Gallery 101 – Every Gallery Needs Walls

We all know about the importance of non-profit artist-run centers in the contemporary art scene. Gallery 101 (together with the Enriched Bread Artists (EBA) I would say) is one of the most important of these locations in Ottawa, with its dedication to professional presentation and circulation of visual and media art. G101 organizes a broad range of solo and curated group exhibitions of Canadian and international contemporary artists every year, like e.g. the amazing show by Daniel Corbeil.

In its 30 years history (!) the gallery has become an integral part of the city’s cultural life. Not only visual artists, but also poets, writers, curators, and musicians were involved in exhibitions, performances and events. Many of them were merging artists who have become internationally known. Unfortunately, G101has been forced to move approximately every 5 years due to gentrification.

That’s a lot – and it has an impact on the continuity of the artists’ projects and their reception. Therefore the gallery needs a permanent, stable location. “We are also looking to increase our size to address community and membership needs for exhibition, studio and workshop space, to create a resource/research room, provide space for public readings of poetry and literature, experimental music, and gallery space for local constituents.” [from the competitions web site, see below] They would like to purchase a building and have already raised $30,000 for a down payment – but that’s just a drop in the bucket with the real estate market here in Ottawa.

To increase the funds, G101 takes part at the Aviva Community Fund Competition. You can vote for the project here:

http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf12110

The aim: to get a funding of $100K – 150K! That would be great – good luck! I keep my fingers crossed!

http://www.g101.ca/

Maggie Knaus' Road Trip Polaroids @ Exposure Gallery

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

The American landscape is shaped by highways and the buildings along them: motels, churches, roadside bars, monuments, strip malls, and suspension bridges. I remember the amazing Lee Friedlander photographic series "America by Car" (shown last fall at the Whitney Museum of American Art). On his road trips, he photographed countless icons of American culture; and it seems like that's the only adequate way to capture the spirit of the American landscape: by car.

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

And that's exactly what Ottawa photographer Maggie Knaus does in her current show "Keep the Car Running: Road Trip Polaroids" at Exposure Gallery. Her large-scale prints were created from various trips across the United States over the last couple of decades and show places and buildings that seem to belong to a long-gone era. This body of work has a personal story, like she says in her artist statement:

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

"Road trips evoke wonderful memories from my childhood: The Volkswagon Squareback station wagon we fondly dubbed Black Mac; breakfasts of hard-boiled eggs and doughnuts; hot, sticky vinyl seats that left imprints on little thighs; fighting for space with my brother and sister; finding relief from them on a sleeping bag in the back hatch; and peering out the window in search of road signs promising ice cream. There were no DVDs or video games to distract us, just hours of playing 20 questions and the view of the passing scenery and the backs of my parents' heads. I remember the image of my father's expansive 1970s moustache in the rearview mirror and the sound of my mother's knitting needles rhythmically clicking back and forth. We all marveled at the mirages of waves rippling from the heat on the roads and how the light at the end of the day made the world outside look golden. At the end of the day, we'd explode from the car with relief."

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

And as a grown-up, she still loves being out on the road. During her travels, she has discovered buildings and reminders of another era well before her childhood: ancient bumper cars, cinemas, Ferris wheels, old-fashioned gas stations and fast-food restaurants.

Whereas Lee Friedlander seems to ingeniously comment on the weird world outside his rental car (and the car itself is seen in his photos, like the steering wheel, the windows and in particular the side and rearview mirrors that work like mise-en- abyme picture frames), Knaus first just seems to document it. The surprising effect then comes from the unique technique she uses and that gives them a look of antique postcards: Her slides are projected onto Polaroid film. After that, she peels the film apart, that's why her pictures gain such an antique look. Then the Polaroid image is transferred onto watercolor paper and hand-colored with pastels and pencils. What a tremendous work! The last step for the works is to be scanned, enlarged and turned into Giglee prints. You see, she uses techniques and materials that soon will become extinct. E.g. the Polaroid film she was working with is not manufactured any more. So, take you chance to enjoy Knaus's artworks as long as you can - not only the objects she photographed (I love the café in shape of a coffee pot!) will disappear soon...

Exhibition view "Keep the Car Running"

Facts:

Keep the Car Running: Road Trip Polaroids

By Maggie Knaus

Exposure Gallery

Curated by Patrick Gordon

September 29- November 29, 2011

Price Range: $325-$2000

Artist discussion with Maggie Knaus:

TOMOROW! Wednesday October 5th, 7pm-8pm

http://www.exposuregallery.info/keep-the-car-running/

http://www.maggieknaus.com/

EBA: Shaken, but not stirred

A while ago, I wrote an article about some of the Enriched Bread Artists (EBA) taking part at the Moscow Biennale, see Link.

Svetlana Swinimer, one of the EBA at the Moscow Biennale

Now, the EBA artists invite all of us for a photo exhibition in the context of the CULTURE DAYS.

That's what they state on their web site – which makes me really curious about their show: “In the aftermath of the storm that blew the roof off EBA we are having a defiant "in your face weather!" photo-based exhibit. EBA is taking part in Culture Days again this year. We are playing host to an eclectic mix of local photographers from the well known to the should be known. Think “Wizard of Oz” meets “James Bond” and you get Shaken, but not stirred an irreverent take on weather with courage and danger and bears, oh my!”

They refer to the huge storm that hit the stage on Bluesfest and also damaged the roof of the EBA building, see on their facebook page.

Some artists' studios suffered from major water damage – but now it looks like they all recovered so far to brave the weather with this exciting exhibit.

Opening Night: Friday, September 30th, 2011, from 6 to 9 PM.

951 Gladstone Avenue, just off Preston Street.

The exhibition continues:

Saturday, October 1st, 11-5 PM.

Sunday, October 2nd, 11-5 PM.

Admission is free.

Participating Artists:

Marion Bordier, Erin Molly Fitzpatrick, Meaghan Haughian, Adrienne Herron, Marika Jemma, Karina Kraenzle, Claude Latour, Catherine Levasseur-Terrien, Gavin McLintock, Don Monet, Brad Snow, Rémi Thériault, Cara Tierney, Sharon Vanstarkenburg, David Westrop, Joyce Westrop, Ted Willis and Justin Wonnacott.

The Culture Days weekend (this weekend) includes – all over Canada – activities that celebrate the creative expression of the communities. Culture Days features free, hands-on, interactive activities and “behind the scenes” experiences. I true chance to discover a world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators and designers.


http://www.culturedays.ca/en/2011-activities

And remember: End of October is the annual EBA OPEN STUDIO! Looking forward to it!

Last Day of Carravaggio @ National Gallery / Copyright and the Re-monopolization of artworks

Today is the last day of National Gallery of Canada's (NGC) extraordinary summer exhibition “Carravaggio and his Followers in Rome” – so take your last chance to see it!

I would love to include a picture of a Caravaggio painting here (e.g. Saint Francis in Ecstasy, c. 1594-1595) and one by his follower Simon Vouet (The Fortune-Teller, c. 1620) that I adore. But I am not sure if I am allowed because of copyright restrictions by the NGC. Of course, this blog has no commercial approach, but publish pictures online has its pitfalls. The NCG policies is unclear in that point, stating “The Materials on this Site are provided for browsing, viewing, downloading, listening where such activities are limited to, non-commercial, educational and personal use only. By downloading, printing or otherwise using text, images, files from NGC web sites, users agree that they will limit their use of such files to fair dealing, and will not violate NGC's or any other party's proprietary rights.” (http://www.gallery.ca/en/terms-of-use.php)

The Canadian Copyright Act states in §29: “Fair dealing for the purpose of research or private study does not infringe copyright.” But does private study also include blogs? I don't think so, and there are huge discussions out there (e.g. see: http://blog.tech-and-law.com/2009/07/copyright-in-photo-of-painting-national.html).

Further, the Saint Francis in Ecstasy (c. 1594-1595) belongs to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art; and the amazing Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (c.1620) that the NCG uses in his exhibition pamphlet, belongs to Contarelli Chapel in Rome, but the photo credits in both cases belong to Art Resource that sits in New York. As far as I know, the international copyright law states that works of art comes into the public domain 70 years after the artist's death. But the question remains, if photographic reproductions of the artworks are also public domain. The National Portrait Gallery (UK) states that the digital reproductions of their paintings are recent works, and due to the amount of work that needed to be done to create them, qualify as copyrighted works. That means by using just reproduction techniques without creating an artistic original, they made a a new copyright, which – in my opinion – is a improper re-monopolization of artworks.

Nevertheless, the Caravaggio exhibit is a unique treasure chest of Caravaggio's master works – nevertheless that the NGC only owns paintings AFTER Caravaggio and not by himself (http://www.gallery.ca/en/see/collections/artist.php?iartistid=7957). But thanks to this exhibition, organized by the NGC and the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, we can see some of his masterpieces for the first time here in Canada.

http://www.gallery.ca/en/see/exhibitions/current/details/caravaggio-and-his-followers-in-rome-64

Must See Exhibits this Week in Ottawa

Tami Galili Ellis
THE COMMAND TO LOOK
@Blink Gallery

Exhibition Dates: September 8 - September 11, 2011

A series of mixed media expressive drawings, inspired by a vintage book from 1937 with the amusing title 'The command to look'. Tami Galili Ellis is an Israeli-Canadian artist. I am looking forward to see her mixed media drawings, because so far I just know her expressive, colorful works in oil. Her nudes are really impressive!

VERNISSAGE
Thursday, September 8, 6–9 pm
www.blinkgallery.ca
http://tamigaliliellis.com/


Bryna Cohen 
9/11 2001-2011
@ Galerie St. Laurent + Hill

Exhibition Dates: September 8 - September 21, 2011
Reception: Thursday, September 8, 2011 5 - 8pm

The Exhibition marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and examines its social and cultural impact. Bryna Cohen’s works are inspired by Picasso’s ‘La Guernica’ and Goya’s ‘Disasters of War’. Interesting remark: The City of Ottawa bought two works in this collection in 2010.

www.galeriestlaurentplushill.com


Mustapha Chadid: Présence /
Joe Fougère: Body & Blood 
@ L. A. Pai Gallery

Exhibition Dates: September 8 – 28, 2011
Meet the artists Thursday, September 8, 6-8 pm.

Mustapha gets his inspiration from transience that occurs in ecosystems. Matter is always recycled in nature and is never entirely lost. He recycles metal pieces in using them for his sculptures. His metal artworks, made of discarded bits of iron, show furthermore the traces that time leaves on metals.

Joe Fougère expresses in his jewellery his critical and often satirical ideas. Under the title 'Body&Blood', he deals with topics like religious conviction and commercial industry. His aim is to challenge ideologies of these existing systems; the exhibit includes e.g. jewellery that refers to rosary and pyramids.

www.lapaigallery.com

Ottawa artists at the 4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art

Svetlana Swinimer: Glaciata

Three Ottawa visual artists will show their works at the 4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Russia’s most prestigious contemporary art event!

Under the exhibition title “Flowing With”, Kenneth Emig, Svetlana Swinimer, and Jean Halstead present some of their artworks, in particular sculptures.

Svetlana Swinimer: Not Green Anymore

All three artists belong to the Enriched Bread Artists (EBA),  an artists' collective on Galdstone. EBA is an art studio and an artistic laboratory, located in a former bread factory - therefore the name.

Kenneth Emig is a trans-disciplinary artist who cmbinates sound, sculpture, optics, dance and technology. He encourages his audiences “to be sensorially observant and curious about the world around them” - like he is saying on the EBA web site.

Svetlana Swinimer: Cosmic Embryo

Svetlana Swinimer is interested in humanity, cosmology, mythology and cutting edge science. She works in painting, sculpture, installation, video, and inventive photography. She collaborated with Jean Halstead on art in public and on mixed media installations.

Jean Halstead started sculpture when working in clay during her time in Japan in the 1950s. In her current work, she is in particular interested in aspects of perception. She uses different media like sculptural constructions, photos, video projections, sounds, words, and colours.

4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Parallel Program:

FLOWING WITH

Organizer: "Blue Apple" Group

Artists: Kenneth Emig, Svetlana Swinimer, Jean Halstead

Venue: Cultural Center The house-museum of Marina Tsvetaeva

Address: Borisoglebskiy per.,6

Opening: September 22, 2011 at 19.00

Exposition date: September 22 – October 7, 2011

http://4th.moscowbiennale.ru/en/program/parallel.html

http://www.enrichedbreadartists.com/

About concepts of time: Time Pieces by Jesse Stewart

Untitled, 2005, glass, sand, installation view, Karsh-Masson Gallery © Jesse Stewart

13,000 pieces of glass, collected over the last 20 years from various shorelines arranged in concentric circles – marking the passage of time. One piece of glass for every day of the artist's life, and one circle for every year; this is one of the stunning works by Jesse Stewart in his current exhibition at the Karsh-Masson Gallery in Ottawa. The title of the exhibition: “Time Pieces”.

Keeping Tabs, 2011, plastic on canvas, installation view, © Jesse Stewart. This installation consists of 365 plastic bag closures that you would find on milk and bread bags, which he has collected over the past 8 years. Stewart arranged them in form of a calender.

Jesse Stewart is both: percussionist and conceptual artist.

As percussionist, he creates sounds out of virtually any resonating object or material. Even materials as glass, stone, ice, and cardboard were used by him to built instruments! As an conceptual artist, he is fascinated by the conceptions of time and how to make time - hardly tangible - visible and audible.

Untitled, 2009, clock hands on paper, installation view, © Jesse Stewart

Stewart describes his approach: “One of the major points of intersection between my work in the visual arts and music/sound is my ongoing interest in different conceptions of time. For me, time isn’t just a linear sequence of events with the future continually becoming the present and then slipping into an ever receding past. Rather, time is intimately connected to patterns of growth and decay, to ritual, memory, rhythm, cycles, and impermanence. Suzanne Langer famously wrote that “Music makes time audible.” With this body of work, I have tried to make time both audible and visible in a variety of ways.” [Catalogue excerpt]

Wheels of Time, 2003, sand-blasted vinyl records, installation view, © Jesse Stewart

Jesse Stewart plays with the intangibility of time and music; and he creates stunning results. Not linear is his concept and understanding of time, but rather related to memory, cycles and rhythm. Talking about rhythm: There is a musical performance by Jesse Stewart coming up in September (Musical Performance and Q & A (in English): September 18, 2011, at 2 p.m.). You can check his striking and impressive percussions out on his web site: http://www.jessestewart.ca/

Untitled, before and after, Karsh-Masson Gallery, installation view, © Jesse Stewart. These pieces of paper belong to a video that shows how the artists makes sounds out of them by scrunching, tearing, rolling them up...

Facts:
Jesse Stewart - Time Pieces
Karsh Masson Gallery
August 12 to September 25, 2011
http://www.ottawa.ca/rec_culture/arts/gallery_exhibit/karsh_masson/index_en.html

The Nude in Nature – and in Photography

Exhibition view arts & architecture gallery, Ottawa

Since photography is my academic specialization, I was very excited to see the current photography exhibition “The Nude in Nature” at the arts & architecture gallery in Ottawa. It shows some of the impressive results of a workshop that was let by the accomplished photographer Karin Rosenthal in Maine last year. The exhibit shows a broad spectrum of stylized depictions of the nude body with emphasis on the line and form of the human figure as part of the nature and landscape. 

Karin Rosenthal's works in "The Nude in Nature"

Rosenthal's (www.krosenthal.com) photographs have been published internationally and are represented in numerous museum collections, like e.g. the Yale University Art Gallery. She has received several grants and prizes including Grand Prize in the 2010 Renaissance International Photography Competition and First Prize in Nudes for the Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. Like the web site of the gallery states “Rosenthal’s work expands the concept of nude from the erotic to the metaphysical, seeing our bodies as vessels of Being within all of nature’s components.” Her black and white photographs that show a detail of the human body in front of a black background, and that gain geometric balance through reflecting surfaces, seem to refer to Man Ray. 

Photographs by Len Ward "Origami"

Indeed, most of the photographs in the exhibition seems to be inspired by renowned photographers of the first half of the 20th century. For example Len Ward's photo series of a model standing on a rock and holding a long, white scarf in the wind that creates astonishing effects, reminds me on German photographers of the 20s and 30s like Horst P. Horst, Erwin Blumenfeld and George Hoyningen-Huene. These photographs are examples for a classic elegance and style.

Photographs by Steve Schmidt

Steve Schmidt's nudes in landscape, curled up in a rock ledge covered with thousands of Balanidae reminds me strongly at Edward Weston with his photographs of female nudes, landscapes and vegetables. In his artist statements Steve writes that he wanted to explore the relationship between human and natural form, between people and environment, and people and their own image. 

Photographs by Tony Schwartz

This weekend the Nude in Nature photography workshop takes place once again, this time in Wakefield. Again it's led by Rosenthal and I am already pretty curious to see the results at the arts & architecture gallery soon...

Facts:

arts & architecture gallery

The Nude in Nature

August 17-28, 2011

1181 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON K1S 3X7

http://www.artsandarchitecture.ca/

Works by:

Karin Rosenthal
Judith Monteferrante
Tony Schwartz
Trish Wright
Steve Schmidt
Sukumar
Len Ward

Summer Mosaic - Ottawa Printmakers Connective

Exhibition view of the Britannia Art Gallery, Ottawa

That's my personal tip for this summer: The first public exhibition of the Ottawa Printmakers Connective. Why? Because the exhibition at the Britannia Art Gallery shows not only a broad range of print techniques, but also of artistic sujets – and it offers original artworks by local artists for decent prices. Exhibited techniques are: woodcuts, linocuts, etchings, monotypes, drypoints, intaglio, collographs, aquatints, stone lithography and silkscreens. 

Woodcuts and linocuts at the Britannia Art Gallery, Ottawa

The woodcuts and linocuts with their formal simplicity caught my eye in particluar. In ther strong black and white contrasts and subjects like cityscapes and birds they reminded me on the German Expressionist movement. In particular Deidre Hierlihy's, Rozemarijn Oudejans' and Keith Bells' prints are worth to be mentioned. Their prices range from $100 to $350.

More colorful are the collographs by Paule Fournier that play with the concepts of abstract and figurative. Collographs are created by applying materials to a rigid substrate like cardboard or wood. In Fournier's case, the interesting structure in the print is made by using substances such as textiles, and leaves in creating the collograph plate. 

The prices of prints in the show range from $85 (e.g. for a small etching by Jeanne Vaillancourt) to $750 (a stone lithography by Lynda Turner) and include the frames. These decent priced works of art might be a good start for an own art collection. The Connective has also a blog: http://ottawaprintmakers.wordpress.com/

Artists in the exhibition:

Leigh Archibald

Mary Baranowski-Lowden

Keith Bell

Manon Boulet

Kathryn Davis

Paule Fournier

Leonard Gerbrandt

Deidre Hierlihy

Maya Hum

David Ladouceur

Louise Lépine

Rozemarijn Oudejans

Debra James Percival

Rod Restivo

Nathalie Roy

Jen Simpson

Denise Tremblay

Lynda Turner

Jeanne Vaillancourt

Shirley Yik

Britannia Art Gallery

Summer Mosaic

August 4 – September 6, 2011

2728 Howe St.

Ottawa

Tuesday thru Saturday 10 am to 5pm

Sunday: 1 pm to 4pm

Monday: Closed

http://www.britanniagallery.ca/

kipjones - interstices: an intervening space

interstices (installation view), 2011, mixed media

“Space is not unlike a living organism. It can change or be changed, affect our moods, be mysterious and even ambiguous.” [From the City Hall Art Gallery exhibition booklet]

The current exhibition at the City Hall Art Gallery opens our senses for space by moving through the installation by kipjones. His intensive installation connects the gallery walls with long, wooden horizontal and vertical wands – and it feels like the room became alive.

interstices (installation view), 2011, mixed media

In particular the walls seems to breath and move because their surface was furnished with organic, round shapes from which the lines reach into the space. The title “Interstice” refers to the space created between two objects and events; and that's what the exhibition is all about: The spatial environments between linear lines in the room, and the relationships between mental and physical spaces.

interstices (installation view), 2011, mixed media

From the gallery's website:

linear gesture

A question of place as it relates to a uniquely defined space.

The modular long thin line gently emerging from an intersection,

a point, diverging,

re-focus,

into a long arcing waves,

defining boundaries, spatial edges.

A delineation of space, a dimensional gesture,

bound to the parameters of the temporal place,

a linear gesture

The experiential movement through the gallery leads to stunning perspectives of the installation that also illustrate movements itself by wavelike forms. We also seem to become a part of the space when we discover the installation from different angles, experience the interstices and become aware of interspace and spatial relations.

interstices (installation view), 2011, mixed media

Facts:

kipjones

interstices: an intervening space

Ottawa City Hall Art Gallery

July 1 to August 21, 2011

Stephen Frew's Colour of Flesh

Stephen Frew at Orange Art Gallery

Ottawa based artist Stephen Frew opened his impressive show with mainly recent works at the Orange Art Gallery last week. I really enjoyed talking to him and he gave me an enlightening insight in his artistic working process. Stephen draws from portrait photographs mostly in the middle of the night. That's why he doesn't use live models so often; and it is the most convenient way for him, as he mentioned.

Orange Art Gallery: Exhibition view

He also doesn't work often with professional models – most of his expressive portraits are actually friends and family. Frew is interested in particular in portraits; but he also tried recently some abstract work. Unfortunately, this is not included in the exhibit.

But he included some of his very impressive self-portraits in the show. Strong lines (in drawings) and almost pointillistic colour dots (in oil paintings) take an expressive effect. The self-reflection is an important part of his oeuvre.

Self-Portraits by Stephen Frew

Stepen Frew holds a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the Concordia University, Montreal; and he mentioned that the etching technique – nevertheless he doesn't use it any more – strongly influences his drawing skills. The base of each work of art is indeed drawing; in strong, energetic lines.

Stepen Frew: Why Not Two

He is interested in precise streaks and therefore prefers wood and strong paper as surfaces, rather than canvas. Some of his recent works oscillates between figurative portrait and abstract geometries – also a reference to Francis Bacon by whom is strongly influenced.

The two works in the centre are also self-portraits.

The Colour of Flesh by Stephen Frew

Orange Art Gallery
July 6 to July 31, 2011

http://orangeartgallery.ca/

More about Stephen Frew on his website

Art as Money - Money as Art

“During today’s financial crisis, art has been frequently cited as an advantageous alternative asset class. But do the millions of dollars that might buy you a Koons or a Picasso speak about the social and spiritual value?” is the question asked by The Art-as-Money-Blog.

The Zero Bill © Exchanghibition Bank

Or do these millions of dollars speak even about the artistic quality, I am wondering! It is indeed an interesting question. I am just reading a book about the the “curious economics of contemporary art” entitled “The $12 Million Stuffed Shark” - clearly referring to Damien Hirst's unbelievable success. The author Don Thompson (a collector himself) states that the art market bases on branding of artists, museums and auction houses – and these brands determine the price and value of contemporary artworks. He writes: “Since art collectors cannot always fathom the value code, the understandably do not trust their own judgement. Their recourse is often to rely on branding. Collectors patronize branded dealers, bid at branded auction houses, visit branded art fairs, and seek out branded artists. You are a nobody in contemporary art until you have been branded.” [Don Thompson: “The $12 Million Stuffed Shark”, 2008, p. 12.] As current art market developments show, outstanding prices are reached mostly by big names and big players, and the quality of works of art is often not proportional to its price.

The Infinite Bill © Exchanghibition Bank

So, why not just doing it the direct way? Turning art into money, I mean. The “Exchanghibition Bank“ had exactly this idea of turning art into money – in the fully literal sense. The Netherlandish artist Dadara creates candy-coloured bills with amounts of “Zero”, “Infinite”, and “Million”. They also provide exchange rates (for the CAD it is currently 1.39).

“The Art-as-Money-Blog” also asks: “Do you want to buy art as an artifact of beauty and spirituality or as a financial investment? Money has always invested in art, though in an admiring, even worshipping way, since it respected art as its superior, something, which can’t be measured by financial values. But today’s hyper-investment in art seems to be an implicit attempt to overwhelm it, demonstrating in this way that money is superior to art.”

Link: http://exchanghibitionbank.com/