The Boat Launching

If you're in Toronto at the end of August you might want to drop into David Kaye Gallery and see the launching of Harlan House's fast food fleet. Harlan gave a workshop at Sheridan in the spring and showed us the process and thinking behind this current show. The large sculptural pieces had their beginnings in the functional scale Chinese junks that he made for candle/flower holders. These current ones are massive and I'm guessing over 4-5 feet in height. What is interesting about the process is that the slabs were cast with slip. He cast these large slabs and then hand built the pieces. The show will have taken Harlan two years to complete. We all wonder if this departure will take Harlan forever away from the shores of the

classical Chinese forms that he was so recognized for. Good on Harlan for continually setting sail in uncharted waters.