Michael Markowsky - Contemporary Artist

rethinking visual art reviews/magazines

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:02:00 +0000

This evening I've been reading book reviews, most of which are clearly written by other authors. I wonder what it would look like if visual artists reviewed each others exhibitions with drawings.

Or maybe that is a false comparison. What is the difference between a writer writing a novel, and that same writer reviewing a book?

I should create a magazine or website like this. Assign artists to review, comment, document, etc, the world around them. But rather than a book full of writings, it would be entirely visual. Visual responses to the world.

If an artist drew a drawing in response to an exhibition they enjoyed, but the drawing he/she created was 'bad', would that be interpreted as a negative review of the exhibition, or just a poorly executed drawing/review?

Update on the 'War Artist' gig...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:01:00 +0000

So, it's been a while since I updated my blog with some news about what I'm up to these days!

As you may or may not know, back in February 2010, I was awarded the unique opportunity to be one of Canada's 'War Artists'! Basically, this is a program run by the Canadian Military called the Canadian Forces Artist Program. I talk about it more thoroughly in a previous post.

In my original application I asked to be able to ride in a CF-18 fighter jet plane. The CF-18 is the Canadian version of the F-18 Hornet used by the US Air Force. It is the primary fighter jet used by the Canadian Air Force, though the new F-35 Lightning will replace them in 2016... Anyway, as I mentioned, a few months later I found out my application was approved! Crazy, eh?! (Artists submit proposals to the Canada Council for the Arts, and from there I'm not exactly sure how the decisions are made...)

Actually my first conversations with the Military were about me going to Haiti to observe the Canadian Forces helping the people recover from the earthquake that had happened there a few weeks before. Unfortunately my schedule last year at that time was really full and I had to decline. If you read through my older blog posts, you'll see that I had a pretty busy 2010!

Nevertheless, the plan for most of 2010 became that I was going to be going to Afghanistan in November to observe the Canadian soldiers in action there, and then come back to Canada and ride in a CF-18. Well things got complicated when word came down that Canada was pulling out of Afghanistan in early 2011, so I that meant that I wasn't going to be able to go there afterall. You better believe my parents were relieved to hear THAT news!

I on the other hand was really really really bummed out about the whole situation. I had been planning on going over there for most of the year, and when I found out I kept calling the Military asking if there was any remote chance I could still go, to no avail. I guess it just seemed like such a unique opportunity that I would never get again. I still think that it would be a really incredible, melancholy experience to witness the military leaving a country that should also be documented somehow...

The good news however, was that I was offered some unique opportunities in place of Afghanistan. I guess the military would save a tone of money on insurance with me NOT going there, so that would allow me to have two, three or even four separate experiences! I could go to multiple bases across Canada and spend extended periods of time there (as opposed to two weeks MAX in the Mid-East).

The most unique opportunity was the North Pole! Well, pretty close anyway. I would be able to visit CFS Alert (Nunavut) which is the northern-most place on earth that is permanently inhabited by humans! I've attached a map below to give you an idea just how far north and remote the place actually is. The north pole is literally right above the red 'A' on the map where the image ends. However, since the north pole is in the middle of the Arctic Sea, below shifting ice flows, it's really a tough place to visit! It would be sort of like flying over an endless stretch of icebergs and someone pointing down at one of them and saying, 'there it is!'

So after I got over my disappointment with Afghanistan, I accepted! The plan is that I will go up north in April 2011, basically sometime next month! I guess the men and women up there are very excited because they've never had an artist up there before. I was told that 'everyone forgets the fact that there are hundreds of Canadian Military personnel stationed all over the world, not just in Afghanistan, and they are anxious to tell their stories too!'

Of course the more I've thought about it, the more interesting the opportunity becomes. As you may also know, one of my life goals is to make a painting while standing on the surface of the moon! (Seriously!) This would likely be some good practice!

Anyway, there are some other interesting things I'm up to, but I'll save them for another post later this week. Hopefully by that time I'll have some news to share about my great northern expedition!

Michael

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 01:40:00 +0000

I've been reading the Full-Bleed Arts Marketing blog for the past month and there are some really, really powerful gems there. I highly recommend everyone check it out, particularly artists and people involved with the arts such as curators, gallerists, etc.

One of my favorite recent posts (the author, John McLachlan writes something new EVERYDAY!!!) is entitled 'Hopefully, some people are laughing at you.' I had to do a double take when I first read that headline, but he makes a very persuasive case that unless someone or some people out there are out there ridiculing you, then you aren't pushing any boundaries or taking any risks.

I believe that that way of thinking is very empowering, and while I've never been able to articulate it as well as John did, I suppose I've always gone about things that way. There is something perversely reassuring about knowing that some people find what I do ridiculous. I've never sought out to cause controversy, but I do realize that my artwork and the way I go about doing it could possibly be seen as absurd to some people. Obviously though, that hasn't stopped me from going about things in my own way!

In fact the more I act as my 'authentic self' and make clear what my true goals, dreams and objectives really are, the more easily and quickly I've been able to attract those things into my life! I mean, why pretend to be someone I'm not, and ask for things I'm not really interested in?! What good would that do anyone?!

Here is a link to the blog post:
http://fullbleedartsmarketing.com/hopefully-some-people-are-laughing-at-you
and to the blog itself:
http://fullbleedartsmarketing.com

Tiny flying camera

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:55:00 +0000

You have got to run (don't walk!) to check out the videos on this website:
http://www.avinc.com/nano

A few weeks ago I went off on a rambling rant tangent about how someday in the future there will be these tiny flying police robots with cameras in them, and they would be everywhere (or capable of getting anywhere within a couple seconds). Well, guess what?! That time is nearly here already!

This new 'spy plane' (as the CBC likes to call it) is adorable designed to look like a hummingbird. But of course it's true purpose is for flying around battle zones like Iraq and Afghanistan looking for militants hiding behind doorways with machine guns. And that's not some paranoid speculation: this was developed specifically for the American Military!

Here's a link to the original CBC article:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2011/02/25/tech-tiny-plane.html

Researching my next project

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 22:42:00 +0000

I've started the research for my next big project! Things are percolating, so I don't want to reveal any specific details, but I will say that I'm soaking up the early history of Vancouver.

This morning I tagged along on a walking tour of the Financial District, which is loosely situated around the Burrard Skytrain Station. The tour was lead by John Atkin and Andy Coupland (check out their new book at changingcity.ca) and it's clear that they are the go-to guys when it comes to the history of Vancouver. They knew the answer to every obscure question I could think of, including the names and histories of the architects for every building we passed by over a 2 hour period!

Just in passing, a couple of other great resources I've found over the past few weeks are vancouverhistory.ca, Heritage Vancouver, heritage walking tours, and a great article on the early history from the Vancouver is Awesome website. I highly recommend everyone participate in a walking tour -not just in Vancouver- but anywhere you happen to be. And I particularly encourage people to take a tour of the area in which they live and/or work. It's absolutely fascinating to me all the incredible history around us at all times that we walk by everyday without notice. Life gets so much richer when we learn about the people and events that took place literally beneath our own footsteps.

The start of something new!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 22:39:00 +0000

Michael Markowsky, After Ingres' Bather of Valpincon, Nov 2010

I usually don't like talking about projects when I'm just beginning them, but I am really excited about what I'm up to right now! I've started working on a series of new paintings inspired by paintings from art history. I've never made paintings based on other people's paintings before, either because I was too preoccupied with my own ideas and also because I was afraid that my own artwork couldn't possibly hold its own next to the artwork of people I admire.

Well, I suppose that with age and experience also comes confidence, and I presently enjoy the challenge of trying to tackle the art of the past. The artists that I've been looking at include Rubens, Rembrandt, Gericault, Ingres and Cezanne. Also, so far all of the work has been figurative, a subject that I haven't really explored since I was in graduate school (at Art Center and the Royal College of Art) over 7 years ago.

Anyway, the paintings themselves aren't finished, but above is one of drawings that I did recently that inspired one of the new paintings. I use drawings to help me explore composition, play with proportions and to begin the process of distortion that culminates in the paintings.

Gingerbread Village Project VIDEO

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 23:59:00 +0000

Here's the video that I made for the exhibition Produce/Produce at Arnica Art Gallery in Kamloops, B.C. It includes footage from my appearance on local TV, shots of me interacting with local citizens on the street, assembling gingerbread houses and then the final destruction/consumption of the gingerbread at the exhibition opening. Besides the television footage (Courtesy of CFJC TV), the rest of the video was recorded by Brendan Tang, one of Canada's most well-known and well-respected artists! Enjoy!

'Performance-Enhancing Drugs' in the Artworld

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:24:00 +0000

Today it was revealed that another Tour de France winner, Alberto Contador of Spain, has tested positive for use of 'performance-enhancing drugs'. I began to wonder about a world in which artists would be routinely tested for 'performance-enhancing drugs'. I know it sounds ridiculous at first, but if we continue in the direction we are, it may actually come to pass.

Consider that in 50 years or so, with so many 'professional' artists competing for people's attention, that paintings, etc. become just another commodity. An artwork by artist A is interchangeable for an artwork by artist B. The only way to maintain the exclusivity of art (an therefore the prices) is to stage Olympic-like competitions, where artists attempt to outdo one another by the slimmest of margins. Artists might resort to some sort of drug to give them an extra edge: to paint with even more precision, to paint even faster, to paint with more confidence (or perhaps with less), to be more (or less) self-aware, etc.

Might the Russians one day file a complaint with the judges/jury of the Venice Biennale that an American artist won the Golden Lion prize because their creative ability was illegally increased/stimulated by a banned substance? Not such a far off possibility, I believe.

Artist Statement, August 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:57:00 +0000

“My purpose in life is to inspire others. I encourage people to follow their dreams, and I believe that in this respect my role as an artist is to lead by example. I indulge my imagination and allow myself to pursue every whim and opportunity.

For instance, my primary career goal is to stand on the surface of the moon and to make a painting. I plan on accomplishing this feat by January 1st, 2030. While I am serious about this ambition, I also recognize that it may seem absurd to many people. Nevertheless, I hope to empower others with the courage to express aloud their own aspirations, which of course is the first step toward realization. I am deeply saddened by stories of people who live their whole lives without taking action toward their dreams.

The majority of my time is spent painting semi-abstract paintings of the landscape, though I’ve begun to paint figures as well. Typical characteristics of my paintings are bright, exuberant colors, serpentine lines, energetic brush strokes, and patches of exposed canvas. I am preoccupied with capturing feelings of movement and speed.

Also, as a teacher and lover of art, I feel a responsibility to promote the power, value and relevance of visual art to mainstream culture. I often embrace projects that involve interacting with the public and I take every opportunity to engage the media in order to stimulate discussion outside of the art world context.”

– Michael Markowsky, Vancouver, B.C. (August, 2010)

Gingerbread Village Project!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:57:00 +0000

In a couple of weeks, I'll be collaborating with the citizens of Kamloops, B.C. to build a giant gingerbread village! Basically, I'm going to try and get as many local people involved with the cooking and construction of gingerbread houses, which we will assemble in Arnica Artist Run Centre.

On the night of the show opening (5:30pm, Friday, Sept 17) we'll have a huge 'eating extravaganza' where people will be able to eat/destroy the entire sculpture!

I'm encouraging people to create unusual structures and use innovative decorating materials beyond the typical Victorian/Gothic style that is rumoured to be inspired by the 'witch's house' from Hansel and Gretel. What about a Frank Gehry like building? A Roman ruin? A mosque? A bomb shelter? An outhouse? A tent? A Bauhaus building? What will you think of?!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND RECIPIES

ARNICA ARTIST RUN CENTRE
The Old Courthouse
7 Seymour Street West
Kamloops, B.C.
VIEW GOOGLE MAP

Exhibition runs from Saturday, September 18 - Saturday, October 23rd.
Panel Discussion, Saturday, September 18, 9am-4pm.

Join me on Facebook!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:49:00 +0000

I've created a 'Page' devoted to my artwork on Facebook which you can follow by clicking on the 'Like' button below! I hope you do! I'll be doing contests for original artwork and passing along news of upcoming shows of mine and also interesting info about people and things I think deserve your attention!

Video of 'Painting on a Truck, Surrey B.C.' on YouTube!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:43:00 +0000

Here is the video that I made for the exhibition I'm in at the Surrey Art Gallery! Hurry the show closes September 12, 2010! View it at YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_iliJDkJ04

CBC Radio Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:01:00 +0000

I was interviewed by Russell Bowers of CBC Radio on Saturday, and our interviewed aired this morning! To listen to the interview, click here (http://www.michaelmarkowsky.com/press/Michael_Markowsky_Daybreak_Alberta.mp3). The interview is over 10 minutes long! I'll post a transcript of it in the next few days...

Here is a link to the Daybreak Alberta page on CBC.Ca: http://www.cbc.ca/daybreakalberta/

Article in FFWD Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:28:00 +0000

Mingling with the bronzes
Published July 15, 2010 by Drew Anderson

Stampede art is all about bronze bulls or paintings of cowboys, prairies, foothills and horses, right? Well, mostly. Walking through the cavernous BMO Centre, past the guy selling adjustable beds, you emerge into a calm oasis of art. Most of that art is exactly what you’d expect.

But if you keep going, you come across the kiosk of the Calgary Stampede Artist Ranch Project: Tim Belliveau’s quirky skulls in wood or glass, Michael Markowsky’s swirling paintings of bulls and Herb Sellin’s large colour-splashed canvasses that he described in an interview with Galleries West as “landscape pushed in the direction of the imaginative.”

This is the second year the Stampede has invited contemporary artists out to its Hanna-area ranch to soak in the prairie surroundings and later produce work that diversifies the artistic offerings of the Western Art Show. Placing the contemporary works square in the middle of the displays of soaring eagles, stomping bulls and sun-dappled landscapes is odd. It doesn’t fit and that’s why it’s important.

Grab a corndog, dart past the weird booths selling weird things and have a chat with the artists at the Stampede.

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/micropreviews-6014/

Interview on CTV News Calgary!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:19:00 +0000

On Wednesday, July 14th I did an interview with Kevin Rich of CTV News Calgary! It went really well, and I'm very happy with the result! I finally had a chance to talk about my gig as a 'War Artist'. Kevin and I spoke for quite a while afterward and so I felt that he was genuinely interested in what I was doing. In fact he asked me to keep in touch with him, especially when I'm in Afghanistan. (The piece didn't actually air until Thursday, July 15th).

Opening at the Calgary Stampede!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:15:00 +0000

Last night was my big opening at the Calgary Stampede! The count at the door said over 2000 people came to check out the work. I did soo much talking that by the end of the night I had nearly lost my voice. I'm not sure how I'll make it through the next 10 days!

The event last night was an invite-only event: the Stampede did a mail out to a the top collectors of 'western art' in North America. I was curious to see how my new paintings, which are figurative abstractions, would be received by an audience that is generally interested in Charles M. Russell and Frederic Remington artwork. But overhearing REAL cowboys debate each other about which painting of mine they liked more kind of reaffirmed my faith in human beings.

I had a chance to see Bill Cross and his wife Arlotta (sp?) again, who had been our generous hosts last summer when we came to visit their ranch. We spent four days sketching and taking photographs of the landscape and livestock on the Cross Ranch. The Cross family are best known for being one of the 'Big Four:' in 1912, four of Southern Alberta's most powerful ranching families came together to found the Calgary Stampede.

Photos to come.

Mural at the Works Festival all finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:50:00 +0000

My two week oddessy in Edmonton has come to an end! With the help of Alex Stewart, I managed to realize two large murals painted on stretch canvas. The two-sided 'gateway' was finished in time for Canada Day, though we did continue to experiment on it throughout the remaining days of the Works festival.

Photos to come

Radio Interview with Amy Fung

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 03:18:00 +0000

Edmonton's preeminent art writer interviewed me a few days ago about my plan to travel to the moon and make a painting. It originally aired on CJSR radio in Edmonton earlier today, but you can listen to it at your convenience on Amy Fung's blog Prairie Artsters.com. I sound a little goofy, laughing a lot, mostly because I was so excited that someone was actually interested in asking me some serious questions about this project. After doing so many interviews with TV people who are only interested in a quick soundbite, it was very refreshing to be able to speak at length about my work.

I've got to say that I was very flattered that Amy asked to do an interview with me. I spent the first couple of nights reading her articles and was really pleased at the quality of her writing. She had written a couple of articles that mentioned Alex Stewart, the young Edmonton artist who has been helping me paint one of the murals during the Works Festival. It comforted me greatly to know that the level of art criticism here in Edmonton is high, because that is generally a good sign that the art community is thriving as well.

You can read Amy Fung's work in the Vue Weekly (Edmonton's main alternative newspaper/nightlife guide): http://vueweekly.com, 0r on her blog as previously mentioned:
http://prairieartsters.blogspot.com/

Global TV interview

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:32:00 +0000

I did short interview with Global TV earlier today. I managed to record it, but the quality isn't the best. I was really hoping to talk about being a 'war artist' and going to Afghanistan in a few months, but she said my plan to go to the moon was more 'interesting'. I was thinking about that all day long, and quite frankly it made me really sad. Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to appear on TV and to talk about my work, but the fact that some art project of mine is more 'interesting' than the fact that we have thousands of brave men and woman putting their lives on the line for us all kind of shows how misplaced the media's priorities are.

Michael

Interview on CTV News

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:01:00 +0000

On Friday, CTV News interviewed me about the 25th annual Works Festival here in Edmonton, Alberta. I spoke about my dream to make a painting while standing on the surface of the moon and artist Tina Martel described her project to paper-mâché five 'Smart Cars.' The festival features over 400 other artists and continues from June 24-July 7, 2010.

Live Television Interview this morning!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:41:00 +0000

A couple of hours ago I was interviewed by Carla Turner of CityTV (Edmonton) for the television program 'Breakfast TV'! We spoke a little about the giant mural I'm going to be painting at the Works Festival of Art over the next couple of weeks, but focused mainly on my plan to make a painting while standing on the surface of the moon!

Carla looks a little skeptical in the photo above, but she was actually really excited and supportive of my project and said that if I do eventually get up there that I should give her a call and give her an exclusive interview!

I've Arrived in Edmonton!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:10:00 +0000

I've just checked into my hotel here in downtown Edmonton! The weather is fantastic here; great big white fluffy clouds all over the bright baby blue sky. I'm so excited to be here, everyone has been so nice and welcoming so far. I didn't realize how big of a deal the Works Festival actually was/is! I'm going to be outside painting everyday on a giant archway that everyone will have to pass beneath to get into the festival. It should be a blast!!!

I'm just about to head out the door to meet up with Dawn Saunders Dahl, the Director of the Festival and my good old friend Terrance Houle, a fantastic artist who just happens to be in town for the day! I have a really, really good feeling about this!

Painting at BLIM in Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:16:00 +0000

For the past couple of days I've been painting at BLIM, an art gallery/clothing store in the Chinatown area of Vancouver. BLIM is a pretty cool space all in all. They sell t-shirts and hot pants, usually in florescent yellow, green or pink, head bands and Vice Magazine. They also have an art gallery on the balcony and an art studio in the back that offers classes on silkscreening, t-shirt design, figure drawing, etc. I guess you could say it's like American Apparel except that you can make your own cool clothes there.

Anyway, I've been painting on this sculpture that looks sort of like an old shop storefront: picture the front cover to the Beach Boys lost album 'Smile' (image above). Anyway, the artist Denver Lynxleg calls the project 'Storefront', appropriately! I can't speak for her, but the way I think of it is that it's sort of like an art gallery on wheels: artists manipulate it for their purposes and create exhibitions with and using it. It is both an art gallery and art exhibition space/plinth. I wasn't quite sure what to think about it, but after spending the past 10 hours with it, painting on it and observing people observing it, I'm actually quite fascinated by it as a kind of context-attribution device which conveys 'art' upon whichever space it enters/occupies and whatever is hung or done upon it.

I'll post some photos about what the whole thing looks like once I've done what I'm doing to it. I think you'll like it!

http://storefrontproject.tumblr.com/

http://blim.ca/

Performance with Anna at Raw Canvas!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 08:19:00 +0000

A couple of days ago, Anna Robin and I did a performance at Raw Canvas, a unique venue in the fancy shamcy part of Vancouver called 'Yaletown'. To give you an idea, we got nachos at a pub around the corner: $16 for no more than 20 chips artfully arranged with shavings of chorizo sausage delicately sprinkled on top. Hmmm... Not really what I want when I order nachos at a bar!!!

Anyway, Raw Canvas is a bar that is half pub and half painting studio, complete with a couple dozen easels and tons of brushes and paint. The idea is that people can buy a glass of wine or beer and make a painting while they hang out! Even the cynical part of my feels thinks this is a good idea. Whatever gives people permission to be a little creative, in whatever small way, is a good thing.

Anyway, Anna and I did a performance together where we painted each other's portraits while blindfolded. With our right hands we held paint brushes and with our left hands we felt each other's faces! It was pretty sexy! I'm working on getting some video of the performance up on YouTube, but since I'm running around without my head like a dead chicken, that might take a couple weeks. Anyway, for now you'll just have to imagine how fantastic it really was!

Brasstronaut nominated for Polaris Prize!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Markowsky) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:36:00 +0000

Brasstronaut, a Vancouver-based band that I collaborated with in a recent performance, has been nominated for the Polaris Prize! The award celebrates the best new album by a Canadian musician or band. I couldn't be excited for all my good friends in the band, I can't imagine a better group of guys more deserving of the honor!

I highly, highly, highly recommend you check them out when they play in a city near you! Check out their concert schedule, or see them in a couple of weeks at the Commodore Ballroom (June 30th) here in Vancouver before they head out on their second North American tour of the year in July/August!!!

http://www.brasstronaut.com/

http://www.polarismusicprize.ca/

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2010/06/17/polaris-prize-nominees.html