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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - A new art exhibition opened last Thursday evening at the Open Sky Gallery in Fort Simpson to a warm reception from community members.

In Dreams, an exhibition by Yellowknife artist Terry Pamplin, featured more than 20 pieces of art.

Painter and sculptor Terry Pamplin stands next to one of his paintings at the opening of his exhibition "In Dreams" at the Open Sky Gallery last Thursday evening. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

Pamplin, a graphic designer by profession, creates a variety of artwork from paintings of natural scenery in places like Ivvavik National Park to Hubble telescope images to a garbage can painted with a scene of Yellowknife and a sculpture of a raven on top.

"His work is very strong," said Julia Tsetso, president of the Open Sky Creative Society. "The variety in his work, it ties together but each grouping of paintings or piece of art could totally stand up on its own. His work is a real reflection of our society."

Pamplin said he considers the variety of his work to be his style.

"People are always telling me I don't have a particular style," he said. "There are social issues that grab your attention through your life experience and they are reflected in some of my work but then there are paintings of nature and flowers. I paint what interests me at the time."

Pamplin said he hopes if people take one thing from his work, it's the humour.

"There are intentionally funny, light-hearted things," he said. "The grim images and sculptures have something attractive and pleasurable about it and it's my way of saying there is always two sides to whatever the story is."

There are a few pieces in the exhibition focusing on Yellowknife's Giant Mine. One painting is of a dump truck Pamplin saw every time he drove by the mine and one day it was sitting along the edge of an open pit and he knew they were going to push it in and bury it. The painting, though bright with colour, represents the negative impact the mine had on the environment.

"The picture of the dump truck is colourful but it's in a toxic waste site," he said.

"There is a lot of symbolism in my art," he said. "Most of them aren't simple to see but some are. Some are just visual exercises while I paint them. I let go of trying to make them something and just react to them, most likely to music.

"Having painted something that was controlled for a while I want to get it out of my arm and work with something that is more impulse-based."

The exhibit is open to the public until Nov. 14.