Louise Noguchi

Opening on Saturday, September 11 at 3pm.
The exhibition runs from September 11 to October 9, 2004.
The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

Saddle-up for the exhibition document by Louise Noguchi, which presents a captivating and entertaining investigation on the mythology of the North American cowboy through a series of colour photographs and video installation. In the exhibition document, Noguchi ensues her interest in notions of identity and self, more specifically, the metaphor of artist as both hunter and victim. In her most recent work, she utilizes the commercial Wild West theme parks as a framework to highlight the exaggerated cliché of the cowboy, while simultaneously allowing the viewer to take pleasure in the magnetic spectacle of these re-enactments. Rivaling the violent gallantry of the European circus, this North American form of entertainment was initiated by William Cody (Buffalo Bill) in 1883 and continues in its many forms today. Document is a selection of works that were chosen from Noguchi's ongoing research and training, The Language of the Rope, which was conducted over the past few years about the cultural portrayal of the 'Wild West.'

The work at Dazibao includes a series of large colour photographs portraying the aftermath of guns fired, poised shooters and plummeting cowboys. In contrast to the complexity of warfare today, these photographs reveal the seductive quality of violence, which evokes an entertaining thrill, and the raw simplicity of a face-to-face shoot-out. Accentuated by titles such as Boom, Bang, and Smoked, the cowboy's persona is glorified by the dramatic, theatrical stage of Wild West theme parks such as Six Gun City in Jefferson, New Jersey, and Donley's Wild West Town in Union, Illinois.

In addition to the photographs, the show includes a video installation of earlier works such as Rope Tricks, 1998 and When You Fall Off Your Horse, 2002. These videos were created in conjunction with Noguchi's lessons with Tom Bishop Junior, a professional performer in the arts of trick roping, knife throwing, bullwhip cracking and trick riding. The artist, in Rope Tricks, uses her lassoing skills in an attempt to ensnare an unknown capture off the screen. The second piece, When You Fall Off Your Horse, is a documentation of a professional trick rider performing, ironically, a fall off of his horse. Although the rider never gets back on his horse, the viewer is reminded of the great American expression that lingers at the back of most people's mind. The most recent video, Gunslinger 2004, shows a tightly cropped image of a tattooed, black nail-polished cowboy executing his fluid gun twirling skills.

In her title for the exhibition, Noguchi cleverly plays her own tricks to highlight ideas surrounding the authenticity and authority of documenting history. She raises questions concerning the roles of actors, writers and artists who inevitably manipulate the information they record. Moreover, this exhibition brings to the forefront the fusion between historical accounts and the overwhelming cinematic influences employed to establish what we now know in North America as the 'Western' genre.

Louise Noguchi was born in Toronto, where she currently lives and works. She studied at the Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1981 and completed an MFA at the University of Windsor in 2000. Louise Noguchi currently teaches photography in Art and Art History in a collaborative program between Sheridan College and the University of Toronto. She works primarily in sculpture/installation, photography and video and has been included in exhibitions across Canada, USA, Europe and Tokyo.

Dazibao receives financial support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts de Montréal. Dazibao is a member of the Regroupement des centres d’artistes autogérés du Québec.