Critical Writing Index

The Singular Voice(s) of Vera Frenkel

by Catherine Elwes

Moving Image Review & Art Journal (MIRAJ), Dec 1, 2015, v. 4, no. 1&2, pp. 249-258

Intellect Ltd, 2015

British curator and critic Catherine Elwes reviews a 2013 monograph on Toronto-based artist Vera Frenkel. In it, she foregrounds how various contributors to the piece primarily address the social and political dimensions of Frenkel's work. At the same time, Elwes' review highlights the thematic preoccupations that permeate Frenkel's oeuvre, including her emphasis on the interconnection between history, memory, and identity, as well as her focus on the archive and how the archive can be remediated to create counter-histories that intermix real and fictive elements. Elwes also accentuates the Canadian context within in which Frenkel's work arose, even as they speak to her European heritage. Lastly, the article underscores the multidisciplinary approach Frenkel has taken to her artistic practice throughout her 45-year career.

ITEM 2015.037 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Vera Frenkel