The Armory Show 2012

Of  all the places one would least expect to see a painting of a barn in the field, it would the leading edge Armory Show in New York City. All year long we Ottawa School of Art students heard Professor Yves Larocque caution us. “Do not paint barnsin the field!”, which is a metaphor for “do something different”  “tell your own stories”.  It is not from a dislike of barns or fields or the two together; in fact I suspect Yves admires the barn for its resilience, standing as a testament to the hard-working pioneer, the backbone of Canadian society.

This is my first time joining the annual bus trip to New York City, with art historian and my Art History Professor Larocque onboard. When Yves turned on the microphone for a short lecture, to introduce a movie and the planned galleries we would visit, we heard, “You will not see any paintings of barns in the fields at the Armory Show at Chelsea Peers. This is leading international and contemporary art, one of the most important annual events in New York City!  I guarantee there will be no barns in the field, in fact if you find such a painting I will give you a reward.”  This was followed by a buzz of excitement – what would the reward be ? how would one prove they saw it? – Well you would have to take a photo of the artwork and show it to Yves and he would judge the winning photo.

The next afternoon at the Armory Show, admiring  booth after booth of contemporary extravaganza, I turned a corner and came face to face with the unspeakable – a beautifully rendered painting of a barn in a field, actually two barns in one field.

A few days later on the bus trip home, Yves announced that he would be coming around to look at the entries, at which point a frantic Jennifer Haney took a picture through the bus window of – a barn in a field!  Although Sylvie Grenier was a close second, Yves pronounced my photo the winner and presented me with a trophy (see photo).

The possibility of a reward does bring out a good-natured competitive streak in folks, which leads to a suggestion for future trips– what about a scavenger hunt while in New York?

As the above frivolity suggests we had a grand time in New York City. Although a flexible schedule permitted opting in or out of various activities, most of us visited many galleries: the MOMA (Cindy Sherman) where Yves gave a talk on Picasso, the MET (The Steins Collect, Rembrandt and Degas, the Renaissance Portrait), and the Whitney (the best thing at the Biennial was the t-shirt purchased in the gift shop- sorry!), and the Guggenheim (John Chamberlain).

We enjoyed our hotel, (steps from the Empire State Building), a shopping trip led by Louise Butler to Pearl Art Supplies on Canal St, good food, lovely companions, and last but not least, the comfort of travelling under such well-organized conditions.  Thank you to icscis - Monica for her organizational skills and to our wonderful art historian – Professor Larocque!

Virginia receiving her prize from Yves

In front , Yves and the sheep, in the back ,Sue & all the group painting them.

“Tomorrow, said Yves, we are going to paint the “sheeps”! But we are not going to paint “gning-gning sheeps”, but the essence of the «sheeps”!»  Because there is a plural in French for mouton, Yves applied it to English and since then we all had fun doing the same. It might become part of Australian English….

So here we are in a semi-circle, in a filed in Provence facing a mob of slightly confused French “sheeps” herded by David and Yves. We persevered, striving to distill “the essence of the sheeps”» into paint and onto canvas.

Did we succeed? Just “Baaarily”!

by Sue Pluck (April 23, 2012)

From Tightness to Looseness

My journey is from tightness to looseness.  My brain is conditioned with a sense of order and correctness from looking through a camera-lens for the past 30 years.  This does not help in the pursuit of painting “art”. Yves is breaking the mold.  All of my old concepts are being revitalised. I am taught how to think.  Looseness comes from crossing the threshold in oneself.

by Ken Mayes (April 26, 2012)

Painting the Mount Saint Victoire in Aix en Provence

An exhibition of seventy-nine monumental sculptures of the Catalan Surrealist artist Joan Miró (1893-1983) recently opened at the Yorkshire Sculpture Garden in Britain.  Miró, one of the most important 20^th century artists, was able to convey his deep preoccupation for humankind and his strong sense of national identity through a colorful, fresh and joyous approach. Amazingly, the artist was already in his seventies and eighties when he created the majority of his fantastic bronze sculptures depicting playful monsters.

This is the second UK exhibition devoted to the artist in nearly 50 years, after last year’s major retrospective “Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape” held at the Tate in London.  This retrospective featuring over 150 paintings, works on paper and sculptures, was recently shown at the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona and will travel next month to the National Art Gallery in Washington D.C.  The title of the show comes from a painting, one of a series called Constellations, the artist started in 1939 when the Nazi forces were advancing into France. At the time Miró was living in Normandy and it is said that these paintings were rolled under his arm when he and his family caught the last train out of Paris for Spain. The exhibition also showcases masterpieces such as The Hope of a Condemned Man triptych, done during the artist’s internal exile in Spain under Franco’s regime.

By the way, we will have the opportunity to see “Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape”during our upcoming Washington Art Trip 2012 (August 2-6)! A great way to spend August’s long weekend (Canada’s civic day). Here is the link with all the details:

http://www.walkthearts.com/_art_tours/art_tour_washington.shtml

Joan Miro, The Hope of a Condemned Man triptych,1973

View of Cartagena's walled city

 To all icscis/walkthearts friends in the Ottawa Region

Join us next Thursday April 12 for drinks at Mambo Nuevo Latino  (77 Clarence Street) starting at 5:00 p.m.  As you know icscis nights are very informal and open to everyone. So feel free to arrive with your friends.  Here is Mambo’s link:  http://www.mambonuevolatino.com/

We will take the opportunity to discuss about our upcoming drawing and painting workshop in Colombia’s Caribbean Coast Studio Colombia 2013 (Feb. 18-28). Here is the link to the prospectus with all the details: http://www.walkthearts.com/PDF/Prospectus_Studio_Colombia.pdf

Looking forward to seeing you,

À tous les amis icscis/walkthearts d’Ottawa et région

Prenons un verre ensemble le jeudi 12 avril au Mambo Nuevo Latino  (77 rue Clarence à Ottawa). Nous y serons à partir de 17 h. Comme vous le savez déjà, nos rencontres sont très informelles et ouvertes à tous. Donc, vos amis sont aussi bienvenus.  Voici le lien de Mambo: http://www.mambonuevolatino.com/

Notre rencontre sera aussi l’occasion de discuter sur Studio Colombia 2013 (du 18 au 28 février), notre prochain atelier de dessin et de peinture sur la côte caribéenne de la Colombie. Voici le lien avec le prospectus et tous les détails : http://www.walkthearts.com/PDF/Prospectus_Studio_Colombia.pdf

À bientôt,

View of Santa Marta's marina

Peter Doig, White Canoe, oil on canvas, 1990-1991

Creativity implies the existence of a basic concept behind the work of art. A concept is simply an idea. As artists, we aim to come up with an innovative idea that fosters our creation. Good art clearly manifests the new and, of course, the self. Nevertheless, old concepts are there to be shared; they may be borrowed from the past to be re-polished, re-analyzed, and re-conveyed. Yes, you may paint canoes on lakes! In 2007, Peter Doig’s White Canoe sold at auction for nearly $12 million, making it the most expensive work by a living Scottish-Canadian painter.

When looking for a new subject in a painting, your own personal stories may give you the key to a strong concept. Stories are threads that unite us. We all have stories: some to keep, some to share, at the table or on a painting. Some people are talkative, expansive and loquacious; others are reserved and cautious with their words and stories. Some talk exclusively about their children and dogs, others about a vast array of topics. Some feel comfortable talking about their sex life at the table or depicting it in a painting, some would not even think about doing so. Not saying the truth might be a lie for one person, yet be a wise, diplomatic choice of the moment for another person. Stories shared among work colleagues might be less interesting than the licentious anecdotes shared among dearest friends. We all have stories—interesting stories, happy stories, strange stories, sad stories, bawdy stories, but when the story ends what remains alive are the emotions that have been awakened in us. When painting a personal story, we need to find a compelling idea or concept that allows us to awaken these same emotions in our spectators. Our approaches to the subject, our style, our technique and our use of colours to tap into emotions are our chosen mechanisms for expressing our concept or idea in a work of art.

As Alberti wrote in his Della Pittura, in a painting there is shape and content; the latter translated by istoria, the “story.” For us, the istoria is most important. By manipulating and painting your own stories you will learn how to master the technique—something that may have helped many self-taught artists. Your story may resemble my story, but since everyone is different, our choices of technique, colours, stroke, etc. will differ. Make an inventory of the most engaging, true stories of your life; it will help you to know yourself better and produce more personal works. Take the advantage of being unique to differentiate your paintings from the thousands others. We shall always remember that stories link us all.

This post is a follow-up of:

http://walkthearts.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/the-three-cs-in-art-concept-content-and-context-1/

Yves at the opening

Thanks to everyone for attending the opening of our show Palidrome: ecce  last Saturday March 17th. The exhibition features the works of ten artists who managed to create art palindromes trough canvases and video screens.  As in palindromes, the works aim to create perfect circles where one cannot distinguish the beginning from the end.  We had a great evening in the presence of all participating artists: Nancy Brandsma, Lost Paradigm, Kirill Popov, Robert Gougeon, Anne Swiderski, Peter Dolan, Anahita Ariyafar, Denis Pariseau, Beth Shepherd & Andrée St-Louis. We had a very enjoyable soirée, with lots of people, superb food and animated discussions!

I am very proud of my group of advanced art students and the contemporariness of their works! If you have a chance, please visit Palindrome: ecce on view until May 11 at La Nouvelle Scène in Ottawa (333, King Edward).

A man looking at Red 2 by Kirill Popov

More pictures at:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.414085255272386.113859.100000127461645&type=3&l=e0ebf10a78

My post on napkins!

“Commitment” in art is indeed the thriving force behind talent and a proof of true passion.

Just came out from visiting the Steins Collect at the Met in New York; I am writing this post of cafeteria napkins (on left).  This exhibit shows the crucial impact that Gertrude Stein and her family had in creating “a new standard of taste for modern art”. And I am wondering about the criterias behind the Steins’ lucid choice of unknown and even mocked artists, such as Picasso and Matisse, who would become art icons of the 20^th century. I would say that besides the family’s passion for art, vision and profound respect toward human creativity, they were aware that these artists were truly unique, passionate about their art and most important, fully committed to their work.

Among my advanced art students, I am starting to witness uniqueness and passion. In fact, I have managed to get a few of them into art galleries. However, what seems to miss is a decision to fully commit; so oblivion is just around the corner…

“Commitment” is indeed the thriving force behind talent and a proof of true passion!

Yves giving the talk

Art is just a matter of faith!

Lecture given by Prof. Yves M. Larocque in the context of New York Art Trip 2012 (March 8-11)

This lecture explores three elements—concept, content and context—through which we can explore and become more aware of the aesthetics (beauty and creativity) of a work of art.  Here a few excerpts:

“Several architect friends have told me that architecture is simpler than painting because it relies on clear laws of physics, including those related to gravity, mass and force, while in painting “there are no laws.” One day, one of my students knowing this called me to say that he had seen a painting with five vanishing points—which are points in a drawing or painting at which parallel lines appear to converge—and he wondered if it was okay to use so many points. My answer? It depends on several factors, the most important being the artist’s intention and knowledge. Did the artist aim to manipulate the pictorial space in that way, or did he do it with no knowledge of such points? Simply put, if the artist used multiple vanishing points while misinformed about the basic rules of perspective, then the painting was unskilfully executed. But if the artist decided to ignore the rules of perspective to convey a particular meaning through the painting, then it was all right. For example, Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon has many viewpoints, which is one of the reasons this large canvas ranks among the most revered works in art history. You can do anything in painting; it depends on choice and end result.”

“We may conclude that there is no absolute truth in the value of art. Art, like religion, is a matter of faith; faith in what you believe and in what you do as a painter.”

Murakami1, 20 foot tall inflatable sculpture of Murakami opening the Ego show

At the Al Riwaq Exhibition Hall in Qatar features 70 key works created since 1997, and more than a dozen new pieces that show the artist’s latest preoccupations on Japanese suffering after the March 2011 disaster. These new works depict the human being’s ego when faced with nature and aim to act as a reminder of the limitations of human condition.  Curated by Massimiliano Gioni, Director of next year’s Venice Biennale, the exhibition fills 7500 sq space with gigantic inflatable versions of the artist, spiraling statues, and seemingly endless mural paintings. The exhibition running until June 24  is also Murakami’s biggest one and his first in the Middle East.

Murakami is one of the world’s best-selling artists whose controversial manga sculpture, My Lonesome Cowboy sold for USD 15 million in May 2008. In addition, his company, Kaikai Kiki Co., employs about 70 staff members and artists who execute the artist vision and international brand. In a 2010 interview with Jonathan Wingfield from the Indepentent the Murakami declared: “Whether it’s Picasso’s paintings or mine, people want to know the answer to the same question: what is art? If in my lifetime I can in any way help define the answer, then it’ll be worth all the money I ever earn.”

By the way, if you are interested in receiving a “goody bag” that includes among others, a signed Murakami print by the artist, the artist opened a contest through Feb. 29 that requests that you press “like” on the Facebook page of the Qatar Museum Authority. The winner of the contest will be chosen at random.

Murakami, Arhat Painting (working title, 2012, acrylic gold and platinum on canvas, 303 x 1000 cm)

Peter talking about his Palindrome

Palindrome: ecce (part 1)

When returning from New York City last year, I have to admit that I was a bit frustrated to return to a city where community art instruction is still embedded in the old 19th century academic ways. Why teaching the same old stuff found in Barnes and Noble “how-to-paint” books, conventional Web sites and traditional art magazines? The “how-to” recipes are there; just use them.  But when taking an evening art class or an art workshop in Tuscany, why not trying to find an instructor that will make sure that you do not to repeat what you are already doing home? Or one who will stimulate you to envision art under a new 21st Century perspective?

This is why walkthearts is offering this year a brand new course at the Ottawa School of Art, entitled Resource/Palindrome. We believe that it is the very first class on digital art and painting offered in Canada at the community level.

Our Resource/Palindrome class will be showing at La Nouvelle Scène very soon. The exhibition will highlight the fascinating works of 10 students, who by the means of a video screen and a painting, managed to create a visual palindrome; one in which two different parts stand in one sole meaning. All works explore the hidden and fragile aspects of the human condition.

Getting ready for the show.

As in a palindrome, the artists explore the theme of wholeness, where one cannot distinguish the beginning from the end, thereby merging into a perfect circle.  This is the sacred path that the artist must take.

Here are 2 photographs of us getting ready for the exhibit in a few days. The Nouvelle Scene Bistro will inaugurate the exhibition Palindrome: Ecce on March 17, 2012.