Vancouver artist John Ferrie says the show must go on.
His latest exhibition, Ultra, was supposed to open Friday with guests, martinis and a bevy of drag queens.
But, with the COVID-19 situation – and a friend telling him that going ahead would be irresponsible – Ferrie has decided to move the show of his flowing, imaginative and wildly colourful works into the virtual realm. Ferrie describes the show as, “bright, bold, colourful, whimsical, organic and dynamic.”
Sure, he’d have liked to have had a gallery full of people but, he said, “This is a different year. What else can you do but wing it?” “It could be a colossal flop or it could be kind of fun,” he added. “I’m trying something different.”
Ferrie said he’d put so much work into preparing the 20-piece show – initially to be held in the gallery space below his studio at Second and Main.
“I wondered what I could do,” the 1988 graduate of Emily Carr College of Art and Design said. said. “Artists are always thinking outside the box. It’s something new.”
Then, Ferrie saw an online drag queen show put on by a friend from Puerto Vallarta. Their show had been cancelled but they moved it online.
“I thought, ‘isn’t that clever,’” he said. “I could do this.”
And, when he broached the idea, friends from across North America said they would tune in for the opening.
He said other inspiration to do the show in a virtual space has come from seeing people singing together from their balconies, seeing operas moved online. “Why not?” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”
The show can be seen starting at 7 p.m. Vancouver at on Facebook at “John Ferrie” or “John Ferrie Artist,” or on Instagram at “john_ferrie”.
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