It's girls' night out at the McClure

Dual and group exhibitions are always risky; there is always a distinct danger that the works on exhibit may not complement each other visually, or worse, the various differences in subject matter might leave the viewer feeling disjointed or alienated. In order for a group show to work, there must be some common ground — and nowhere is that more evident than in the colourful collection of paintings currently gracing the walls of the McClure Gallery.

Guest curated by James D. Campbell, the Visual Arts Centre's present show, Some Girls, provides a compelling look at women from four very different perspectives. Some canvases are disturbing, others joyful and celebratory — but all share an unmistakable sense of passion and belonging.

Highlighted by the "unique and unsparing realism" of Marion Wagschal’s familiar renderings of female models, these portraits of women by women run the visual gamut from fresh-faced young girls to elderly women with a lifetime of wrinkles and sags. While not self-portraits, the majority of the works selected by Campbell exude a very personal quality — giving the viewer a strong sense that each artist identifies as much with her model as she does with herself.

Eliza Griffiths, Lorraine Simms, Marion Wagschal and Janet Werner — the names of the four artists represented here are familiar to anyone who closely follows the local art scene. Each one is well established and has carved out her own very distinct individual style and approach to portraiture itself — so much so that viewers can easily recognize whose work is whose from clear across the gallery.

Some Girls continues at the McClure Gallery of the Visual Arts Centre, 350 Victoria Ave., through Sept. 29. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: 514-488-9558.