Tag: artist

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Illustrating new worlds with old objects

Saba Heravi's piece is comprised of small drawings, thread and fabric. Photo courtesy of Saba Heravi.

Introducing two artists from the first annual VAVxCUCCR residency

In celebration of the Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR)’s first year of operation, the centre will host their first annual residency in collaboration with the VAV Gallery. Together, the VAV and CUCCR have selected seven undergraduate fine art student-artists who will be featured in an exhibition on March 22. The artists have been tasked with creating zero-waste artworks using CUCCR’s materials.

The Concordian will profile the artists-in-residence each week leading up to the birthday event. Last week’s issue featured Bianca Arroyo-Kreimes’ animation, Ballad for the Spirits, and Gabrielle Desrosiers’ sunset studies.

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Roxane Fiore has a DEC in graphic design from Ahuntsic College, and is now in her last year of painting and drawing at Concordia. She works primarily in drawing, but relies heavily on collage for inspiration and compositional components. Collage allows her to create new perspectives by enabling her to “access things that are beyond what I can invent,” Fiore explained.

Roxane Fiore sifted through magazines to find images suited to her vision.
Photo courtesy of Roxane Fiore.

While searching for images, Fiore looks for textures, colours and unrecognizable shapes among figurative imagery. She flips through magazines, tearing out and cutting up pieces that intrigue her. Then, she scans all she has collected in order to work with the images digitally.

“I have a large digital collection of random pieces that I can use and gather together, and there is a lot of chance happening in my work,” the artist revealed.

Fiore enjoys the element of surprise that comes with juxtaposing random images with each other. Once satisfied with the juxtaposition, the artist will add, remove and play with different features until she creates something balanced that catches her eye.

Sometimes, Fiore will take the individual collage pieces and make a manual assemblage to photograph. That process allows her to obtain shadows and create an interesting “trompe-l’oeil,” or illusion.

Usually Fiore creates large works, but for the CUCCR residency, she has adapted her process. “This time around, I was scanning through the material found at CUCCR with an idea of the type of imagery I was looking for,” Fiore said.

This project, titled Places I Have Never Been to; Things I Have Never Seen, is a series of small, square drawings measuring 7.5 inches, drawn in pastel and charcoal. “Their small size invites the viewer to search for details and experience the world through my eyes,” she said. This series illustrates her perception of the world. She is in a constant search for form, shapes, texture and colour. The pieces also exemplify how she crops images in her mind, focusing on the beauty within the everyday and the mundane.

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Saba Heravi was born in Iran and moved to Canada five years ago to continue her studies in architecture. Heravi has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Azad University of Mashhad in Iran, and received her master’s in architecture here at Concordia. However, she always wanted to study fine arts and become a “career artist.” Heravi is currently finishing her third year in studio arts at Concordia, with a major in drawing.

Her work revolves around the ideas of home, identity and memory. As an immigrant, the collision of cultures and identity is the artist’s daily reality. Heravi’s work approaches this broad subject in fragments, so she can make sense of what is going on.

“I try to tell intimate stories by utilizing objects, stories and photographs,” Heravi explained. “In my work, objects and belongings become as important as the subject to expose the narrative. They are an integral part of my narrative.”

Heravi creates pocket worlds for the many different versions of herself. Photo courtesy of Saba Heravi.

Recently, she has been working on drawings of little worlds. The population of these worlds consist of women and young girls, all representative of herself. The artist’s characters are calmly engaged in strange activities and poses in relation to their surroundings. For example, some may be doing yoga, and some may be dropping or breaking things on purpose.
Initially, Heravi planned to use drawing as the main medium for the residency project. However, after exploring CUCCR’s depot, she realized drawing alone wouldn’t convey the message she was aiming for. “I decided to mainly use objects from CUCCR, and drawing as a secondary tool. This way, CUCCR’s recycled material would play the leading role in my project,” Heravi said.

The artist used a lot of stationary materials, fabric and string to accompany her drawings, as well as some hardware, like screws and bolts, to assist with the installation process.

“The objects vary, which I think is whats makes this projects challenging. You don’t necessarily find the objects you had in mind, and you will end up using something you had never thought of,” Heravi explained. At CUCCR, this very moment Heravi describes is referred to as “CUCCR magic.”

Mark your calendars for CUCCR’s birthday at the VAV Gallery on March 22 at 6 p.m. Stay tuned for next week’s profiles of student-artists Gabrielle Mulholland, Laura Douglas and Mikaela Kautzky.

Feature photo courtesy of Saba Heravi

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Interdisciplinary exploration through collective knowledge

Participants in Volny’s workshops come from all over the world, and specialize in a variety of disciplines. Photo courtesy of Sandra Volny.

Concordia alumna Sandra Volny speaks about her latest project

Concordia graduate Sandra Volny explores concepts of sound and space through forms of collective knowledge and shared skills in her recent project, Sound and Space Research.

Volny is a multidisciplinary artist who splits her time between Paris, France and Montreal. A MFA graduate from Concordia University, she recently completed her PhD at La Sorbonne in Paris this past December. Through her work and research, Volny focuses on exploring concepts of sound and space, as well as their dualities and complexities. This can be seen in her video installation, where does sound go, where does it come from, which was exhibited at Concordia’s FOFA Gallery last fall.

Sound and Space Research continues Volny’s investigation of aural and spatial awareness, with the added component of collective knowledge and concepts of shared intelligence. This is done through the collaboration of interdisciplinary forms and shared learning experiences. Throughout her career, Volny has collaborated with other artists of various disciplines, each participating and bringing their specific expertise to a project and to their collective work.

Where does sound go, where does it come from, which focuses on the use of sound, specifically sonar in small fishing villages in Chile, was a collaboration through Volny’s collective, Triangular Project. Volny and two fellow artists, Florine Leoni and Macarena Ruiz-Tagle, traveled around Chile together and worked in tandem on their specific focuses and artistic practices within the theme of aural and spatial awareness.

Sandra Volny’s where does the sound go, where does it come from (2016). Photo by Richard-Max Tremblay.

It was with Triangular Project that Sound and Space Research first came to fruition in 2017. The project, in collaboration with the Ionion Center for the Arts and Culture in Greece, is an artistic research platform for participants of all expertise and disciplines.

Sound and Space Research is a week-long experience. Each day involves diverse activities and exercises, providing participants with a range of mediums to practice and explore. As part of the focus on shared knowledge, participants practice a wide range of primarily fine arts-based disciplines, including dance, music and visual arts, as well as architecture, wellness professions and anthropology. The project is not focused on participants’ previous accomplishments, but rather encourages and facilitates further growth on a personal and collective level. Participants come from all over the world, and do not require a particular level of education or experience to participate. Last year, however, about 60 per cent of participants were Concordia students or alumni, according to Volny.

Sound and Space Research is a very intense experience, with all of the participants living together, working together and sharing the same spaces. According to Volny, this intensity encourages and creates something special. Participants have to push themselves; each day consists of different activities in different forms and disciplines. This aspect ties into Volny’s own work process, in which she immerses herself in new environments and works in collaboration with other artists, such as her travels in Chile for where does sound go, where does it come from. This was a very intense experience for Volny, because she was meeting new people and exploring different facets of her research in a new environment, while also creating new work born from these experiences and interactions.

At the end of the program, there is a collective exhibition for the participants to showcase work they have created during the week. This final showcase is open to the public, as a component of the partnership with the Ionion Center, to encourage interaction between the artists and the community. This accessibility is important to Volny and for the participants, as it allows further connection with the community.

In mid-May, Sound and Space Research will once again take place in collaboration with the Ionion Center for the Arts and Culture. It will be organized by Volny, alongside sound artist Jacob Kirkegaard, who will work as a mentor in the program.
Sound and Space Research works outside of academic institutions, and a university degree or a specific level of expertise is not required to participate in this project. The project does have connections with academic spaces, though, and Volny said there are plans to expand it internationally, and eventually to Montreal.

More information about the Sound and Space Research project, including how to apply to this year’s session, is available on its website.

Feature photo courtesy of Sandra Volny

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Cycles, transitions and reanimating materiality

Photo courtesy of Bianca Arroyo-Kreimes.

Introducing two artists from the first annual VAVxCUCCR residency

In celebration of the Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR)’s first year of operation, the centre will host their first annual residency in collaboration with the VAV Gallery. Together, the VAV and CUCCR have selected seven undergraduate fine art student-artists who will be featured in an exhibition on March 22. The artists have been tasked with creating zero-waste artworks using CUCCR’s material.

The Concordian will profile the artists-in-residence each week leading up to the birthday event.

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Bianca Arroyo-Kreimes moved to Montreal from Toronto three years ago to pursue her studies in animation. Arroyo-Kreimes is an experienced digital artist and is currently in her third year in animation.

“I try to see my art as a way to explore the many ideas I have going on in my head,” she said. “It’s a way of resolving them, I guess.” Most of her past work focuses on mythology, humanity and identity. Arroyo-Kreimes enjoys experimenting with under-camera animation methods, such as stop-motion.

Her work, Ballad for the Spirits, is a collection of one-minute video loops that address ideas of karma, the afterlife and recycling. Using a great mass of odds and ends like buttons, metal knobs and string from CUCCR, Arroyo-Kreimes has given these seemingly random objects a new purpose, a new shape, body and voice.

“The objects are now awakened and alive again in the bardo [a state between death and rebirth], as objects pass from one hand to another similarly to the way karma works,” she said.

The way she sees it, karma, rejuvenation and the recycling of objects are linked and belong within the same imaginary venn-diagram.

Ballad for the Spirits is a collection of one-minute video loops that address ideas of karma, the afterlife and recycling. Photo courtesy of Bianca Arroyo-Kreimes.

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Gabrielle Desrosiers completed a DEC in set and costume design at the École de théâtre de St-Hyacinthe in 2007, and began her BFA in studio arts at Concordia in 2014.
The foundation of Desrosiers’ work lies in her travel experiences. Last year, she spent a semester abroad at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, Israel.
Desrosiers is a multidisciplinary artist, focusing on performance art and installation, combining various elements and mediums. For the residency, she is presenting part of a research-based project. She is fascinated by the gradient colours of the sunset and twilight period right before nightfall. Currently untitled, Desrosiers’ installation questions the metaphysical and psychological effects, reactions and suggestions of this

Desrosiers’ piece is based on the gradient of colours found in the sky during sunsets and twilight. Photo courtesy of Gabrielle Desrosiers.

natural, observable phenomenon.

“I paint gradient colours of the sky and sunset on a flat surface, which is similar to the frontal position our body takes to look at it,” Desrosiers said. “But, in fact, the sky is all around. The sky is not a surface; it is an intangible, three-dimensional thing.”

She explained that her goal is to recreate the gradie

nt motif on a structure by reconstructing the two-dimensional surface and transforming it into an engaging, three-dimensional experience.
“I think that the verb ‘to experience’ is really important here,” Desrosiers said. She reflects on the twilight period as a symbol of ending and beginning. “It’s a transition,” she said. “A moment of time sort of suspended […] It is the end of something, and the beginning of something else. It’s a cycle.”

Desrosiers selected material from CUCCR that seemed interesting in connection with her research. She recalled spending large amounts of time in the depot, which led her to be inspired by the textures and patterns, or materiality of the objects. Desrosiers’ installation uses large sheets of paper, found objects, latex paint and a kiosque tent, all courtesy of CUCCR.
The artist said she is glad to be part of the CUCCR residency, as its zero-waste goals are similar to her own. She reuses her own material and often re-integrates them into different projects. “I feel like there is no complete finality in each of my projects,” Desrosiers said. “They can continue to evolve or merge [with others].”

Mark your calendars for CUCCR’s birthday at the VAV Gallery on March 22 at 5 p.m. Stay tuned for next week’s profiles on student-artists Roxane Fiore and Saba Heravi. Follow the Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse on Facebook and Instagram @cuccr.

Photos courtesy of the artists.

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Arts

Still life is anything but lifeless

Belliveau uses bronze and aluminum casting to transform living objects, like flowers and fruit, into solid, permanent works of art. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Elisabeth Belliveau discusses inspiration for her exhibition, Ballroom

Elisabeth Belliveau, an award-winning Concordia alumna, still life animation artist, sculptor and art professor, opened the doors to her new exhibition, Ballroom, on Feb. 2.

The exhibition will be open for a month, and will feature a two-channel, seven-minute animation loop along with related sculptures.

The works in this exhibition were created during a residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in 2016. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

“Fragile, vibrant and transformative,” are three words Belliveau used to describe the works in Ballroom.

The exhibition reflects on historically female art practices, such as genre painting, which portrays scenes from ordinary life. In the past, women were not permitted to paint religious portraits or court paintings, which limited them to painting still life.

“I look at the work of artists who were creating floral arrangements, still lifes or food that were coded and symbolic,” Belliveau said. “They could bury narratives, meanings and stories within these still life paintings that seemed really innocuous but were really complex. I think that’s really exciting to think about; women painting and finding their way into that world within those limitations.”

Belliveau has participated in an array of residencies across Canada and internationally. She began the works included in Ballroom during a residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in 2016. The theme of the residency was still life, which focuses on the arrangement of inanimate objects. Throughout the residency, Belliveau had the opportunity to work with bronze and aluminum casting.

Envisioning and crafting the transformation of materials was one of the artist’s favourite processes while creating the exhibition. These transformations are often done using delicate and temporary objects, such as food and flowers, that are casted into more permanent objects using metal. “It’s still fragile, but I really love that transformation, which is why I think I love animation too,” Belliveau said. “There’s something still, and then it transforms into something with emotion. I like that moment, that flip.”

Inspiration for Ballroom came from a selection of novels written by Brazilian author Clarice Lispector, including The Stream of Life and The Hour of the Star. These novels, as well as paintings by Giorgio Morandi, an Italian still life painter, sparked Belliveau’s ideas about time, transformation and still life. These ideas became intrinsic to Belliveau’s own work.

“Thinking a lot about Giorgio Morandi’s practice, reading Clarice Lispector and really reflecting on the history of still life inspired me,” the artist explained. “I’m an animator, so I think about what it means to bring still objects into life, into movement and into emotion.”

Belliveau elaborated on her work in another residency in Japan last summer, where she focused on Japanese traditions of still life and the genre of vanitas art, and was inspired by the rules of Ikebana—the Japanese art of flower arrangement. “In terms of still life, there’s this kind of European tradition. I tried to mix it up with some of the things I was really interested with in Japan,” she said.

Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

For Belliveau, still life is about domestic life and the objects surrounding us. “Paying close attention to what things are and where they come from link to ideas about labour, production, who makes things, how they get to our table and all the political movement around that,” Belliveau said.

Taking part in residencies is a crucial aspect of Belliveau’s creative process. As a full-time assistant professor at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alta., Belliveau is constantly busy throughout the academic year. “Residencies are the best way for me to have a total break from thinking about school and my students,” she said. “Usually, during the year, I’m stirring up ideas and I can’t wait to get back to the studio, so residencies have been incredibly important to me.”

Belliveau is currently preparing for her upcoming month-long residency in Fukuoka, Japan, this May where she will work with a 3D printer.

“I love to travel to see work, and I think that’s sort of what I do; I collect things, I read things and I try to see as much art as I can,” the artist said.

Ballroom is on display at La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse (4296 St-Laurent Blvd.) until Mar. 2. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Entry is free.

Feature photo by Mackenzie Lad

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Reframing history with Scattered Remains

As part of the Oraison/Orison series, a large red net pulses up and down, mimicking the action of breathing. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Nadia Myre contributes her work to Woman. Artist. Indigenous. at the MMFA

Influential Indigenous artist Nadia Myre’s latest exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is part of Woman. Artist. Indigenous., “a season at the museum devoted to female Indigenous artists,” according to the museum’s website.

Titled Tout Ce Qui Reste – Scattered Remains, the exhibition is a retrospective of the artist’s work, combining five of Myre’s series created since the turn of the millennium: Indian Act, Grandmother’s Circle, Oraison/Orison, Code Switching and Meditation (Respite). This selection of artworks, along with the rest of Myre’s body of work, focuses on the retelling of Indigenous history and uses traditional Indigenous art practices and found objects to challenge Western colonial narratives.

After reading the curatorial statement outside of the exhibition, viewers walk through the doorway and enter a large, dark, rectangular room. In this space, Myre’s series are nicely moulded together, with two- and three-dimensional artworks covering both the walls and floor of the room. The black walls and low lighting allow for backlighting and the white of the artworks to have an illuminating presence in the dark space.

Myre’s piece, titled Indian Act, displays the entire document covered in red and white beading. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The longer, perpendicular walls of the room are filled with large white-on-black photographic and textile pieces from Oraison/Orison (2014) and Code Switching (2017). The shorter wall to the left of the entrance features a looping video artwork as well as multiple images from Meditation (Respite) (2017). Across from this are more images from this series, works from the Indian Act (2000-2002) series and hanging sculptural pieces from Code Switching. The large installation works from Oraison/Orison and Grandmother’s Circle (2002) are spread out on the floor.

The curatorial presentation of the dark room and backlit artworks is both visually striking and thematically relevant, symbolizing what Myre intends to do in her work—repurpose Indigenous cultural objects to create light in a dark history.

The Indian Act artworks are perhaps the most explicit reference to Indigenous politics in the exhibition. Created with the help of many fellow Indigenous artists, this series of framed textile works takes on the challenge of covering up all 56 pages of the Indian Act using red and white glass beading. Myre’s piece draws attention to the legal rights of First Nations people in Canada, which are so often written over and ignored.

A tobacco-filled basket is part of the artist’s series titled Oraison/Orison. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Grandmother’s Circle is a visual depiction of the artist’s attempt to trace her heritage. She unfortunately discovered very little about her Algonquin side, due to her mother being placed in an orphanage. In this work, large wooden poles are tied and placed together to create structures in the shape of wishbones. The MMFA’s website describes them as “a barrier that symbolizes the access to ancestral wisdom that was denied to Indigenous peoples,” similar to the residential school system.

The Oraison/Orison series, made up of both print and installation works, explores the permanence of memory and the impact life events can have on our bodies. A large kinetic installation piece, made of a red fishing net, moves up and down, mimicking the action of breathing. An oversized woven basket filled with tobacco—often used in First Nations ceremonies—wafts a subtle smell throughout the gallery space. A series of prints depict the white thread stitching on the back of the Indian Act artworks, and are reminiscent of scars on one’s skin.

Another part of the Oraison/Orison series, prints of white thread hint to scars on one’s skin. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Circular prints from Myre’s Meditation (Respite) series depict several close-up photographs of traditional meditative beadwork. These beaded designs are inspired by Indigenous spirituality and images of the cosmos, and explore the neverending properties of the universe.

Myre’s latest series, Code Switching, was produced during an artist residency sponsored by the MMFA. The artworks in this series are made of the collected fragments of European settlers’ pipes, which were historically used along with tobacco as currency with Indigenous populations. According to the museum’s website, Myre reclaims these fragments and repurposes them, using traditional beading techniques as a way of “sparking reflection and building bridges between cultures.”

Tout Ce Qui Reste – Scattered Remains will be on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until May 27. It is located in the museum’s Discovery Exhibitions section, which is free to visit for people under the age of 31. For those over 31, entry is $15 or free on the last Sunday of every month.

Feature photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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Incorporating culture in her artwork

Sai Li tattoos a client in her studio at Slick Styled Steel. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Local tattoo apprentice Sai Li draws inspiration from traditional Chinese art

Sai Li wanted to get her first tattoo when she was 15, but her parents wouldn’t let her. Born in Dongbei, the northeast region of China, Li immigrated to Montreal when she was 21. She is now a tattoo artist.

Li’s work is heavily inspired by traditional Chinese art, which sets her apart from other artists in Montreal’s tattoo scene. To add to her knowledge in digital drawing, Li paid a tattoo artist working at Lili Tattoo Studio in China to teach her how to use the needling machines. She would arrive at the shop everyday at 9 a.m. and stay until 9 p.m. At home, she would practice tattooing on artificial skin using a very heavy needling machine, which helped her learn the craft quickly.

In 2012, Li graduated from the Communication University of China, Nanjing with a bachelor of plastic arts and a major in 2D animation for video games. Following her move to Canada, Li graduated from the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue in 2015 with a degree in creation and new media. Li didn’t like computer animation, so she decided to follow another career path. After earning her second degree, Li opened a Chinese restaurant with a friend, but started drawing tattoo designs for clients in her spare time. She said she has always admired the artistry behind tattooing and wanted to find a lifelong career that would allow her to grow as a visual artist.

Li was in China from​ January to April this year, and had the opportunity to tattoo people after just one month of apprenticing at Lili, which is quick in this industry. In Canada, apprentices must wait a minimum of two years before they are allowed to tattoo clients. Her teacher allowed her to tattoo five clients for free, and she began with lettering. According to Li, cursive writing is more difficult to tattoo than it appears, because the needle has to move in one continuous line. When asked about the tattoo artists who inspire her, Li said she admires the work of an artist named Chen Jie (@chenjie.newtattoo) from Beijing, China. “Her work looks like watercolour traditional paintings on skin,” Li said. “I want to represent traditional Chinese culture in my tattoo style and show it in a unique way.”

After her apprenticeship in China, Li returned to Montreal. She spent months emailing tattoo shops and looking for an apprenticeship in the city. One day, she was walking on Ste-Catherine Street when she discovered the Slick Styled Steel tattoo parlour. She decided to go in and ask if they were hiring. She has been an apprentice at Slick’s for six months now.

Li said she has had many clients ask for tattoos of a Japanese mask without knowing the cultural meaning of the symbol. The mask, called Onryo, represents a girl who died from jealousy and turned into a ghost. Li said she finds it strange that people want this tattooed since the Onryo are vengeful spirits whose souls try to harm humans. In Japanese culture, these ghosts are considered bad luck.

Li creates soft, delicate images of dragons, flowers and calligraphy. She loves the exchange between customers when she draws an image for them and they share secrets with her.

Check out Li’s work on her website or Instagram: @sai_tattoo. To book an appointment with Li, call Slick Styled Steel at 514-842-8999.

Feature photo by Mackenzie Lad

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Work of passion gains momentum

The 20-year-old artist said she is saving up for a studio of her own. Photo courtesy of Saige Mukash.

A young Cree artist speaks about her budding business and aspirations for the future

While​ ​homemade​ ​jewelry​ ​and​ ​ink-based​ ​artworks​ might​ ​not​ ​be​ ​an​ ​unheard​ ​of​ ​​business​ ​idea, not​ ​many​ ​can​ ​say​ ​their​ ​orders​ ​are​ ​flown​ ​out​ ​of​ ​Quebec’s​ ​​northernmost​ ​Cree​ ​community.

Saige​ ​Mukash,​ ​a​ ​20-year-old​ ​Cree​ ​woman,​ ​calls​ ​her​ ​business​ ​Nalakwsis​—the middle name her​ ​Abenaki grandmother gave ​her​ ​in​ ​her​ ​native​ ​language. Nalakwsis​​​ ​products include ink​ ​drawings,​ ​digital​ ​artwork,​ ​beaded​ ​jewelry​ ​and embroidered​ ​works, all​ ​hand-made​ ​by​ ​Mukash​ ​herself. While​ ​she is​ ​a​ ​creative​ ​woman​ ​by​ ​nature and ​always​ ​enjoyed​ ​making​ ​pieces​ ​with​ ​her hands,​ ​Mukash​ ​only​ ​recently​ ​chose​ ​a​ ​more​ ​organized,​ ​business-oriented​ ​path.

“I​ ​chose​ ​‘Nalakwsis’​ ​as​ ​my​ ​official​ ​business​ ​title​ ​about​ ​a​ ​year​ ​ago, but​ ​I’ve​ ​been​ ​serious​ ​in​ ​my​ ​work​ ​for​ ​the​ ​past​ ​two​ ​years​ ​now,”​ ​Mukash​ ​explained. Though,​ ​what​ ​is​ ​now​ ​a​ ​profitable​ ​business​ ​first​ ​started​ ​out​ ​as​ ​a​ ​passionate​ ​hobby.

Mukash​ ​attended​ ​F.A.C.E. School ​in​ ​the​ ​heart​ ​of​ downtown ​Montreal​, ​where​ ​she​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to exercise​ ​her​ ​artistic​ ​abilities​ ​and​ ​express​ ​herself​ ​through​ ​various​ ​mediums ​in​ ​an​ ​organized​ classroom setting.​ ​However,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​returning​​ ​to​ ​her​ ​Cree​ ​community​ ​up​ ​north that​ ​had​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​effect​ ​on​ ​her.​ ​“My​ ​art​ ​really​ ​blossomed​ ​when​ ​I​ ​came​ ​to​ ​Whapmagoostui​ ​to reconnect​ ​with​ ​my​ ​Cree​ ​culture,”​ ​she​ ​said.

Mukash titled this piece, For the missing and murdered.

Not​ ​long​ ​after,​ ​Mukash​ ​created​ ​a​ ​Facebook​ ​page where​ ​she​ ​could​ post photos and descriptions of​ ​her art​ ​pieces;​ ​a​ ​sort​ ​of​ ​headquarters​ ​for​ ​all​ ​​her​​ ​works. As​ ​people began to show​ ​interest​ in buying ​her​ ​pieces​,​ ​Mukash​ ​realized​​ ​she would have to take further steps to establish her business​.​ ​She​ ​created ​two​ ​online​ ​shops ​where​ ​anyone​ ​in Canada​ ​with​ ​access​ ​to​ ​a​ ​credit​ ​card​ ​could​ ​purchase​​ ​her​ ​artworks.

It​ ​was​ ​then​ ​that Mukash​ ​knew​ ​she​ ​was​ ​in​ ​business. While​ ​she​ ​still​ ​lives​ ​​with​ ​her​ ​parents​ ​and​ ​two​ ​siblings in their home in northern Quebec,​​​ ​Mukash​ ​found​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to create​ ​her​ ​own ​workspace ​in​ ​her​ ​spatially​ ​limited​ ​environment. She​ ​has​ ​a​ ​small​ ​studio​ ​space​ ​in​ ​her​ ​home​ ​where​ ​she​ ​crafts​ ​all​ ​her​ pieces, packages and ships them​.

In​ ​the​ ​past​ ​month​ ​alone,​ ​Mukash​ ​has​ ​made​ ​over​ ​$1,000​ ​in​ ​sales,​ ​and​ ​spends​ ​an​ ​average​ ​of​ ​$200​ ​on​ ​supplies per​ ​month.

However,​ ​living​ ​three hours​ ​away​ ​from​ ​Montreal by plane is​ becoming​ ​more​ ​and​ ​more​ ​of​ ​a​ ​problem. Due to​ ​her​ ​isolated​ ​location,​ ​Mukash​ ​must​ ​order​ ​all​ ​of​ ​her​ ​supplies​ ​online.​ ​“It’s​ ​getting​ ​very hard​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​buy​ ​supplies​ ​online.​ ​Shipping​ ​is​ ​getting​ ​very​ ​expensive​ ​for​ ​my​ ​community, which​ ​is​ ​a​ ​fly-in​ ​only​ ​community,”​ ​she​ ​said.

Not​ ​only​ ​are​ ​all​ ​of​ ​Mukash’s​ ​supplies​ ​located​ ​hours​ ​away,​ ​so​ ​are​ ​the​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​her customers.​ ​Shipping​ ​fees​ ​are​ ​added​ ​onto​ ​every​ ​sale​​ ​she​ ​makes. Yet, while​ ​these​ ​obstacles​ ​are​ ​present​ ​in​ ​the​ ​young​ ​artist’s​ ​day-to-day​ ​plans,​ ​she​ ​is​ ​not​ ​letting​ ​them slow​ ​her​ ​down.

“I​ ​think​ ​my​ ​first​ ​long​-term​ ​goal​ ​for​ ​my​ ​business​ ​is​ ​owning​ ​a​ ​studio​ ​here​ ​in​ ​my​ ​home​town,” Mukash​ ​said.​ ​“It’s​ ​a​ ​struggle​ ​for​ ​anyone​ ​here​ ​to​ ​own​ ​their​ ​own​ ​business​ ​because everything​ ​is​ ​under​ ​the​ ​Band​ ​Office. You​ ​can’t​ ​just​ ​go​ ​and​ ​sign​ ​a​ ​lease​ ​for​ ​an​ ​apartment.”

“My​ ​own​ ​studio​ ​space​ ​is​ ​what​ ​I’m​ ​saving​ ​up​ ​for,” she said. “​That’s​ ​what​ ​I’m​ ​aiming​ ​for.”​

For more information about Saige​ ​Mukash, visit her Facebook page or website.

Photos courtesy of Saige Mukash

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In between realism and abstraction

Concordia graduate, Layla Folkmann works with her best friend and “artner,” Lacey Jane, as Layla & Lacey Art. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

Concordia alumna Layla Folkmann experiments with a new style in her latest exhibition

“It was really freeing,” said artist Layla Folkmann when asked what creating her newest exhibition was like. Folkmann, who identified as a figurative painter until recently, explored a completely new style while working on the pieces of her exhibition titled 3AM.

The artist, who moved from Edmonton to finish her BFA at Concordia about six years ago, is part of an artist duo with her best friend, Lacey Jane. The two call themselves “artners” and now work under the name Layla & Lacey Art. In the summer, Folkmann and Jane travel across the country and abroad painting murals. In the winter, they return to Montreal to dedicate time to their own work which is often exhibited in the BBAM! Gallery space. The artists have been working with the owners of BBAM! since moving to Montreal, and Folkmann said they are the duo’s biggest supporters.

It was Ralph Alfonso, who co-owns the gallery with his wife, Alison Rogers, who came up with the concept of 3AM for Folkmann’s exhibition. According to Folkmann, Alfonso suggested it because he felt the “magical time [of night]” suited her pieces. Folkmann experimented with more abstract techniques as a way to “break free” from her usual portraiture and figurative pieces. The practice of letting go of her realistic painting style evolved into a collection of 59 smaller pieces that now make up 3AM—one for every minute of the hour. It was by accident that Folkmann ended up with 59 pieces, but when the concept of time came up, it fit perfectly. Collectively, the works echo the intimate, tranquil energy of nighttime.

Folkmann’s pieces in 3AM began as an exercise with abstraction and evolved into an entire collection of work. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

The pieces, which were loosely inspired by nightscapes and out-of-focus photographs, range in colour from deep blues and purples to fiery reds and yellows. In an effort to step out of her comfort zone of using more vibrant colours, Folkmann began 3AM by working with neutral tones and subdued hues. The artist pointed to her pieces titled #16, #17, #18 and #19 as the beginning point of her experiment. These works are comprised of beiges, greys, soft purples and greens, with spots of yellow and white that emulate points of light in a blurry photograph.

The entirety of the exhibition is displayed on one wall of the gallery, which effectively illustrates a continuous flow, like minutes ticking by on a clock. Further down the wall from #19 are pieces titled #41 and #42, which Folkmann said are most effective when viewed as a pair. These two are on canvases the size of a hand, and are the artist’s favourite pieces out of the entire collection. “These are inspired by a landscape across a lake,” Folkmann said. “It’s dusk, and in the far-away distance you can see lights twinkling. Where the blues [are], you can see the inspiration of water and the sky in the nighttime.” #41 and #42 are finished with a glossy topcoat, catching the viewer’s eye and differentiating them from most of the other pieces, which have a matte finish.

Every piece in 3AM is a different size and shape. “I really admire people who use found objects and assemblages, and [who are] being creative with format. I find that if you’re just using a canvas of the same size all the time, it can get a bit repetitive,” Folkmann said. For these reasons, she decided to use found objects like frames and plaques, and repurpose them as the pieces in 3AM. “Each canvas or frame or whatever dictates what I’m going to paint on it. So each one is different. I’m not always starting in the same place, so it keeps it fresh,” the artist explained.

There are 59 pieces in 3AM—one for every minute of the hour. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

Keeping her work interesting, not only for the viewer but for herself, is an important aspect of Folkmann’s art practice. She said the switch from her usual realistic style to a more abstract technique came from her wanting to step away from an approach that demanded such accuracy and definition. Embracing a completely different technique, paired with using found materials and the freedom to create something “more genuine,” allowed Folkmann to remain interested and excited about her work.

After exploring abstraction through the pieces in 3AM, Folkmann mentioned that her approach to portraiture has changed as well. “I’m looking more at colour and light, as opposed to just the image and trying to copy the image. You’re never going to make it more accurate than the image, so I want to make it more interesting than the image,” the artist said. Going forward, Folkmann said she wants to practice both portraiture and abstract work simultaneously, saying that the styles can “have a really interesting conversation” when practiced alongside each other.

3AM will be displayed at BBAM! Gallery until Nov. 5. The gallery is located at 3255 St-Jacques St. and open Tuesday to Sunday, from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. (and until 8 p.m. on Fridays). Entry is free. For more information on the duo’s work, check out their website, laceyandlaylaart.com, or Instagram page, @laceyandlaylaart.

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Arts

The vibrant landscape of our political climate

A viewer observes Grenier’s piece, titled What We Want / What You Want. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

“If I was to … think about how to position myself within the current political landscape, which words or concepts would I use to start laying down the ground?” This was one of the questions artist Nicolas Grenier asked himself when creating the works for his most recent exhibition.

The multi-disciplinary artist and alumnus of Concordia’s fine arts program teamed up with Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran to present Precarious Geographies, a collection of paintings examining ideas of political and social structures. Grenier, who is interested in contemporary politics and news, wanted to create works that expressed concepts like personal beliefs and activism and what they mean within our current political climate. He then came up with the idea of representing them by using diagrams to, essentially, “map” them out.

According to the artist, Precarious Geographies is about the relationship between activism and philosophy. Grenier explained that, since the election of the current American president, people have become more outspoken and committed to their political views. The artist said he believes that by taking an activist stance, a person must “believe in something enough to fight for it.” This idea can present some problems, however, because it assumes a person’s view or belief is absolute. In his life and work, Grenier enjoys questioning the concept of absolute ideas, and so he decided to explore it further.

Upon coming up with this idea, Grenier then asked himself: “How do I, as a painter, visually display [it]?” The artist, who sometimes spends months developing his projects, admitted he liked the idea of land as a starting point for the pieces in Precarious Geographies. He used it to build upon the ideas and concepts in his paintings.

From there, the artist decided to include elements of text and diagrams, as a way to surprise the viewer since diagrams are not usually in conventional paintings. According to Grenier, the use of words in his paintings “restricts the range of interpretations [of a piece], but it also pushes the work in a specific direction. It has some openness, but also some closure.” The exhibition is Grenier’s attempt to physically map out “philosophical and political ambiguities” that exist in the current political climate of the Western world by painting them in an abstract but concrete way.

One of Grenier’s larger works, Going for it, occupies an entire wall of the gallery. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

A piece titled Going for it occupies an entire wall of the gallery. A warm, brick-coloured background gives way to what can only be described as a “stack” of different coloured squares. The bottoms of the squares fade into horizontal lines that stretch across the bottom third of the canvas. Sharp edges and perfect gradients showcase Grenier’s practiced technique and make it hard to believe the pieces are in fact paintings and not graphic art.

The colours Grenier uses are extremely saturated and somewhat unnatural. The artist explained that it sometimes takes him months to develop and mix colours, and although he admitted that nature does influence his work, he wanted to create colours not typically seen in the natural world.

On a wall adjacent to Going for it hangs What We Want / What You Want, one of the more vibrant pieces within the exhibition. A large block of colour sits in the middle of the canvas, and resembles a cross-section of a piece of earth. The top layer of the block is a deep blue with white flecks, emulating a night sky. Lines cut across this layer, diagonally dividing the block into four sections—much like axes on a grid. At the ends of each axis is written—in small, inconspicuous text—the words “what we want” or “what you want.” Since the two axes travel in opposite directions, the piece suggests the two phrases exist in separate spaces. Underneath the blanket of deep blue are layers of bright reds, greens and burgundies. The block is suspended against a background gradient of vibrant yellow and red.

Both Going for it and What We Want / What You Want were created this year. The entire collection of works in this exhibition came together over the past 12 to 18 months. A self-proclaimed thoughtful and meticulous artist, Grenier allows himself ample time to mull ideas over and carefully assemble every piece. The artist, who works out of Montreal and Los Angeles, is excited to share his first solo collaboration with Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran.

Precarious Geographies will be on display until Nov. 11. The gallery is located at 1892 Payette St. and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, or by appointment. Admission is free.

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Arts

Creating stunning visuals across disciplines

Professor Francois Morelli prepares to teach a class at Concordia. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Concordia painting and drawing professor, François Morelli, exhibits his life’s work

Large-scale ink and watercolour drawings adorn the walls of 1700 La Poste, while wire sculptures take over its main floor space. The pieces were crafted by François Morelli, a professor of painting and drawing at Concordia whose work ranges from free drawing and sculpture to performance and ink stamping.

Pieces straight from Morelli’s sketchbook are linked together to create a mural in the upstairs balcony space of the gallery. Morelli’s Belthead project rests in the back room of the gallery. Huge, colourful drawings of tangled belts cover the walls like vines, bringing attention to a sculpture by the entrance, which inspired the drawings.

In a documentary which screens every 10 minutes after the hour in the gallery’s basement, Morelli says: “Do what you do because it is important to do it.” It is a message that will resonate with most people regardless of their involvement in the arts. With his work, Morelli creates a whimsical world where it’s okay to make mistakes. Ink blotches, both large and small, are welcome.

A piece in the Belthead collection. Photo by Chloe Lalonde.

Morelli explained that he often starts drawing with a few random strokes and continues intuitively from there. In most of his work, the viewer is able to see lightly painted lines that could have transformed the piece into something completely different, yet the artist chose not to follow them. His approach is authentic and unfiltered—a process which was likely taught to him over the course of many years.

As a painting and drawing student at Concordia in the 70s, Morelli began doing rubbings of the trees on his street and measuring the distance between them. Rubbing involves placing a sheet of paper on a textured surface and rubbing it with a pencil or another medium, so the textured pattern of the surface transfers onto the paper. According to the artist, his goal was to make a large drawing on a scroll that would interact and engage with what was on the street by including textures, lengths and measurements.

“As I was doing this, the police stopped me, asking me what I was doing. I told them I was making a drawing, making art,” the artist said. “From that point on, I realised that, in doing this, I would be interfacing with people and they are going to be asking me questions.”

Morelli said that over the years, he has been building on the idea of social movement. He explained that, in using public spaces for his art, he takes an anthropological approach to his practice and works with historical sites and the social, political and economic realities surrounding them. Architecture, the sidewalk, people and the flow of people in transit all became involved in the artist’s performance work.

Morelli’s sketches of the Marche Transatlantique sculpture. Photo by Chloe Lalonde.

A sculpture from one of Morelli’s collections, titled Marche Transatlantique, is featured in the exhibition. Marche Transatlantique was the result of a romantic affiliation and a personal invitation. In this performance piece, Morelli walked with the absurd, grotesque sculpture on his back from the Berlin Wall to Philadelphia, where he was invited to participate in an exhibition. This performance was the second of three walks. The first was Migration, which involved a hay sculpture being carried from the United Nations to St-Jean-Port-Joli, Que.

Creating art, teaching art and performance art have a symbiotic relationship in Morelli’s body of work. One cannot exist without the other.

François Morelli’s exhibition will be on display at 1700 La Poste (1700 Notre-Dame St. W.) until Dec. 17. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday.

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Arts

Socio-economic issues through the lens of an artist

Trying to make sense of an increasingly challenging reality

“Anomie” is defined as the alienation, personal unrest and social instability that comes from a breakdown of standards and values. This theme is present in Concordia studio arts student Emilie Tremblay’s first solo exhibition, Anomie, which took place at the Cégep du Vieux Montréal on Nov. 1.

“It was really exciting to be able to show my work so early on in my development as an artist,” said Tremblay. “It’s very gratifying because I was invited by the Cegep after graduation. It’s heartwarming to see them support and believe in me like that.”

The art pieces presented all discuss social issues in modern day society. Tremblay does not hold back in her work—some pieces are avant-garde and meant to upset the viewer. For instance, Ruptures is a crude insult to the patriarchal values which are omnipresent in our society. The piece presents the outline of several women who are faceless and, therefore, emotionless. According to Tremblay, this lack of personification is meant to symbolize the tendency in current society to mute women’s voices. Women’s rights have been, and continue to be, a political issue and an important international social problem. In a statement issued on March 8, 2010, Dr. Margaret Cahn, director-general of the World Health Organization, argues women are still denied the same opportunities and rights which are recognized by law.

Emily Tremblay, a Concordia student, held her first solo exhibition on Nov. 1 at the Cegep du Vieux-Montréal.

Another prominent work is Stop-Motion, a collection of different door locks stacked together. According to Tremblay, these locks are meant to represent the obstacles, be they social or societal, that minority groups must overcome in order to fulfill their dreams.

“I have an approach that is very critical and engaged in my work, in general. I choose my themes based on what calls to me, in this case, it was a feeling of general uneasiness towards our generation in regards to societal function,” said Tremblay. “I feel this desire to step away from the past and question it, but without bringing any answers. I think as an artist, it’s important to ask questions.”

The exhibition is also composed of pieces which use space efficiently. There is a 3D aspect to the compositions—their perception changes depending on where the viewer is standing. It makes the process of looking at art dynamic, as one can’t help but look at the designs from different angles.

What is striking about Tremblay’s pieces are the simplicity of the art, yet the complexity of the messages presented. Tremblay’s work uses straightforward designs to convey her views and values.

Her pieces are refreshing, accessible and approachable—even to those who are not overly familiar with studio arts. Tremblay’s work can be viewed on Instagram under the handle @epithumia_rose.

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Music

Top Ten Fall Tours: Retro

For some, back to school means the good times are over.  But September also marks the beginning of Montreal’s promising fall concert line-up.In this Top 10 we go retro and take a look at the bands from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s that will grace our city’s biggest stages.

In order by show date.

THE CULT
The British quad that formed in 1983 is touring in light of their latest and ninth studio album entitled Choice of Weapon, which was released in May 2012. Fans can expect to hear classics such as “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Love Removal Machine.” Check them out at the Metropolis on Sept. 1.

THE OFFSPRING
For a healthy serving of 90’s rock, check out The Offspring at the Metropolis on Sept. 3 and 5 to support their newest album Days Go By. Twenty-three years after the California trio’s first release, the band will surely prove that they’re still “pretty fly.”

K.D. LANG AND THE SISS BOOM BANG
Canadian pop and country singer k.d. lang will perform at the Corona Theatre for two nights on Sept. 28 and 29 after the release of her latest album Sing It Loud. This is the Juno Award winner’s latest release since 2008’s Watershed and her second collaboration with the Siss Boom Bang.

ANTHRAX / TESTAMENT
With the release of their tenth studio album Worship Music, American Thrash Metal band Anthrax will end their Canadian tour in Montreal at Metropolis on Oct. 2. This part of the “Big Four” will likely play notable hits such as “Only” and “Concrete Jungle.”

ALANIS MORISSETTE
If angst-y female songstresses are more your thing, Alanis Morissette will be at the Bell Centre on Oct. 16, her first appearance in Montreal since her show at Place Des Arts in 2008. Her new album Havoc and Bright Lights releases Aug. 28.

RUSH
Rock veterans Rush will make a stop in Montreal on Oct. 18 at the Bell Centre in light of their 20th studio album entitled Clockwork Angels. The band will tour around North America for 33 dates and this is their latest album since 2007’s Snakes & Arrows.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
Metal group Black Label Society will visit Metropolis on Oct. 20. Instead of supporting a new album, they’re touring to promote a new acoustic DVD entitled Unblackened. Their latest album The Song Remains Not The Same was released in May 2011.

SMASHING PUMPKINS
Billy Corgan and the Pumpkins will tour North America starting in October 2012 in support of their newest album Oceania. Their upcoming concert on October 28 at the Bell Centre will be split into two parts; the band will play all 13 songs off their latest album and then a mix of hits from over the years. Osheaga 2007 marked the last time the band was in town.

JOURNEY
Fans can start believing again Nov. 5 at the Bell Centre when Journey takes the stage to perform their hits from as far back as the 1970’s. Pat Benatar and Loverboy will accompany the band in the first part of the show.

DROPKICK MURPHYS
For a taste of Celtic rock, check out the Dropkick Murphys playing at Metropolis on Nov. 18. The band last visited Montreal in August, after playing at the Festival d’Été de Québec in Quebec City. The band is touring in support of their latest album, Going Out In Style.

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