Author: Robin Stanford

Arts

Bring me shelter and bring me art

Post author By Robin Stanford
Post date March 11, 2014

The STM plans to change transit shelters into miniature art galleries, leaving it to the public to decide which of Montreal’s artists will see their art in the city. Voting on the Expo+ competition submissions continues until March 16. Photo by Alex Caban

The STM’s Expo+ contest is letting the public vote on the art gracing bus shelters next winter

Navigating Montreal’s public transportation system in winter comes with its own unique challenges, such as slippery sidewalks, relative bus scheduling, and crammed bus shelters.

In response to the last issue, the Societé de Transport de Montréal (STM) wants to make a change. With last year’s decision to implement new stylized bus shelters, the STM has initiated another move — art appreciation.

Quebecor Media, in collaboration with the STM, aims to bring about this change. The Expo+ contest, launched in January of this year, seeks to find 20 artistic works to adorn the newly designed bus shelters. According to the organizers, the art itself will serve to enhance the appreciation of these new installations.

In its first phase, the contest was open to all Quebec artists and marketing firms. During this time, over 1100 artworks were put forth for consideration. The organizers themselves have little say in the end result and have turned the decision over to public voting.

The selection of the finalists is ongoing. Voting will be open to the public until March 16 through the contest webpage. It is possible to view all of the entries, divided into general public applications and those submitted by advertising groups. After voting is closed, the four most popular works will be awarded cash prizes totaling $10,000.

As there is no general theme to the contest, the submissions themselves vary greatly. Among these are images of horses, Montreal cityscapes, Hollywood celebrities and abstract concepts, just to name a few.

This large diversity demonstrates what a wide range of artistic ventures Quebecers are engaged in. The variety points to the richness of Quebec’s artistic scene, where not all artists are looking at the same subjects in the same way. This divergence is found, not only in the public offerings but also in the corporate ones.

Surprisingly, none of the advertising company entries feel like promotional material or even focus on merchandise. One must wonder then if the category was made more on the basis of group contributions versus individual productions, instead of the message to be transmitted. Regardless of this division, company-generated art is just as diverse and interesting as the individual submissions.

Arguably, the diversity presented is slightly disappointing as well. It is unlikely that the finalists will share any cohesive element in their material at all. An opportunity was missed to define the new bus shelters as a part of Montreal’s cultural environment. Had there been a defined theme, such as ‘chez nous’ for example, the final product would have had some focus and cultural resonance yet still retain the diversity already present.

It is a rare occurrence when the public is given a say concerning anything to do with collective transport. Given the opportunity now, everyone should vote — whether it be for their favourite artwork, or the for the one they would find the least objectionable to see every day on the morning commute.

Voting will continue until March 16. The top 20 finalists will be announced on March 24. The top four entries will be revealed on Friday, April 4 on the Salut Bonjour! television program and in Le Journal de Montreal and 24 Heures newspapers. For more information and to vote on the art submissions, visit: abribus.ca/en/contest/expo-plus/

Tags montreal, STM, visual art

Arts

On making it out of the closet

Post author By Robin Stanford
Post date March 4, 2014

Drawn & Quarterly’s On Loving Women depicts simple characters, but skirt on a topic that’s anything but.

Everyone remembers their first love, when they were swept off their feet — and no relationship will ever be the same. For, the characters in the graphic novel, On Loving Women, this moment comes with their first same-sex attraction.

In lieu of the traditional coming out story, Montreal author/artist Diane Obomsawin presents a series of quirky black and white comic strips depicting the episodes of her friends’ lives surrounding this self-realization. The result is a charming, honest and sincere look into the lives of these women.

The stories themselves do not form a unified narrative but are rather presented as multiple voices relaying a general experience.

Instead of a traditional page numbering system, each tale is self-contained and has its own page count. Separating events out in this way highlights the importance of each individual’s experience. The focus is on the protagonists gradual self-realization; not only as a queer person through the coming out process but also as someone who can not abide by societal norms.

This movement to self-awareness takes many forms.

In compiling the work, great care was given to provide a simple, straightforward and honest account. None of the stories shy away from illustrating the situations that arose through this process. Viewed through the lens chosen by the author, such acts are approachable without value judgements being made. These are real human beings, with strengths and flaws just like everyone.

Some stories seem to end with the main character on their way to a magical ending, where everyone is happy for the rest of their lives. Others, however, are not so lucky and come across homophobic behaviour from their environment. Regardless of the ending, there is always a sense that the story does not end there. The reader is very aware that the characters presented are real people, whose lives continue off the page.

The reality of the subject matter is put into contrast with the art style itself. The black and white drawings are simple while still being poignant at conveying the message. The background scenes and clothing are all drawn in grayscale so as to highlight the white characters. Colour is then filled in by the reader so the characters may be of any background or ethnicity.

Although the stylistic choice of using animal heads to represent human characters may seem odd at first, it works rather well. The type of animal used for the episode is often tied to protagonists themselves. For example, in the first story, the main character expresses her love of Wonder Woman’s horse-like appearance. This stylistic choice frees the artist to explore very intimate moments.

In service to the story, only some of the panels feature nude women thus there is only a very minimal risk of these scenes being viewed as lewd or gratuitous. Instead, they come across as very tender and largely heartwarming.

Although this work is about the first same-sex attraction of a group of women, there is a universal message. It is not about being queer, or even falling in love. On Loving Women is about the discovery of the self in all its dimensions, even if it clashes with the norms set by society.

You can pick up a copy of On Loving Women at Drawn & Quarterly for $16.95.

Diane Obomsawin will be at Toronto Comic Arts Festival May 10-11.

Tags literature

Arts

Stalin and Putin sitting in a tree

Post author By Robin Stanford
Post date February 25, 2014

Although the photos were not present at last week’s launch at Gallery D, the message remains thought-provoking, powerful and unphotoshopped. Press photo

Homophobic legislations have been making the rounds of the media — with the current Sochi Olympics, all eyes are on Russia with their recent anti-queer propaganda bill. To Russia with Love, by Montrealer Damián Siqueiros, speaks out against Russia’s discriminatory stance through the depiction of various Russian homosexuals in a romantic setting.

The conference, held on Feb. 13, showcased many aspects of the project including the social milieu from which it emerged and the artist’s process. Attended by fifty individuals, including those involved with the project and their friends, spirits were high. But one item was missing: the artwork itself. No art was shown save for a powerpoint presentation projected onto a wall of Gallery D.

The pieces themselves did not seem to be important. The focus, rather was on what they represented in the To Russia with Love movement.

The first part of the evening reflected this purpose through a skype call with Russian artist Alexey Timbul, who gave his account of living in Russia under the threat of violence. He highlighted how in the current political environment even something as simple as meeting same-gender individuals for a date is impossible.

Traditionally, one could meet other homosexuals through various Internet dating sites, but as of late, these encounters have become dangerous. Timbul alleges that fake accounts are being created on these sites with the sole purpose of baiting homosexuals and inflicting violence upon them. This constant threat did not seem to weigh heavily on Timbul but left the audience quite somber.

Timbul further described the main issue with all pro-LGBT social movements to date. Whether they be sit-ins featuring same sex kisses, Facebook petitions, media pressure against the Sochi Olympics, or protests — all events have one thing in common: they originate from the West. Within Russia, as homosexuality is publicized as a distinctly Western social phenomenon, the fact that movements come from the outside support this feeling of otherness to Russians. It is in this context that Damián Siqueiros’ work adds to the conversation.

The pieces in the To Russia with Love collection feature iconic historic and modern queer characters with nationalistic settings. Reminiscent of Romantic-era painters such as Karl Bryullov and Rafail Levitsky, the images have a similar warm color quality. Through a process of photo-painting, the scenes were photographed and presented without the use of photoshopping. The artist used fog machines, the placement of cement dust, lighting techniques and specialized lenses to capture the artwork.

This was detailed by the author himself, along with a Wikipedia-esque description of every character utilized during the second half of the presentation. During this period the audience drifted in and out of conversation with each other and more wine glasses appeared.

Perhaps the audience’s lack of attention was due to their intimacy with the project or the fact that all images may be found, without exception, on the project’s website.

Although an interesting conference about the overall project, it was not an art display. At the moment, the artist plans to stage the same presentation in as many venues as possible to spread the word about his project. For those who would like more information about the state of Russia and what it is like to be queer within the country the conference is a must see. However, if your interest lies in the art itself, this is a presentation best to be missed.

You can view the pictures themselves on the artists’ website at torussiawithlove.squarespace.com.

Tags exhibit