Charles Mandel The Works Festival

It's in The Cards lets the viewer in on a deck of secrets

EDMONTON I Shuffle on over to the Citadel Theatre and check out "It's In the Cards". This show from the Alberta Society Of Artists is based on the theme of the 78 illustrated cards in a tarot deck, one of the oldest known card games.
The deck is divided into major arcana, or big secrets, and minor arcana, or little secrets. Earlier on, the cards were used strictly for game-playing until the 1700s when suddenly they metamorphized into a tool for fortune telling.
Thirty-five artists deal out their best interpretations of the tarot in the exhibit, with often intriguing results. Many visitors, for instance, might be surprised to find Wiebo Ludwig rendered as the two of rods. Behind him, the rods are represented as smokestacks burning gas flares.
A guide at the show pointed out that the two of rods stands for a person who holds an unwavering point of view and who possesses a strong will.
Another familiar face is that of Frank, a preacher who graced Edmonton street comers for many years. Artist Mariano Sinkovics deftly renders him as the Hierophant, a surprising and sly choice, since the card is most often portrayed as the pope.

It is not without reason that a warning of mature content is posted at the entrance to this exhibit. A goodly number of breasts and genitals are on display.
Dean Smale's the Devil, for instance, shows the horned one lording it over a couple of groveling subjects, their rear ends positioned rather rudely out toward the viewer.
And Edmund Haakonson's Magician is seen in all his ..er, glory, while Danielle Labrie's series of the cups suite is for some reason a festival of flesh.
The most genuinely erotic work here, however, is Tessa Nunn's interpretation of the Lovers.
She's bordered her painting with depictions of artistic lovers from different times and cultures and has included such famous examples from Picasso, and Japanese woodblock art, among others.
Richie Velthius's clay reliefs of the suite of swords are, no pun intended,striking, dramatrc and proud.
Overall, "It's in the Cards", is a neat variation on the group show that plays out nicely.

It's in the Cards is Site #4 in the
Rice Theatre Lobby of the lower
Citadel, 9828 IOIA Ave.