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HAVE IN MIND May 17th, 2009, ANZA Club Vancouver, BC

FIRST 15 PEOPLE TO BRING EITHER A HEADLAMP or A FLASHLIGHT RECEIVES ORIGINAL WORK FROM ME!

Doors at 7

An upcoming show I am participating in

My first show outside of art school will be in Have In Mind at the ANZA Club in Vancouver, organized by Leigh Christie and curated by Zoe Peled. It’s a show outside of a gallery setting meant to surprise, inspire and encourage art in unexpected spaces. Zee Kesler will be installing work as well for this show. It will be a one night only show in the evening, with drinks and a DJ set by Leigh Christie. Upgrade is affiliated.

I’m very excited/anxious/nervous wreck because I like to put lots of pressure on myself. I love to dream about all the potential for a new work, but accompanying the dreaming comes all the fantasies about all the things that could go wrong. I’ve now come to expect this anxiety as a part of creating and I know how to ignore the fear. I realize everyone experiences this fear when dreams are manifesting in reality, it shows how important whatever it is, but if one succumbs to the fear, nothing will ever get done. So, onto another adventure with minimal amounts of money and time, lets see how this work will turn out! I love my life.

My Artist Statement for the Show;

What if everyone in North America disappeared from the streets and for centuries highways and streets went uninhabited? If a new race reclaimed our urban spaces and began investigating our civilization, what would they make of our traffic markings and our street signs? What kind of history could they construct for us with our traffic signs and symbols?

The installation for Have In Mind is an exploration in constructing a narrative through popular contemporary North American street signs. These signs and symbols dictate the rules of the street but also create a certain aesthetic through their form and use of colour. These symbols are meant to be clear, visible and concise in order to be read without any confusion. By obscuring the clarity of the sign through playing with scale, hybridizing, manipulating, pairing and arranging different symbols, new ways of viewing the standard symbols becomes articulated.

The installation will be viewed in the dark. All the work installed is created with retro reflective paint and when a light source hits this material it is illuminated. This the same material used for the lines on streets and highways. Each viewer is asked to actively participate in searching for the work in the space through the darkness with the aid of headlamps and flashlights. The viewer takes the position of the light source leaving the responsibility on the viewer to illuminate the work and to light the space. Without the viewer the work has no source of light and no meaning.

Alan Storey’s has been creating since he was a boy in his family’s house which was mostly an open work shop which they lived in. His father, a jack of all trades, taught photography, built sailboats and clavichords, hosted his own electrical experiments with bio-feedback machines and continually added and rebuilt their family home. This environment encouraged Storey to build things from scratch and to find his own way of approaching creation. He studied Visual Arts at Okanagan College, and finished his B.F.A. at the University of Victoria. His work can be found in galleries and in the public realm. He has exhibited internationally and is very respected artist. Vancouver is lucky he has made his base here.

I was first introduced to Alan Storey and his work when I drew his name out of a hat in a first year class at Emily Carr University. He was the subject of a presentation I was to research and give to the class. I immediately was impressed by his work because it is very intricate yet subtle and masterfully constructed to interrogate space. He was the first example of Site Specific Art that captivated me. He makes great public art, which is hard to do because the public is so fickle. A year later, I found Storey to be teaching a introduction to Metal Fabrication at the school and signed up for his class. He not only is a great artist, but a very patient and knowledgeable teacher. I took all the classes I could with him and learned to weld.

Apparently I left him with a bit of an impression because last summer I worked as a studio assistant on one of his public art works. It isn’t quiet ready yet, but the work is installed at the New North Vancouver Public Library. I can’t wait to see it up and running. I soldered many of the LED lights that make up the work.

Once again Alan Storey’s kindness reaches out to me and he allowed me to make this video. It is my first attempt at editing and interviewing, so I do admit the film is a bit amateur. Regardless Alan Storey’s character, knowledge and pleasantness shines through the crappy editing. Please enjoy.

A Dialogue with Artist Alan Storey from lindsay joy on Vimeo.

Josef Albers was an artist and educator. He taught at the infamous Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany, until Hitler closed it down. Albers then taught at Black Mountain College and Yale University. He was a colour expert and wrote a great book called The Interaction of Colour.

He died in 1979.

“Albers began making his Homage to the Square painting series around 1951. The works here mark one of the first occasions he explored this imagery in print. The viewer is meant to perceive shifting depth and changes of tone at the outer and inner perimeters of these nesting squares, even though the areas are printed in solid, unmodulated color.”

MOMA webite

My GEVA teacher, Kelly Phillips, suggested I give Albers some attention in order to bring Colour theory into my recent abstract paintings. The first one, which I’m calling Liberation 1, was devoid of any colour theory. Kelly thinks I’ll come up with something interesting after reading Albers. So I’ve asked for the book as a graduation gift. It will be my summer reading. (And tutorial because the book gives colour exercises and advice on ways of “seeing”) I’ll be sure to add my experiments.

Another criticism I was given about the recent paintings is that it is too much like the Abstract Expressionists. How can I bring it into the contemporary? In my defense, I stated that it has many things in common with abstract expressionism,like the materiality of paint, but it is more about different dimensions. Forcing a material which is normally used to construct illusions on a 2D surface, into the 3rd dimension interrogates the materiality and has the potential to create a new way of experiencing colour and paint. I played with the presentation of the paint, which seemed to obscure the abstract expressionist reference. Here’s a few shots of the experiment.

Liberation 1

Here’s Liberation 2

Liberation 2 Drying

Up close there is great texture

This will be the one draped over something at the Emily Carr University Grad Show (I think) but I plan on pouring a few more, with the suggestions from my peers and teachers.

I’m in a strange place lately. I’ve returned to paint, after a few years of studying sculpture, and I’m creating abstract expressionist art. I have always been confused by abstract art and haven’t really given it too much thought. It could be that I thought it was intimidating, or self indulgent, or that I was just too opinionated. I’ve made it a goal of mine to stop having opinions about art and music. My likes and dislikes are aesthetic choices or some form of  pseudo identity. But how can a work of art or music, from another human, become a form of identity? Its just art and should have no genre. I suppose it eases the confusion when talking about art. But isn’t art supposed to be experienced? Talking about art is a cheap version of the real thing. (Not to say I don’t love talking about art…why else do I have a blog?) What I’m trying to poorly articulate is that I have decided to be critical about all art, but I am attempting to have no opinions about it because opinions are often biased towards fashion, self identity, and how we see and present ourselves to the world. This skews conversations about art into what one person likes or dislikes instead of being a debate, or dialogue free from personal biases.

Paint Growth 5ft x 4ft

detail of Paint Growth

The paint I am using is old house paint, and the colours are somewhat arbitrary because they are premixed and chosen by old clients of the decorator who donated the paint to me. I do make some aesthetic choices; I consciously put certain colours with others in my own sensibility which needs not be discussed. I want this piece to please the eyes, to give a sensuous sight experience and to explore painting for painting’s sake..No canvas, no foundation to support the paint, it is meant to be paint and only paint and a pure material experiment. I want to see what it will do as a 3d material. There is something interesting about colours that aren’t “meant” to be together (in the colour theory sense) I think it is empowering to take colours which are seemingly unflattering to each other, or random, and through personal considerations, make them work together. The idea which thrilled me the most with this experiment was the taking carefully considered paint choices, marrying these with other colours which were not meant for each other and making something beautiful out of it. I’m having lots of fun with this one.

I had given a few examples of other artists who are working similarly on this prior blog. Also I wanted to share another great website dedicated to colour theory. Please check out artyfactory if you want to learn more.

This is how it started

small stencils in the urban environment

The grad project started inside the gallery with a spinning light and wall murals with retro reflective paint, but needed to break out of the confines of the gallery. I made these small stencils of hybridized traffic signs and put a few up around Vancouver. Yet these I found too small, and thought that the project had more potential if the stencils were human size. And the traffic sign symbols are are dull, and as they should be. They are meant to be clear and readable without any misunderstanding. I decided to go bigger.

I have a fascination with death and disappearance. I find it runs though most of my art, thematically. The reflective paint becomes illuminated at when light hits it. So I married the material with my interest in the unseen. And who are unseen in Vancouver? The marginalized and the homeless. Where do the homeless live? In the street. Where do i want my art to be seen? In the street. Naturally the project evolved into this;

First silhouette attempt

the second attempt

the third attempt

I can’t quiet seem to get the retro reflective bead on the painting although. This is the reason for the strange inconsistent concentration of reflection. I’ll figure that out, I hope. These will be all over Vancouver once I get the technique.

For my grad show I’ve been playing around with paint. (another evolution from what I was thinking last semester) Here’s some shots of the exploration;

The molds the paint is cast in

The collection of cast paint so far

But…I’ve been too busy with my prior project to really get into this one. And for a good reason. This project is constricting. The molds aren’t working for me. If I want to make a comment about artists unsuccessfully representing nature in art (nature always wins) I should just move beyond representing nature! I want paint to be a sculpture material, that’s the interesting thing about this project. It doesn’t matter if the paint takes a real form or not. In fact it shouldn’t, as my GEVA teacher advised me. She actually said I am “not allowed to do any flowers!” I’m supposed to play with paint and colour and find something completely new. Here are a few artists who have done the same;

Dennis Hollingsworth

Adam Kitzerow

Huseyin Sami

Huseyin Sami again

These artists have explored the potential for paint to be a sculptural material, which is inspiring…but I don’t know if there will be time to keep up my street art and explore this project. At least not for my grad show (May 2nd, please come!)

It will all come together. I am lucky to have many ideas coming to me, and not the opposite. I’ll keep posting about my progress soon.

]]> http://www.lindsayjoyhamilton.com/blog/guerilla-art-for-the-unseen-of-vancouver/feed/ 0 http://www.lindsayjoyhamilton.com/blog/the-photographs-that-cost-500-pesos/ http://www.lindsayjoyhamilton.com/blog/the-photographs-that-cost-500-pesos/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:06:30 +0000 lindsayjoy http://www.lindsayjoyhamilton.com/blog/?p=438

Big Bad tourist in Mexico

The photo quality isn’t great in the next series of photographs. They aren’t the greatest composition either. They do have some interesting graffiti in them, but do the subject matter doesn’t raise the value of  pictures. No, its the story behind these pictures. A mere 2 minutes after these pictures where taken the federalis (cerdo-mexican for pig) decided they were going to cuff Carson and I and accuse us of smoking marijuana. After going through our bags and pockets, smelling our fingers, and trying to communicate in spanglish, the police decided we were trouble makers and threatened to take us to the Canadian Consulate. Carson and I were all for it, we could better explain ourselves to someone who spoke english. We make a move to their truck but the officer says “Nada, no, how much?” and makes the finger rubbing motion with his hand, which is universal for money. Carson had  700 pesos, the police took 500 and left us with 200. It was enough to get a cab back to our hotel; the cops were thoughtful.

That was the last of our money for the trip and we had planned on buying souvenirs and a few gifts with it. No gifts, no souvenirs, just a story and these pictures. Word to the wise; just offer the cops money right away if you are in Mexico.

Carson was so cute when he encountered this little critter. He was like “aw, look, there’s a little beetle”. Ah, no, Carson. That is a cockroach and a giant one at that. This whole experience proved that Carson and I are truly naive suburbanites.

The same spot but in the daylight

Well I’m off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for the first time in my life! We are leaving February 10th and will be there for 2 weeks! Exclamation point! I’m very excited about getting rid of my moon tan in exchange for a healthy sun kissed glow, but I’m also nervous about traveling. I don’t have much experience with traveling, and I am concerned I will be overwhelmed, or culture shocked. This may seem naive or humourous for some, since I pretend to be so worldly, but I trully have never left Canada. (With the exception of a guided New York trip, and a trip to Florida when I was 10) So I’m planning to take it slow, hang out on the beach until I’m comfortable motoring around the city. I am troubled by panic attacks, and this is suposed to be a vacation, so I’m going to have to take it nice and easy for the first few days until I’m orientated. I’m sure once I swim with a few dolphins, my nerves will settle.

Until then, I’m busting my ass for early deadlines and juggling a job. I’ve moved on from my original grad project, to focus on another piece I created last semester called Paint Flowers. I’m extending this piece from a single object, small and on the floor, to a whole room installation. Paint flowers on the walls, ceilings,  and covering furniture. I’ve only just begun pour the paint into the molds and I’m hoping they will dry before February 6th; it is when my midterm critique happens. I will be happy if I can get enough flowers to cover a corner, or wall.

This time I am using paint generously donated from Decorative Artist Evangelia. The paint is Evangelia’s left overs from prior work years back. She has a surplus, so she has offered for me to use them for my project. (Thank you so much! Saving my lots of money) The great thing about using paint from a Decorative Artist is that the paint is meant to be fashionable, aesthetic and colours you would find in private homes. But once they are mashed together, with other colours from other jobs, the colours become unmatched. The criticism I recieved last semester about Paint Flowers is that the work is still too asethetically pleasing, and arranged too delicately. I am haphazardly pouring the paint now, and making sure that the leaves end up being strange colours, and to utilize the browns for the flowers, in attempt to lose a bit of asethetic control. I hope this alienates the “beauty” of a “flower”, a bit. En masse as well is going to shape the project into something else as well.

I have  not given up completely on my Grad project from last semester. I’ve decided to move it out of the gallery all together. With a bit of exploring, I am going to take the idea into the realm of street art (some call it vandalism). With the aid of stencils, and a turkey baster, I’m going to make cave paintings under bridges and hidden spots all over the lower mainland of Vancouver. Maybe I’ll publish a map and present that in the gallery, encouraging the viewer to get out and under some bridges in the Vancouver area.Here is an example of the material and possible painting idea for around Vancouver. It has a retro refective bead which picks up directional light, illuminating the paintings in the dark, like traffic paint.This is an image from If Anything Should Happen, Breathe In Your Nose and Out Your Mouth, Last semester’s graduation project. Maybe the two projects will come together somehow…we’ll see. I have to stay focused, put all warm Mexican thoughts from my mind until after Feburary 6th.

Title; If You Forget Where You’re Going, Remember Where You Came From (Self Portrait)
Year: 2007
Mixed drawing media, mixed fine art and hand made paper

This drawing is a linear chronological narrative representative of certain era’s of my life, beginning at my birth. I wanted to explore the representation of memories, embracing the idea that the past does not exist, and that we only have our constructs of the past through memory. I created blind contour drawings from photographs I have of myself to suggest give the viewer just enough representation they could possibly read a narrative, but would be unable to recognize these images as me personally. Their is an uncanny recognizable quality in blind contour drawings although they still keep there ambiguities, which I hoped would parallel the concept of a memory.  These drawings move through different types of papers, all chosen because their tactility triggered certain memories. Each paper reminds me of different time, and by projecting the blind contour through these different papers, parts of my life are revealed, which are not strictly representational, or realistic, but more ambiguous, encompassing the passage of time, and who materiality can be emphasized in drawing.

Its really about where I think I came from, and instead of locking the representation of my memory down to a realistic portrayal, the work is allowed to be more open for viewer and for myself.

Anatomically Correct for Bedposts!

Please note the foot peddle on the females bent legs

My intention with this piece was to represent what the furniture in our lives would say, or do if they could come to life. We interect, have precious private moments with our “stuff”.. They are a comfort, or a discomfort. They silently witness our lives passing and could live on beyond us. Think of furniture inherited by family members, or from garage sales. What would that furniture tell you about their previous owners? What would your furniture say about you? And I don’t mean in a superficial way, or anything to do with what your furniture “says” about your personal identity.  I mean as objective inanimate things which bare witness to some great, and embarassing moments.

I want this piece to be a part of a whole exhibit entitled “Tales from the Headboard”. Accompanying these lovers  I imagine would be other works made out of the same bed  i got the posts from or possibly other used beds found at thrift stores, craigslist.com, or garage sales. I want to construct more pairs of viewer interactive lovers.

Drawing design for interactive headboard

I designed this drawing for a bondage headboard which moves the two lover pieces (above) together by cuffs attached to the viewer through a series of pulleys, which I would like to manifest into reality to go in this show. Along with this would be a painting on a upolestered headboard which I want to render portraits of two real life lovers in a game of William Tell. This idea was inspired by William S. Burroughs who shot his wife , Joan Vollmer, in the face whilst playing their own rendition of William Tell, but instead of a crossbow, Burroughs used a gun, and instead of an apple on his wife’s head, she used a glass. Burroughs didn’t have the greatest of aim I guess.

Joan Vollmer

Woodcut of William Tell

Maybe even have white paint in water guns to shoot the apple on the heads the portraits? Surely, there will be some viewers with “poor” aim like Burroughs, but at least the white paint represent a climax that isn’t a tragedy.

I want this show to be light-hearted and fun. Sometimes I like to be thrilled in a gallery, and I imagine that this cheeky show could be as well.

This project was fun because I was so relaxed when I entered the project. Everything fell into place, the concept, my materials, the woodworking. It seemed to flow. Not to sound too flakey, but it is important for me to have harmony in myself if I am going to create anything. Not because I can’t create under stress and pressure, but because it is far more enjoyable, and possibly, more sincere. I finding with my last two weeks of school it is difficult to get anything done because I’m stressed, and rushing things. I end up making more mistakes. It’s like taking one step forward and two steps back sometimes, and I’m missing out on great process and ideas because I’m occupied with just getting things done. Soon enough I should be able to relax and let the work come to me, instead of having to grab it by it’s stubborn throat and drag it out of myself. But that’s just apart of Art school, and luckily enough, not all the time.

Here’s to dreaming! Maybe Tales From The Headboard could be a real show one day…alas I must graduate first.