Swept Away: Dust, Ashes and Dirt in Contemporary Art and Design

Really wishing I could just hop on a bus right now and go see the exhibition Swept Away: Dust, Ashes and Dirt in Contemporary Art and Design, at the Museum of Art and Design in New York.

Following in the same vein as exhibitions such as Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting and Slash: Paper Under the Knife, Swept Away is the first exhibition of its scope to examine the artistic potential of ephemeral materials. 

This exhibition showcases the work of 25 international artists who transform dust, ash and dirt through the lens of both literal and abstracted interpretations into intricate and poignantly beautiful installations, sculptures, paintings, photographs and performances. The 34 featured works - 13 of which have been commissioned specifically for the exhibition, are created through the collection, removal and reconstitution of ephemeral matter, exposing, in many cases, the debris of human existence. On view from February 7th through August 12th 2012, the exhibition will include a series of 'live' installations that will allow museum goers to interact with artists and their works. Here is a brief look at some of the works in the exhibition:

Studio Glitherto - Burn Burn Burn

For Burn Burn Burn, we created a flammable paint, which in composition resembles the material of matchstick heads. The paint was invented in our kitchen and optimized with the help of the chemist.

In the work, a flame moves slowly over the wall, dances on the floor, up the chairs, down the table legs, where a trace of charred black remains. Inspired by Fred Astaire's Ceiling Dance, the flame traces a dancing path across the room, connecting and unifying objects.

Phoebe Cummings - Flora

Working predominantly in unfired clay, Phoebe constructs pieces directly on site as temporary installations or interventions within a space. In her work she explores material processes and the implications of intense labour on the temporal eventuality of the works existence. Often the pieces only come to exist as a photograph or a memory.

Elvira Wersche - Electron

Over the course of the past ten years, Elvira Wersche has been collecting coloured sands from over 600 places around the world. In her work she uses her sand samples to create a series of temporary, site-specific installations that trace-out of intricate geometric patterns and polygonal shapes across the floor.

Wersche working on an installation in progress:

Alaxandre Orion - 'Reverse Graffitti'

Soot from automobile exhaust, cleaned off of a tunnel wall in Sao Paulo.

Orion  is a Brazilian graffiti artist and photographer whose work has an intrinsic relationship with the city, either as a subject, or using it as a stage for his art. In his work he creates 'reverse graffiti' murals by selectively scraping off layers of dirt and black soot deposited on the walls of tunnels and public spaces.

Klondike Institute of Arts and Culture

Artist in Residence Program

Last week, I managed to finally finish my application for the Klondike Institute of Arts and Culture artist residency program.

Founded in 2001, the KIAC Artist-in-Residence Program has welcomed the work of over 170 artists, musicians and filmmakers to Dawson City, Yukon.

Through the Artist-in-Residence program, KIAC aims to present an inspirational environment and culturally relevant context for artists while working on the creation, research and development of new or ongoing bodies of work.
Residency facilities are located in the famous Macaulay Residence, which like many of the buildings in Dawson City, is rumored to be haunted. Originally constructed in 1901, this 2-story home is now owned by Parks Canada as a part of the Dawson Historical Complex, National Historic Site of Canada.

The building is meant to accommodate up to two individuals concurrently. While in residence, artists also have the opportunity to facilitate outreach programs such as talks, workshops and exhibitions, intended to promote interaction and professional development, and provide access to a diverse range of contemporary arts practices and theories within the community.
I am really excited at the prospect of taking part in this incredible program. Here is a look at some artists working in paper and fibre who have recently taken part in the KIAC artist residency...

ED PIEN uses drawing, papercuts, performance and video to create large scale installations. While in Dawson, Pien will be working with students in Veronica Verkley's 2D class at the YSOVA.

Ed Pien is a Canadian artist based in Toronto. He has been drawing for nearly 30 years. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, he immigrated to Canada with his family at the age of eleven. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from York University in Toronto and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario. Ed Pien has exhibited nationally and internationally

CAITLIN ERSKINE SMITH

Focusing in textiles, her work incorporates traditional techniques to consider modern conflicts of identity, language and change. In her work, Caitlin hand weaves large-scale pieces that explore the challenges inherent in communication and understanding. Through labor and time intensive process, layers of text are woven together, and their legibility and meaning are obscured in the process.

During her time in Dawson, Erskine-Smith will work on a series of weavings based on letters written to family and friends, reflecting on her time spent in Dawson City.

 

AMANDA MCCAVOUR uses a sewing machine to create thread drawings and installations by sewing onto a fabric that dissolves in water. 

This fabric makes it possible for her to build up the thread as she sews repeatedly into drawn images so that when the fabric is dissolved, the image can hold together without a base.

For her KIAC residency, McCavour replicated a turn of the century steam pump that was left at the side of Princess Street betweenn 2nd and 3rd Avenue in Dawson City. 

Part monument, part waste, this object references a time prior to her arrival, as a relic of the machinery used during the gold mining era that made Dawson Cityfamous. Translating the heavy iron object into thread, McCavour looks at phantom views of the object, while contrasting the heavy machinery with delicate thread-work to render the machine as delicate and ghostly.

Polychromatic Screen Printing

Last night I taught week three of a five week Screen Printing workshop out of the textile studio at Harbourfront. As I am nearing the end of my three year artist residency, I wanted to give my students a rare treat and share with them one of my favorite processes, Polychromatic screen printing.

Polychromatic screen printing combines both silk-screening and painting techniques to produce watercolour-like images on paper and cloth. By painting directly onto open mesh or exposed silk screens, polychromatic allows you to print multiple colours using a one-step process... and the results are shockingly gorgeous!

Here are some images of prints taken from the workshop:

maarten de ceulaer: balloon bowls

A little while ago I came across this video that I find really inspiring. Every now and again I find myself re-watching it... I guess it sort of triggers that feeling of what it is like to be in the studio experimenting, playing and just working with your materials in-the-moment.

I hope you enjoy it!

Maarten De Ceulaer:

The Balloon Bowls are created by casting strong synthetic plaster into a balloon, after which a second balloon is inserted, and inflated. These two balloons act as flexible moulds, ensuring a unique shape for each and every bowl. Once the plaster is set, the balloons are removed, and a bowl appears. The colorants, which are added to the water prior to mixing it with the plaster powder, emerge differently each time again, creating uncontrolled and often spectacular color patterns. The bowls are finished with a special coating (matte or glossy) which reinforces the plaster, makes it waterproof and usable for many purposes, it is also dry food approved.

The process is an experimental review of a traditional ceramic practice. Instead of using porcelain or clay, plaster is used as the end material, not just as an inferior material to make moulds with. The project is all about serendipity; the parameters that influence the process are known, but still the result is always a guess, and never turns out exactly the way you expect it.

Artist Spotlight: Lyndi Sales

A while back I stumbled upon the work of South African artist Lyndi Sales, while doing research on paper-cut work for my Exploding Lace installation. As you can see why, I was immediately drawn to the intricacy and meticulousness of her thought provoking, multi-dimensional cut-works in paper, sharing a similar sensibility to the way that I approach working and my own materials and processes. Here is a bit of info about Lyndi, I highly recommend checking out her website for more images of her incredible and extensive body of work.

Lyndi Sales is an artist based in Cape Town, South Africa. For the past couple of years, she has been working on a series of installations and artworks that seek to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversial Helderberg plane crash. These constructions, made of intricately cut, pinned paper and rubber often shed light on the fragile nature of our existence, temporality and how chance plays a role in our lives.

"All the works I created (below) are a part of the airline crash series. The Helderberg crash happened 20 years ago during the Apartheid era and remains unresolved and is still a controversial issue today in South Africa. At the time of the crash there were political sanctions against our country, there was an arms embargo that prohibited SA from importing any arms or substances used in warfare into the country. It is believed that SA authorities were importing highly flammable substances on passenger Boeings as a result of the embargo. Upon leaving Taipei, turbulence caused by a storm enabled the Ammonia petro chlorate to self ignite causing a fatal fire on board, leading the plane to crash a few hours later. Subsequently there have been a number of cover-ups to hide information such as the black box recordings, paperwork etc."

The work In Transit illustrates many themes surrounding the Helderberg crash including the area of the ocean floor where the wreckage landed. "An image of seaweed was cut into the map and then the negative pieces were re-pinned and arranged to form a contour of the ocean floor. The seaweed is symbolic of bronchial branches (lungs and breath) and suggests that the ocean (and crash site) is alive with the breath of those who died as well as alive with the mystery of what went down."

Flight Path Vortex

The Matter Factory

What a great lecture last night! I really enjoyed listening to Andy Brayman's talk, describing his process and the way he looks at data as a form of material for working with.

A couple of the works in the presentation that really stood out to me included his series of cups printed with gold lustre. Each cup is painted with 23k gold or platinum, making use of the material - which is commonly known for its ability to diminish over time with washing and use. Through use and regular wear and tear, the lustrous surface slowly chips away to reveal hidden messages beneath.

I also enjoyed looking at his collaboration with ceramic artist Ayumi Horie, an installation made up of a series of large individual tiles and platters. The installation was made in celebration of Greenwich House Pottery's Centennial and inspired by the ecology of Greenwich Village in 1609, the year Henry Hudson first 'discovered' Manhattan. 

The project consists of 86 porcelain tiles, each tile represents a city block and Washington Square Park, encompassing 165 sq acres of Greenwich Village. The tiles are printed in cobalt with a series of oversize decals, opalescent white glaze and silver lustre; outlining a map that illustrates the twelve different ecosystems and twenty-six different animals that lived in the area in 1609. This project acts to raise ecological awareness and can currently be seen in the office of Greenwich House Pottery, open to the public.

Another intriguing project involves what Brayman calls a “tornado machine.” taking brick and cinder block fragments from the town of Greensburg, Kansas, destroyed in 2007 by a tornado, and putting them in a simple centrifuge machine that turns things to dust “using only spinning air in a metal cone.” He is using the dust made from these construction fragments turning them into glazes for pieces that will ultimately go back to Greensburg.

Greensburg, Kansas after the tornado.

Image - bricks and rubble, before being broken down in the 'tornado machine'

An example of a family of glazes that can be made from the particles re-purposed from the rubble. 

neat stuff!

OCC Craft Talk: Andy Brayman

Tonight OCAD will be hosting a free Craft Talk by ceramic artist Andy Brayman, Here is a little more information about the talk and a video of his process:

Pragmatism and Decadence through Applied Research   Artworks by Andy Brayman and the Matter Factory Tuesday, February 7, 2012 OCAD University, 100 McCaul St., Toronto. Room 230 (second floor) 6:30 - 7:30 pm Free to attend! Brayman will describe his working process and discuss the resulting objects, which are born through a unique mixture of science and art. Specifically, his research into robotic fabrication and porcelain production will be presented. "My current work comes from research into new technologies coupled with my long-standing interest in utility. While the forms are largely defined by conventions of function, the specifics of these forms and their surfaces are born from digital tools: software and hardware." Andy Brayman holds a BA in sociology and a BFA in ceramics from the University of Kansas (1996) and an MFA in ceramics from Alfred University (1998). His work is a combination of traditional craft, industrial processes, and contemporary art strategies. At their best, his pots demonstrate an object’s potential to be both beautiful and cerebral. In 2005, Andy founded The Matter Factory in Kansas City. It is part artist studio, part laboratory, and part factory. In addition to producing objects of his design, the company contains a collaborative element. Guest designers and artists are invited to develop objects for production, which might otherwise have trouble finding an eager manufacturer. matterfactory.com

   
GH and Firefly - Spraying Color from andy brayman on Vimeo.

Exploding Lace View

My installation Exploding lace view is now currently up in the exhibition LOOKout at Harbourfront Centre. The show will be on until April 15th, if you are interested in checking it out!
I managed to talk my wonderful boyfriend into taking some photos for me during the opening, and will be photographing the rest of the work in the gallery shortly to post about. Here is a brief artist statement and some images from the installation.

Exploding Lace View

Manipulating photographs of her own textile work, Aston expands on these predetermined patterns. By altering line, shape, volume, repetition and scale she deconstructs these formal patterns in unexpected ways and creates three-dimensional, large-scale works.

Installation in progress... painters tape an nails

detailed shot

talking about the work

enjoying the cast shadows

TIDF & DO West Design

Saturday afternoon turned out to be a jam packed day as I wandered across the blustering city to the various design events, lectures and openings that TIDF had to offer.

Beginning at Harbourfront Centre with the Innovators and Ideas Lecture Series, I was introduced to the work of former artist-in-residence and incredibly talented jeweler Karen Konzuk. Made up of stainless steel and concrete, her architecture-inspired jewelery is currently on display at Harbourfront in the southernmost vitrines in an exhibition entitled Aggregate. more on kon zuk later...

January is traditionally the time of year when Harbourfront Centre focuses on contemporary craft, with exhibitions - such as the current craft biennial LOOKout, and the Viva Voce lectures put on by senior craft artists in residence. This years speakers included my studio mate Shuyu Lu as well as Clayton Haigh, Deborah Freeman and Adriana McNeeley.

Year after year, I have found this lecture series to be one of the most inspiring and introspective talks presented by Harbourfront. I love hearing all the stories that have lead to the making of such inspired careers and bodies work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Harbourfront Centre, I headed on down to Dundas st. to pop by the public opening reception for Radiant Dark: the Devil is in the Details, to take some pics and get a closer look at some of the work I had missed from before. Here are a couple images from the show:

Evan Bare - Toffel (slipper chair)

Yvonne Ip - And miles to go before i sleep (hall runner)

wet felted, by a process of pacing back and forth across the wool.

Jen Kneulman being inquisitive

Our Malbec table - made of concrete and walnut, acid etched with red wine...

Annie Tung & Brad Turner - Shadow (Chandalier)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Along the drift further down Dundas st. we stopped to take a picture at Saving Grace with Amanda McCavour's spirograph installation, before hitting up capacity:

Capacity @ Bev Hisey's studio

Unfortunately, I only got a chance to peek at some of the work and snap a couple quick shots while I was juggling my broken backpack, camera and umbrella while shoulder to shoulder with people in the crowd! Here are a couple pics from the show:

I really love the lines in this smocked canopy by Maiwenn Castellan:

Mountain of cushions installation by Bev Hisey (detail shot):

Bettie Cott & Lauren Reed's - Modern Hangups

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally ended up at the Associates exhibition at the new Cooper Cole Gallery, to see some late night installations and goings on.

I really loved these lamps reminiscent of necklace pendants:

Felt topographies: