Triage: An Artist in Kandahar

© copyright Karen Bailey, all rights reserved

Recently, Picasso's 1949 book illustrations for “Carmen” came to my mind. They are quite amazing – showing scenes from the novella by Prosper Mérimée (later adapted into the famous opera) with wonderful portraits of Carmen and of course Picasso's characteristic minotaur. A wonderful book.

It's also a great example for interdisciplinary 'cross-fertilization' of visual arts and literature. Now I encountered a project that went the opposite way, so to speak: first were the paintings and than the literature. The School of Music poets responsed to “Triage: An Artist in Kandahar”, an exhibition of paintings by artist Karen Bailey. Karen Bailey's astonishing paintings which she created when she was a volunteer appointed military artist with the Canadian Military Forces at the Role 3 Hospital, Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, were the starting point for a group of Australian poets. Their aim is to “explore the relationship between poetry, music and other art forms by providing a wide variety of rich artistic experiences”. Now the impressive poems about Bailey's paintings were published online and in print.

Karen Bailey's Artist Statement:

Poets and painters share a similar history in documenting war. Without the efforts of artists the human story of war would never be memorialised; for generations poets have written about the effects of conflict, history books are filled with images depicting war.

The poems here are moving, the compassion shown is palpable. It’s as if each poet was with me during my experiences in Kandahar. You have been able to put into words what I can only say with paint. I feel privileged to be part of this collaboration with the poets of Canberra, Australia.

Karen Bailey, December 2013


Facts:
Link to the publication: http://sompoets.wordpress.com/projects/response-to-triage/
Link to Karen Bailey: http://www.karenbailey.ca/

“Chase” - New Public Art in Kanata

"Chase" on the roof of the entrance of Richcraft Recreation Center, Innovation Drive, Ottawa

During my recent visit of the newly opened Richcraft recreation complex in Kanata North, I encountered an interesting piece of Ottawa's public art. Anna Williams' and Erin Robertson's bronze sculptures “Chase” depict a fox chasing a ball in over the roof and in front of the the entrance of the rec complex. They are financed through the City of Ottawa and a good fit for that center – because they joyfully combine playing and exercise.

The fox eventually catches the ball...

The life-size fox, captured in seven poses, runs after a small red ball across the roof of the entrance, then down to the pavement and off into the nearby woods while eventually catching the ball. I bet children will have fun with these public artworks – the newly opened Richcraft recreation complex is a good site for art like that!

http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/arts-culture-and-community/arts-theatre-music/richcraft-recreation-complex-kanata

... and he runs off with it. Sculpture by Anna Williams and Erin Robertson

Welcome to Berlin, Wolfgang Tillmans!

After 23 years in London, German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans moved back to Germany. He has just made Berlin his new home, and also opened his gallery “Between Bridges” there. Actually, the gallery also moved from London (where it started in 2006 as a non-profit exhibition space in the ground floor of Tillmans' studio) to Berlin. Tillmans won the Turner Prize in 2000 – the first photographer ever to receive that award. He's known for his observing photographs of everyday objects and situations, and in particular his very personal portraits (lately also for amazing abstract photographic works).

See:
http://www.morgenpost.de/kultur/berlin-kultur/article123801110/Starfotograf-Wolfgang-Tillmans-zieht-von-London-nach-Berlin.html

Artist's Website: http://tillmans.co.uk/

Home built digital cameras? Yes!

That sounds pretty interesting: Experimental Digital photography created using home built digital cameras. Abstract portraits and bodyscapes by Ralph Nevins are now on view at the Atrium Gallery – and the opening reception is actually today!

Facts:
Slitscan: Photography by Ralph Nevins
Atrium Gallery, Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive
January 10 to February 12, 2014
OPENING RECEPTION: TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2014 (6-8PM)

Ralph Nevins' Homepage where you can see more of his impressive 'Slitscans': http://ralph.ca/?page_id=425

Happy Holidays!

I wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May it be filled with a lot of exciting art events, challenging exhibitions, meaningful artist talks, and public debates about the state of art. I keep you posted.

An Amazing Evening at The Rectory Open House

 

Last Wednesday, Dec. 11th, I made my way downtown to the open house of The Rectory – an amazing studio space on Murray Street. I had an awesome evening with enlightening chats with some of the artists, and a chance to see exciting contemporary art at its very source - in the artists' studios.

Andrew Morrow's studio gives an insight in his artistic process: Studies and sketches on its walls and a huge canvas with an dream-like landscape.

I could take a glimpse into Andrew Morrow's studio with a large-scale painting in its very early stage – the landscape with rocky cliffs will become a narrative historic painting as he indicated. The detailed figure studies, his sketches and notes hanging on his walls gave a first impression on how he creates his amazing complex figurative paintings with a contemporary twist.

Andrew Morrow's studio

Karen Bailey was so nice to pose for me in front of her recent self-portrait. She calls it her “Official Self-Portrait” as related to the amazing official portrait she made of Michaëlle Jean in 2012. Her studio is filled with two big mirrors (a useful tool for her self-portraits), memorabilia, books, letters, small sketches, portraits she did for the Ottawa StoryTellers, and paint paraphernalia – a wonderful creative place...

Karen Bailey in her studio with her "Official Self-Portrait" from this year

Karen Bailey's studio at The Rectory

Lori Victor (I had talked about her Iceberg project before) talked about her recent project, an installation about the awareness for aboriginal issues and gave me an insight in the colorful skeleton hanging on her studio wall – she made it with touristy pictures of Frida Kahlo after her trip to Mexico.

Lori Victor's Iceberg Project: IP2 in front of The Rectory

Lori Victor in her studio

And Andrea Mueller gave me an insight into her jewellery studio which was crowded all evening long with visitors admiring her beautiful jewellery. Natural shapes play an important role in her unique designs, and the combination with semi precious and precious stones create interesting accents.

And I should forget the hilarious and so true portrait of Stephen Harper by Sharon Lafferty hanging in The Rectory's stairway!

Sharon Lafferty's portraits at The Rectory

Thanks to all participating artists for that great evening!


Facts:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rectory-Art-House/121343688061156?_fb_noscript=1

http://andrewmorrow.com/home.html

http://www.karenbailey.ca/

http://lorivictor.com/

http://andreamueller.ca/

http://www.sharonlafferty.com/

The Iceberg Project: IP2 @ The Rectory Art House

  

Lori Victor: The Iceberg Project: IP2

20 cm of snow today in Ottawa, and even more in the forecast! The city has been officially struck by the first winter storm this season. Busy with shovelling all that snow, we sometimes forget what impact the global warming already has... Therefore, I always find art which focuses on environmental issues very important.

The melting of Arctic ice and their majestic ice bergs are one of the strongest evidence of the climate change and its consequences. Lori Victor’s ‘The Iceberg Project: IP2′ which hangs over the entry to The Rectory Art House in the Byward Market continues to represent the deterioration of our planet due to climate change. It is an extension of ‘The Iceberg Project’ installation originally shown on the balcony during Nuit Blanche 2012.

The Rectory Art House, Ottawa, with Lori Victor's installation, 2013

Lori's Artist Statement:

“The Iceberg Project explores my personal interpretation and representation of an iceberg. My intention is to place the viewer within my artistic vision, and to express the reality of the threat of climate change to the planet.

The Iceberg Project provides an opportunity for viewers to experience the same overwhelming feeling I had when seeing an iceberg for the first time – off the coast of St. Anthony’s in Newfoundland. Through the engagement of aesthetics, The Iceberg Project aims to represent and interpret the majestic power of icebergs.” (http://lorivictor.com/the-iceberg-project/)

‘The Iceberg Project: IP2′ is a mere skeletal structure or shadow of itself, and the myriad of colours seen in ‘The Iceberg Project’ (2012), have all but disappeared. ‘The Iceberg Project: IP2′ reminds us of the nature's beauty as well as its impending loss in our environment.


Facts:
Lori Victor
The Iceberg Project: IP2 (2013)
The Rectory Art House
179 Murray Street, Ottawa
http://lorivictor.com/the-iceberg-project/

Gerhard Richter is Number One

Vanity Fair names in its December issue under the title "Paint by Numbers" the six greatest artists alive. Even though the title is a bit misleading – because not only painters but also a photographer, a sculptor and performance artists are under the top six – that poll is pretty interesting. And the winner is .... Gerhard Richter!

Screenshot from Vanity Fair Magazine, http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/12/greatest-living-artists-poll

The magazine asked more than 100 art stars, curators, academics, and museum directors to name their six contestants (interestingly, art dealers were not asked for that poll, with the reason that they "must look after their own"). The artists who gained the most votes were: Gerhard Richter, Jasper Johns, Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, Cindy Sherman, and Ellsworth Kelly (in descending order). I'm excited that one photographer – Cindy Sherman – is under the top six. (BTW Nauman also works in photography, but is mostly know for his neon-works and performance.)

These are the numbers:

Gerhard Richter: 24 votes
Jasper Johns: 20 votes
Richard Serra: 19 votes
Bruce Nauman: 17 votes
Cindy Sherman: 12 votes
Ellsworth Kelly: 10 votes

Gerhard Richter with his 24 votes is clearly ahead of the other artists. John Baldessari, Jeff Koons, William Kentridge, and Ai Weiwei each received five votes. David Hammons, Brice Marden, Ed Ruscha, James Turrell, and Kara Walker received four votes.

Facts:

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/12/greatest-living-artists-poll
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2013/11/greatest-living-artists-poll-results

Louis Helbig's Sunken Villages

Screenshot of the Sunken Villages website

On July 1, 1958 a controlled explosion tore open a cofferdam near Cornwall (ON) and four days later an area that had been home to 7,500 people disappeared under the waves of Lake St. Lawrence, part of the newly created St. Lawrence Seaway. On the Canadian side, twelve communities, some dating back to the 1700s, were affected. Some of their remaining buildings can still be seen trough the blue waters of Lake St. Lawrence – high up from an airplane.

Screenshot of the Sunken Villages website

Ottawa aerial photographer Louis Helbig has captured these bridges, locks, and canals which were left to be buried under water. (While some other buildings were moved and graves exhumed.) Louis' fascinating photographs can now be seen at the St. Lawrence College, in Brockville. “Sunken Villages” is Helbig's newest multimedia exhibit at the Marianne van Silfhout Gallery that runs from September 13 to November 2, 2013. Only two more weeks, if you haven't seen it yet!

For the first time, this exhibition combines Louis Helbig’s aerial photographs of what remains deep beneath the St. Lawrence with recorded first-hand accounts from 27 people affected by the inundation.

Furthermore, the Sunken Villages project has a new website sunkenvillages.ca. It brings Helbig's aerial photos of the villages lying in the St Lawrence River together with portraits and the voices (transcripts, audio & video) of 27 people who lost their communities. The new website reflects the exhibition: large format prints, audio of individual voices & stories piped into the gallery, and portraits of all the interviewees.

Screenshot of the Sunken Villages website, Interviews

The website gives in amazing insight in how people were effected by the inundation, but also in the development of that outstanding project. Like Helbig says in his artist statement: “The more I learn about the lost villages with their layers of history, human drama, politics, and tragedy, the more incredible I find it that their story is virtually unknown. Canadians often complain that their history is not interesting. I beg to differ. Canadian history is as interesting as we let it be; if we free our imaginations and mobilize our convictions, there will no end to interesting stories that we can tell each other about ourselves and, in so doing, better understand and define who we are.”

Facts:
www.sunkenvillages.ca

Sunken Villages
Brockville: St. Lawrence College, Marianne van Silfhout Gallery
September 13 to November 2, 2013

Crown & Pumpkin Studio Tour

No plans for the Thanksgiving weekend yet? The Crown & Pumpkin Studio Tour in Mississippi Mills, Almonte, and Clayton sounds pretty interesting. On 17 stops, local artist open their studio door to the public and show their recent works of art.

Paintings, historic costumes, drawings, sculptures, photographs, jewellery, glass art...

Some of the participating artists didn't make it into the flyer, so make sure that you check their website.

Facts:
Crown & Pumpkin Studio Tour
October 12, 13 & 14, 2013

Find a map with the artist locations:

http://www.crownandpumpkin.com/

Nuit Blanche (and wet!)

I am glad to hear that Nuit Blanche was a success despite the terrible rain last weekend!


http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2013/09/22/nuit-blanche-was-wet-but-the-crowds-still-came-out-for-art-on-the-streets/

Nuit Blanche Ottawa: http://nbog.ca/

I Would Love To Go...

... but I can't. I have just received an invitation for a Gerhard Richter exhibition with his new works "Streifen & Glass" - "Strips and Glass". Unfortunately, it's in Germany: At the Albertinum, Dresden.

Most works from Richter's current series of strip pictures and glass objects which can be seen there, were created specifically for this show!

See more about that amazing exhibition here:

http://www.skd.museum/en/special-exhibitions/gerhard-richter-strips-glass/index.html