Tidings of Comfort (excerpt) by Mark Clintberg in FFWD
review of the exhibition "Comfort Studies" at the New Gallery, Calgary

Soothing new shows at TNG and Stride take the edge off a cold month
This is a month of breakups and emotional collapses. If you’re feeling raw and on the verge, it might be wise to take a tonic at The New Gallery (TNG) and Stride Gallery.
Comfort Studies at TNG is an exhibition featuring the work of Pamela Landry and Les Newman.
Newman’s works are idle diagrams illustrating the inner workings of – among other things – sadness and disappointment, with the aid of a low-res illustration technique recalling early commodore 64 graphics programs. The suite of works is titled Science Drawings : each photograph illustrates and lists a pithy phrase, usually a “reference to a pop-song lyric, self-help passage, or other popism/truism,” according to Newman’s artist’s statement. Some featured phrases include: “Going, Going, Gone” and “everything to everyone, something to someone, nothing to no one.” Graphically representing the finer points of feeling pretty horrible in the fashion of a pixilated chemistry overhead transparency. It’s brooding and cynical, with gut wrenching and hilarious effect.