Elizabeth Zvonar's work often uses iconic images from pop culture to reference art historical works, mixing images through collage or rendering popular forms in traditional materials. Through collage and sculpture Zvonar manages to connect the aesthetic, social and conceptual conventions of art history with those derived from the larger pool of popular culture.
On Time, Zvonar's show at the CAG, carries this collision of representation into the realm of science, philosophy and religion by examining how the desire to move between realms, earthly, spiritual or dimensional, was portrayed through invention, ritual and, ultimately, image. This new work embodied Zvonar's interest in the connections between Cubism, representations of the 4th dimension and rubber bands as metaphors for time. 'I find that at the end of a journey, which of course is neverending; I have found things out.' This quote by British playwright Harold Pinter, is an apt description for On Time, which included an array of sculptures and collage which act as possible portals into implausible places. Zvonar's reflection on Cubism and its relationship to Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity, as well as her consideration of counter-cultures such as the beat generation and hippy culture, focuses on a common desire to transcend the physical limits of temporal reality. Whether it is the simple gesture of the thumbs up or a picture of a popular music icon, she captures this ambition by drawing on familiar images. Through her use of scale, mix of materials and combination of imagery, Zvonar manages to render the familiar somewhat absurd. She captures a humour that taps into an optimism and innocence that seems to belong in some other realm.
curated by Jenifer Papararo