation of the 16mm film installations. Appointments run up to 20 minutes each to allow for cleaning of the space before and afterwards. Visitors are required to comply with and review Oxygen’s COVID-19 prevention protocols prior to their appointment.
Artist Bio:
Brian Lye is a filmmaker and visual artist from Vancouver, Canada, now based in Nelson. His lens-based works are preoccupied with magic, humour, and the everyday. He holds a BA in Film Studies and Japanese Studies from the University of Victoria, a Diploma in Screen Production from Sydney Film School, was a guest student at The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and recently completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in visual art from The University of British Columbia. His films and animations have won awards and screened internationally at venues such as Sundance Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, The Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona, and LIVE! Vancouver’s performance art biennale. He has been an artist in residence with the Klondike Institute for Art and Culture and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.
