Although categorically minimal, several of the works in A Certain Silence<\/em> are markedly complex in their construction. Verburg has developed a notable method of layering materials in order to achieve his characteristic glow or \u201chum.\u201d By painting directly onto a sheet of clouded Mylar, hinging it on Plexiglas, and then setting it in front of a second piece of painted Mylar, he crafts delicate portraits of depth, focus, and texture. This play of surface on surface adds dimension to the subtle visual noise already present where dust or debris prevents the transfer of ink from roller to support. With a sustained gaze, viewers will uncover moments of pure, vibrating energy, as though the paintings themselves are alive with breath. This ever-present sense of movement is confident and exact, but still open to the rich mystery of an undefined present. As though aware of their own transience, the works seem to communicate an awareness of astounding beauty tempered only by the latent whiff of a pensive sadness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
$\"verburg_Untitled$ <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
$\"verburg_Untitled$ <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Jim Verburg<\/strong>
Untitled<\/em>, from the series An Accurate Silence<\/em>, 2017; Untitled (\u2026\u2009in and of itself)<\/em>, 2017.
Photos : Toni Hafkenscheid, courtesy of the artist and Zalucky Contemporary, Toronto<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Present also in these cascading tonal gradients and overlapping geometries is the pressure, resistance, and rhythm of Verburg\u2019s own body passing the roller back and forth over the picture plane. The works are like monuments to the paint, ink, powdered graphite, and charcoal that made them. They revel in the nature of their material, so that a sheet of starched cotton tarlatan becomes yet another perfectly\u00ad-suited medium for the transference of a new optical unconscious. This is, in the end, an exhibition of unity, both universal and tangible. Each piece features distinct horizon and border lines that delineate space for a more focused meditation. In particular, works such as Untitled (afterimage)<\/em> read like ancient philosophy, turning our thoughts both inward and outward. Our direct experience becomes a surrendering to what was, and what is yet to be. In this way, we are presented with the idea<\/em> of perfection, so that moments of emptiness serve only to strengthen our experience of being here now. It is almost as though the works are holding on to our deepest secrets, not out of greed, but for the sake of a true and examined connection to a life worth living. <\/p>\n
Alex Bowron, Jim Verburg<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Zalucky Contemporary<\/strong>, Toronto,<\/br>April 1\u200a\u2014\u200aApril 29, 2017<\/br>","protected":false},"author":1303,"featured_media":160831,"template":"","categories":[884],"numeros":[5946],"disciplines":[],"statuts":[],"checklist":[],"auteurs":[772],"artistes":[2387],"thematiques":[],"type_compte-rendu":[],"class_list":["post-161136","compte-rendu","type-compte-rendu","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","numeros-90-feminisms","auteurs-alex-bowron","artistes-jim-verburg"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/compte-rendu\/161136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/compte-rendu"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/compte-rendu"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161136"},{"taxonomy":"numeros","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/numeros?post=161136"},{"taxonomy":"disciplines","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disciplines?post=161136"},{"taxonomy":"statuts","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/statuts?post=161136"},{"taxonomy":"checklist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/checklist?post=161136"},{"taxonomy":"auteurs","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/auteurs?post=161136"},{"taxonomy":"artistes","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artistes?post=161136"},{"taxonomy":"thematiques","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/thematiques?post=161136"},{"taxonomy":"type_compte-rendu","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type_compte-rendu?post=161136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}