Good Day Blogger world!
On Monday I posted a review of an exhibit at MSVU, and it occurs to me that the gallery itself would be worthy of further description. It's a nice little space, just off the main entrance of the Seaton building, but it tends to escape notice. That's a shame, because boring content is a rarity in this venue.
It's not a big gallery - technically just one room - but the gymnasium-height ceiling allows for some very unique exhibitions. Most recently, artist-in-residence Steve Higgens constructed a very large wooden structure devised of clashing architectural elements reminiscent of his charcoal drawings. This took up most of the lower gallery, which made for an amazing view from the mezannine. There's been art of all sizes in this space. The one that sticks out in my memory is the life-sized latex lighthouse by Kim Mornga, which hung diagonally from the ceiling in front of the Mezzanine to the floor a the opposite end of the gallery http://www.canadianart.ca/see-it/2010/11/11/kim_morgan/. I think this openness also speaks to the kind of art that has been housed here over the years.
Part of the MSVU Art Gallery's mandate is to give representation to women artists and their work, as well as local artists and artisans, often in the early stages of their careers. I love that about the place, and I feel it's brought in some really interesting and unique content. I've made reference to the exhibit by Christine Redfern that included the actual drawn cartoon panels of "Who is Ana Mendieta", the graphic novel, specifically in this post: http://sketchesandswatches.blogspot.ca/2013/05/book-review-who-is-ana-mendieta.html). Also included in this exhibit was a film that showed one of Mendieta's art works, a flaming armature silhouette, possibly a goddess symbol, burning on a continuous loop. Sharing the gallery, and the exhibit, with these, was a curtained-off projecting of a woman in a sheet, seeming to be asleep and shifting around in charcoal dust. The animation would speed up and slow down as the viewers' movements were detected by motion sensors. This installation by Philomne Longpre (titled "Xia"), and the "Who is Ana Mendieta" display, were shown as a joint exhibit. I find them both to be good examples of work focused on women's issues, one on the struggles of decades past, and the other on the lingering struggles that still permeate culture, society, and psychological conditioning. http://philox.net/xiasystem/
The gallery does not shy way from controversial subjects or potentially offensive subject matter. The exhibit "Oriental Ornamental" featured walls full of giant silk flowers, each featuring what appeared to be human genitalia, complete with human hair. These were also made of fabric, and perhaps this went some way toward disguising their intended nature, as there were people who actually took each other's graduation day pictures in front of them. Or perhaps this was completely deliberate. I like to think that MSVU attracts people with a healthy sense of humour, or at least irony. This exhibit also featured a giant wig, on which visitors could pin origami flowers with over-sexualized images of oriental women printed on them. In the upper gallery, there was an entire faux opium den, put together by another artist and assembled entirely from "oriental" style decor such as one might find at wicker emporium and other decidedly inauthentic sources. I found this exhibit to be exceptionally interesting. The one thing I found really off-putting was the background soundtrack in the opium den, which included 5 minutes of screaming every 15 minutes. A key to the intent of the work, but it did begin to grate after a while. The subject of this joint exhibit was to do with ethnic stereotyping, specifically of Oriental people. Plenty of food for thought to be had.
Other exhibits have brought large colour photos of railway systems across North America, a forest of umbrellas attached to toy accordions that played themselves on loop, gigantic canvasses painted with poured acrylic, a pile of 1 million pennies, and numerous other wonders of contemporary art. The work often takes some explaining, but that's what makes it interesting. Definitely worth a visit, or two, or more if you get the chance.
Website:
http://msvuart.ca/index.php?menid=01&mtyp=3
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MSVU-Art-Gallery/177537538924695
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
Exhibit Review - Arthur Lismer: Halifax Harbour at War Time
Good Day, Blogger world!
I've decided to devote some time to actual art review on this blog. I often have the opportunity to see good art, and it's an experience worth sharing.
Today I'd like to talk about a small collection of paintings and lithographs by Arthur Lismer currently on display at the Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery. This is a slightly unusual exhibit for this particular gallery. The kind of work on display in this venue tends to be very contemporary, by artists who are still midway through their careers, or at least still alive. This work has more history behind it, not to mention the name of one of the Group of 7 members. It has a lot of local relevance too, which is part of what MSVU looks for. As indicated in the name, all the work in this exhibit depicts scenes of Halifax Harbour during World War I, in the form of lithographs and paintings which Arthur Lismer was commissioned by the Canadian War Records to create. All told, this is a pretty special show for the gallery.
Seascape and landscape painting are one of those genres that gets taken for granted in this era. We think of them as something nice to have on one's wall - tasteful, unobtrusive, and unexciting. Even though we can usually appreciate the work that goes into such a thing, it's hard to get fired up about them, no matter what the historical significance. At first glance, the paintngs included in this exhibit are calm, even tranquil-looking. The lithographs are somewhat more exciting, perhaps because they have more images of people, or perhaps because of the raw sketchiness of the medium. The paintings may hold one's interest too on second glance. Once we get past the instantaneous impression of the collection of shapes and colours that says "seascape", it's worth it to look at the paint itself.
The quality of mark-making is really spontaneous, careless even. In the long panoramic painting "View From Chebucto Head", the strokes are clearly visible. You can see canvas between the strokes in some spots, but the paint goes on thick, forming glossy ridges where the bristles drew it along. This particular painting reminds me of something I heard second/third-hand about Lismer and his practice: that he would collection garbage and detritus on the way to his studio, and then ask his studio assistant "Landscape or seascape?". He would then arrange his findings in some kind of formation and paint said land or seascape from that arrangement. Not sure that this is an established truth, but looking at that one painting I can imagine him doing that. Great idea, really.
When looking at these paintings, it's interesting to look at the painting technique and try to imagine what the artist was thinking at the time. The technical competence is clear, even thought the technique does not imply that minute detail was the be-all-end-all for this artist. This wasn't created as an image rendered in paint - it is a painting. The subject matter is stayed, though impressive - the technique is exciting.
This exhibit is up until August 11th, so if you have a chance, I recommend checking it out. Thanks for reading. Later Blogger world! :)
I've decided to devote some time to actual art review on this blog. I often have the opportunity to see good art, and it's an experience worth sharing.
Today I'd like to talk about a small collection of paintings and lithographs by Arthur Lismer currently on display at the Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery. This is a slightly unusual exhibit for this particular gallery. The kind of work on display in this venue tends to be very contemporary, by artists who are still midway through their careers, or at least still alive. This work has more history behind it, not to mention the name of one of the Group of 7 members. It has a lot of local relevance too, which is part of what MSVU looks for. As indicated in the name, all the work in this exhibit depicts scenes of Halifax Harbour during World War I, in the form of lithographs and paintings which Arthur Lismer was commissioned by the Canadian War Records to create. All told, this is a pretty special show for the gallery.
Seascape and landscape painting are one of those genres that gets taken for granted in this era. We think of them as something nice to have on one's wall - tasteful, unobtrusive, and unexciting. Even though we can usually appreciate the work that goes into such a thing, it's hard to get fired up about them, no matter what the historical significance. At first glance, the paintngs included in this exhibit are calm, even tranquil-looking. The lithographs are somewhat more exciting, perhaps because they have more images of people, or perhaps because of the raw sketchiness of the medium. The paintings may hold one's interest too on second glance. Once we get past the instantaneous impression of the collection of shapes and colours that says "seascape", it's worth it to look at the paint itself.
The quality of mark-making is really spontaneous, careless even. In the long panoramic painting "View From Chebucto Head", the strokes are clearly visible. You can see canvas between the strokes in some spots, but the paint goes on thick, forming glossy ridges where the bristles drew it along. This particular painting reminds me of something I heard second/third-hand about Lismer and his practice: that he would collection garbage and detritus on the way to his studio, and then ask his studio assistant "Landscape or seascape?". He would then arrange his findings in some kind of formation and paint said land or seascape from that arrangement. Not sure that this is an established truth, but looking at that one painting I can imagine him doing that. Great idea, really.
When looking at these paintings, it's interesting to look at the painting technique and try to imagine what the artist was thinking at the time. The technical competence is clear, even thought the technique does not imply that minute detail was the be-all-end-all for this artist. This wasn't created as an image rendered in paint - it is a painting. The subject matter is stayed, though impressive - the technique is exciting.
This exhibit is up until August 11th, so if you have a chance, I recommend checking it out. Thanks for reading. Later Blogger world! :)
Monday, June 10, 2013
Book Review: Lucasfilm's Alien Chronicles
Good Day Blogger world!
February 24th, 2013: Aang and the Beach of Time by ~Eseopia on deviantART
Good news on the job front: Not only do I have an interview for 3 potential jobs this week, but my People Answers answers just came in handy for a completely different job application than the one I was doing when I originally signed up. It's like when you're playing a video game and you get enough stars to unlock other worlds. Does this mean I've leveled up :B? I'm put in mind of the part of Neil Gammon's commencement speech (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you can find a link to it in the blog entry before this) where he described having become someone who answers emails professionally and writes as a hobby. It occurs to me that I am in very real danger of becoming a professional job seeker, and I don't yet have a way to stop it that doesn't involved self-sabotage. That said, I scored a few commissions this week too, so there is hope.
In the meantime, I'd like to make this a book review post.
In the meantime, I'd like to make this a book review post.
The book(s) for today will be a work in fiction, departing from the trend set by my first 2 book reviews. I have always been a fan of science fiction, and at no time more so than when I was in high school. One of the books sets I remember best was the trilogy of Lucasfilm's Alien Chronicles, written by Deborah Chester. This is not, as far as I can tell, related in any way to Star Wars. Are there parallels? Absolutely. A fight for freedom from an oppressive regime, many and various fictional races of sentient creatures, and no Earth anywhere in the story, to name a few. It is a 3 part science fiction epic like many, and thoroughly enjoyable as such. But there are some interesting differences, which I'd like to explore.
Difference #1: No human characters. It's actually kind of easy to forget this while reading the book, because the characters are easy to relate to on a human level. At the same time, the specific characteristics of each species, and the ways their lives and cultures are built around them, are well thought-out. It's a colourful world, the like of which Lucasfilm is known for creating.
Difference #2: Female characters for protagonist AND antagonist. Statistically, I think it's safe to say the incidences of this happening in science fiction, and possibly in fiction as a whole, are not high. What is also interesting is that it feels less unusual that these two main characters are female because of the fact that they are not human. This is not to say there are no good, complex male characters. Our female antagonist finds a loyal and steadfast friend in a male co-protagonist, whose personal story is as compelling as hers. In case you're wondering if there is romance here, the short answer is no. This could be because they are of different species, and while there is more than enough ground for the possibility of inter-species relationships to be explored, no such romances actually form in the story.
These are the major differences. They are refreshing enough that I felt I was reading something special and unique, though I still got to go on the joy ride of reading a sci-fi epic. I really must emphasize that these are books for adults. There is violence and cruelty in this story, particularly in book 2. That said, I think this would fit well into the reading repertoire of many a Star Wars fan, and many sci-fi readers in general.
Thanks for reading, Blogger world :)!
Difference #1: No human characters. It's actually kind of easy to forget this while reading the book, because the characters are easy to relate to on a human level. At the same time, the specific characteristics of each species, and the ways their lives and cultures are built around them, are well thought-out. It's a colourful world, the like of which Lucasfilm is known for creating.
Difference #2: Female characters for protagonist AND antagonist. Statistically, I think it's safe to say the incidences of this happening in science fiction, and possibly in fiction as a whole, are not high. What is also interesting is that it feels less unusual that these two main characters are female because of the fact that they are not human. This is not to say there are no good, complex male characters. Our female antagonist finds a loyal and steadfast friend in a male co-protagonist, whose personal story is as compelling as hers. In case you're wondering if there is romance here, the short answer is no. This could be because they are of different species, and while there is more than enough ground for the possibility of inter-species relationships to be explored, no such romances actually form in the story.
These are the major differences. They are refreshing enough that I felt I was reading something special and unique, though I still got to go on the joy ride of reading a sci-fi epic. I really must emphasize that these are books for adults. There is violence and cruelty in this story, particularly in book 2. That said, I think this would fit well into the reading repertoire of many a Star Wars fan, and many sci-fi readers in general.
Thanks for reading, Blogger world :)!
February 24th, 2013: Aang and the Beach of Time by ~Eseopia on deviantART
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Book Review: "Is There Life After Death?" by Anthony Peake
Book review # 2! I don't plan on always doing 2 books in a row, but I had reasons for doing so this time. Hope you enjoy!
I finished reading this book about 2 years ago, but it continues to be one of my favorites. I had originally picked it up off the sale table out of passing curiosity, thinking I knew what I'd find: anecdotes and ancient belief systems, but very little scientific proof regarding the afterlife (or lack thereof). What I found was a turning point in my understanding of quantum physics (which, I admit, had been next to nothing before this), accompanied by fascinating accounts of scientific investigation on this and related subjects. Anecdotes and information about various belief systems also make up the picture, and it is a very detailed picture in the end.
The range of subjects covered by this book is broad and varied, reaching to various parts of the world, history, and science. Unlike what I might have expected, this book doesn't shy away from conclusions or possibilities that may seem less than appealing to the reader. This is not a self-help or motivational book - it is a scientific study. That said, don't be surprised if thoughts of the Matrix come to mind, and you find yourself more interested in movies like Groundhog Day and Vanilla Sky. This author does a good job of keeping the reader's attention on some very complicated subject matter. You won't be a quantum physicist by the end of this, but you may have a better understanding of the scientific conclusions to be drawn on the subject.
While one goes in thinking to learn more about what comes after the end of life, this book has a lot to tell us about life itself, in terms of the nature of reality. You may find yourself thinking of everything a little bit differently, including time, matter, and your own psyche. The fact that the author is explaining things that the human brain does not have the capacity to perceive leads to that exciting feeling that you are learning something you're not supposed to know, which is definitely part of the overall appeal of this book.
I won't give away anything more, because the book does save its ultimate conclusion for the end. I will say that the eventual answer is very much theoretical - the best answer that science can come up with at the moment, but as plausible a conclusion as I've come across anywhere. This, of course, is only one part of what I got out of this book, and hopefully it will be as fascinating a read for you as it was for me.
February 22nd, 2013: Birthday Effects... by ~Eseopia on deviantART
February 21th, 2013: Beach Birthday Sunset by ~Eseopia on deviantART
February 20th, 2013: Blackout at the Beach... by ~Eseopia on deviantART
I finished reading this book about 2 years ago, but it continues to be one of my favorites. I had originally picked it up off the sale table out of passing curiosity, thinking I knew what I'd find: anecdotes and ancient belief systems, but very little scientific proof regarding the afterlife (or lack thereof). What I found was a turning point in my understanding of quantum physics (which, I admit, had been next to nothing before this), accompanied by fascinating accounts of scientific investigation on this and related subjects. Anecdotes and information about various belief systems also make up the picture, and it is a very detailed picture in the end.
The range of subjects covered by this book is broad and varied, reaching to various parts of the world, history, and science. Unlike what I might have expected, this book doesn't shy away from conclusions or possibilities that may seem less than appealing to the reader. This is not a self-help or motivational book - it is a scientific study. That said, don't be surprised if thoughts of the Matrix come to mind, and you find yourself more interested in movies like Groundhog Day and Vanilla Sky. This author does a good job of keeping the reader's attention on some very complicated subject matter. You won't be a quantum physicist by the end of this, but you may have a better understanding of the scientific conclusions to be drawn on the subject.
While one goes in thinking to learn more about what comes after the end of life, this book has a lot to tell us about life itself, in terms of the nature of reality. You may find yourself thinking of everything a little bit differently, including time, matter, and your own psyche. The fact that the author is explaining things that the human brain does not have the capacity to perceive leads to that exciting feeling that you are learning something you're not supposed to know, which is definitely part of the overall appeal of this book.
I won't give away anything more, because the book does save its ultimate conclusion for the end. I will say that the eventual answer is very much theoretical - the best answer that science can come up with at the moment, but as plausible a conclusion as I've come across anywhere. This, of course, is only one part of what I got out of this book, and hopefully it will be as fascinating a read for you as it was for me.
February 22nd, 2013: Birthday Effects... by ~Eseopia on deviantART
February 21th, 2013: Beach Birthday Sunset by ~Eseopia on deviantART
February 20th, 2013: Blackout at the Beach... by ~Eseopia on deviantART
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