Shakespear: The Missing Link

Ann Henderson recently visited the University of Lethbridge and presented a talk on her experiences as an artist and filmmaker. Ann has been working in film for over twenty-five years and to her credit has received awards both regional and internationally. Currently based out of Montreal her predominant interests lie in giving a narrative to both human rights and various cultures. Ann explains the process in which documentary films produced today have been drastically changed since the inception of high definition. The cost of devices that enable one to work in the medium of film, have opened the door to almost anybody with an idea and story to tell. “Today is the best of times and the worst of times for the documentary film industry. Anybody is able to make a film, camera’s are available everywhere. We can all attempt to tell a story, also this causes a sort of congested space of irrelevant stories.” I find her ability to adopt this shift in technology and embrace it in her work very important in today’s film context. Ann belives that despite this shift that “choosing a subject is still about sixty percent of the battle. Finding something that will translate into a story.” One of Ann’s most recognized documentary films and the work she highlighted during her lecture is “The Battle of Wills”. This two thousand and three documentary centres around the debate over claims made by a Canadian man Lloyd Sullivan that he had the only known painting of Shakespeare ever produced while living. Now this is not to say that this claim has not been made before. The Chandos portrait was another image that has made claim as the only known living image of Shakespeare. This statment started a chain of events that would immerse Ann into a journey to uncover the truth. Ann states “ I was drawn to the story and got in touch with the man and soon found myself competing with four other production company’s who each were attempting to produce the story behind the work. Upon receiving the rights to produce the documentary film Ann was able to entice many well-known actors to star in the production. This was crucial for Ann as she points out “ my mission was to take the painting and decode the story that lied within the work.” Adding context and attempting to prove that this painting was authentic soon became the goal of the documentary. To prove this painting was authentic Ann explains, “ You must date the wood and pigment used to the time in which Shakespeare would have lived. Also the dress and style of the pose must also be supported” After being showen various excerpts of the documentary in which the painting was put through a battery of tests and passed with flying colours I was surprised when Ann added you must also prove its provenance. Not being familiar with this term I was enlightened as Ann stated, “the provenance is whether there are any documents and records produced during the period in question that support the existence of the painting. I find this point particularly fascinating because as a quote from her documentary explains “ science cannot create truth but rather be a supportive tool in the quest for authenticity. This modern day mystery certainly has sparked a great debate within the art community as well as contemporary society. Ann explains “Society does enjoy the portraiture, there is something about looking into the face we all feel we have a connection to with the personality of the subject. There is something very revealing about the image of a portrait and its attempt to capture a moment in time. There is this modern preoccupation of the portrait.” This is especially evident with Shakespeare because of what this single individual has contributed to our culture today. Many of the terms and phrases used in the English language can be traced back to his works. I can understand the controversy that exists within this documentary, but also appreciate Ann’s attempt to discover what the portrait of genius looks like. As the push for globalization and the increased ability to share and exchange information continues I feel this documentary only adds to the mystery that surrounds one of the most influential people in history.

Curating

           During the most recent lecture in the Art Now lecture series Candice Hopkins discussed the challenges and rewards of co-curating an aboriginal exhibition in the Royal Ontario Museum. As a curator the first step in preparing to group and organize an exhibition is understanding the space. The new addition to the Royal Ontario Museum as Candice points out “you either love it… or hate it” On the outside you are confronted with architecture that appears very dreamlike and whimsical as Candice elaborates “the building  joins the old with the new almost bypassing the past and being confronted with the future. The space affected the display of the exhibition, there are no ninety degree walls and you enter into the gallery with a distorted sense of volume. You can find yourself beginning to focus more on the power of the architecture than the art. This is often a problem in many modern gallery spaces as architects have taken the liberty of creating spaces that are so visually stimulating that they often distract from the display of the art work.  To combat this Candice found she was very interested in the careful selection of each piece of art work, and the relationship between the past and the present. This constant juxtaposition is a theme that seemed to define the exhibition as it began to unfold.

         Candice is quick to point out that “The act of curating and the act of an exhibition is to create a frame for the work to be viewed, create a lens without altering the artwork while being as transparent as possible.” As selection began of the artworks that would become the focal point of the exhibition great care and attention was taken in looking at the authenticity of the work in respect to native culture and representation. Artist were chosen and work selected such as Paul King, Candice states” He was the first artist to travel and document a changing culture, documenting a vanishing race.” Also Nanok of the North a documentary of the native’s in the north. This film was particularly relevant in theme of balancing the past with the present as it depicts the first encounter of a record player with the native culture. Ironically as Candice points out towards the end of filming the native people became more familiar with repairing and operating of the record player than their European counterparts. This film was also important because prior to this many films depicted the life of native people through re-enactments and did not truly portray a culture.

                Candice closes in saying “the end goal of the space was to evaluate the institutions interaction with the First Nation people, and their ability to access the art” Many good things came as a result of this contemporary display of First Nation's art and artifacts, a new residency program was implemented as well a dialog  started between the gallery and the First Nation's people that had not existed prior. Despite all the struggles and rewards Candice points out that being a good curator is “being a good diplomat of the arts” Her experiences describe a great example of the many challenges faced when attempting to represent a culture through art and artifacts. Removing ones expectations and bias is key in presenting a transparent view of a culture and their traditions. Finally, on a personal note I felt the talk could have been split into two lectures, as the amount of information seemed somewhat overwhelming at times.

               

Language

Laurel Woodcock is a familiar face to the University of Lethbridge as she spent a short time teaching at the University in the early ninety’s. Laurel’s work primarily deals with themes such as the use of everyday language and addressing the problems and possibilities that exist with it. The first work Laurel showed was titled “wish you were here”, the work included a plane that was hired to fly around and display a banner with the text “wish you were here” trialing behind.  After the experience had been documented Laurel followed up with an installation focusing on the impossibility of the phrase. She points out “wish you were here” is invoking a feeling from the viewer that can’t be obtained or meet. The idea that you can’t be there really interests Laurel.  She affirms this by stating “this is an impossible proposal that not only engages artist but non artist as well.”

The second work that Laurel showed was a video piece of her inflating many balloons and tying them to a chair. Laurel was interested in the process and the result of attempting to lift this chair and not so much having a successful result. As she sates “I enjoy using objects that project a certain visual language… I am interested in the effort it takes to create something… but then the thing fails… I enjoy confronting the idea of chance in my work.”

Continuing her investigation of language she shifted her work to more sculptural pieces. The work “abbreviated words” was created in part with her interest in manipulating language. The idea of taking words that are unfinished and attempting to associate meaning with contradicting phrases interested Laurel. The work “on a clear day” was a great example of her attempt to manipulate language and associate new meanings.  The piece was the phrase “on a clear day” cut from sheet steal and painted blue.  What made this work interesting was half the phrase was not visible to the viewer. So the viewing experience and the interpretation of the language were very contradicting. The distortion of language is a constant theme that is present in Laurel’s work.

I find Laurel’s work very interesting as she attempts to manipulate  language which appears from the outside very static, and translates this into video documentation and three dimensional works. When language is presented in this way your perception of words and specifically language are changed. I find myself looking beyond the written word and sounds that language possesses, and her work compels me to re-evaluate my understanding of language and how it’s interpreted.

Aboriginal art

On October twelve Steve Loft visited the University of Lethbridge and did a talk addressing the successes and challenges contemporary aboriginal artists face today. Steve is currently the curator of the National Gallery of Aboriginal Art, he works in both video and multimedia art forms.  Steve reflected on a recent trip he made to Germany to participate in an exhibition highlighting aboriginals. To his surprise upon entering the space he was bombarded with many stereotypical items such as chewing tobacco, cigarette ads and beef jerky logos. To Steve’s surprise the curator did not seem to understand that to aboriginals these symbols were very degrading and racist. Needless to say the conversation between the two became very heated.  Steve came away understanding that in parts of the world the aboriginal communities are still viewed as “the Indians” and there is still this tendency to have a romanticized view of a culture that  deals with a “cultural genocide” as Steve points out.

                The work that  aboriginal artists are producing today address many of these cultural stereotypes and the impact they have on truly understanding a culture and its peoples.  A song was played that consisted of traditional aboriginal music with a hip hop overlaid. The song made many strong references to stereotypes and the social issues many aboriginals deal with today. This work I find interesting because it is a response by contemporary artist to address the past and the present while connecting with the listener. Steve explains that many representations of aboriginals have been misrepresented and distorted throughtout  history. For example, many images that exist today of generations past are being discredited and viewed in this light. Steve explains “the idea of the Indian has long since been used as political and social tool, for example the warrior, the stoic or the drunk.” Images of aboriginals still appear today in commercialized society, which was  very apparent when he visited the German exhibition.  It is important to understand that progress has been made, but there are still hurdles that must be overcome in order to break this cycle of misrepresentation.

                The work of Jeff Thomas illustrates this point as well,  he uses images that appear to give a one dimensional view of a cultural and as Steve explains attempts to “liberate the Indian and extend them beyond the image. Jeff takes images and attempts to confront cultural stereotypes and explore where history has placed the aboriginal. The last group of works Steve highlighted during his talk was a series of images referencing aboriginal masks. Traditional aboriginal masks are carved from trees and attempt to tell a story. The artist addresses how aboriginals see themselves when so many people think of the stereotypes. Steve adds “they attempt to replace an absence with a presence”

                I find that contemporary artists today have many challenges dealing with the cause and effects that their culture has had to deal with since the introduction of colonialism. This generation of artist must learn to balance the present in their work and not forget how the past directly and indirectly informs their work. Steve agrees and states in closing “artists today are attempting to reconstruct the narrative and manifest a new reality at the same time not being afraid to relate themselves with their colonial history.” This talk affirms that aboriginals and specifically artists continue to address and deconstruct the past in attempts to break free from any misrepresentation of their culture.

Advertising and Art

Simon Howell began his career covering the arts for many years. He decided after many years that he wanted to make a shift, a cleansing of his professional palate. Simon choose the field of advertising and  soon discovered that our culture and language were being manipulated by large advertising agencies. Today advertising agencies are attempting to relate their brand and products to a story. This story uses emotions and attempts to invoke certain feelings in order to sell their idea. Simon elaborates on this idea by using the example of a Tim Horton's commercial. The commercial depicts a father and his son together at a hockey rink reminiscing on childhood memories of growing up in Canada. The father appears to be an immigrant to Canada and his son now has a child of his own playing hockey. The commercial on the exterior appears to emulate a heritage moment relying on a certain amount of sentimental feelings in the development of their story. I found myself viewing this commercial not as an avenue to sell coffee, but rather feeling some sort of cultural connection and understanding of this family's hardships and experience in being immigrants to Canada. Simon points out this is often the goal of advertisers to use the story as a platform for commercials.
        Today it is often very hard to look anywhere in society and not be bombarded with an advertising pitch. Company's are beginning to employ artists, who are  creating collaborative works to be displayed in public spaces in order to pitch their product. This tactic I find particularly disheartening because society is being coerced into believing these images, sculptures, or performances have no ulterior motive. The phrase "a wolf in sheep's clothing" comes to mind while I was listening to Simon discuss this new form of medium advertisers are embarking on. 
        With the advent of social networking sites and  the Internet becoming more of a conversation of opinions and shared information, advertising is attempting to use this platform to their benefit. Simon states " people want their commercials on their own terms...they also want to share and post ads" Taking advantage of this constant sharing of information by advertisers is important, because today most of the time company's would spent to inject their content into main stream society is being done by us. Simon uses a great example of the "old spice guy" commercial. This commercial was so well received, that it spawned its own Facebook page, was shared by millions of people and created a subculture of people doing parody's. The events and content that was created after the release of the commercial on television shows just how effective the sharing of information within a community can be in promoting a brand. Essentially this effect is an advertisers dream, almost like a virus, the story within the ad becomes part of our contemporary culture. Simon affirms this idea by stating " companies are finally realizing that their brands do not belong to them rather they exist in the experience each one of us shares with the product." I find this point particularly interesting because we all associate experiences we have in life with the products we associate with.  In turn we pass judgment and make choices on purchases based on these experiences.
      With the increased push in many countries towards globalization, Simon asks " should there be some sort of government regulations with regards to content in commercials?" I feel that regulation with respect to the ethical and moral portrayal of content is necessary. Otherwise I think we will find ourselves  turning into a society whose culture is defined by the advertising agencies that disseminate this content. As advertising continues to infiltrate our everyday lives I feel our society will find it harder to define values and cultural heritage and that they are not simply stories told by advertiser in an attempt to sell us their product.

Alexander Irving

         Alexander Irving is a painter that is interested in connecting with art history and creating a dialog in his work. His early works consists of a series of small balls with bumps arranged in various patterns. The work is small and each ball tests the edge of the surface. He never intended to work in a series, rather each piece led into another and from nineteen ninety eight until two thousand and six he considers these works almost like a diary. His interest in neon and the animating quality it possessed led him to create a series of works focused on alcohol. Alexander was interested in how alcohol created this cloud or haze when consumed. He was interested in the two edge nature of alcohol and  in how it breaks down barriers but also creates barriers. Investigating this interest he installed a work that invited the viewer to look through a small hole in the wall, where you are confronted with a mini bar. This work invokes a tantalizing feeling as you were unable to reach it, only imagine what it would be like to experience it.
        He continued to enjoy drawing compulsively being very playful with his drawings. Alexander spent a large portion of his life in Montreal and was influenced by Expo eighty six. The decaying state of this extravagant display of art and technology lead him into a series of small drawings. The drawings consisted of small little shacks just big enough for one person. He was commenting on the decay of the modernist idea, indicating a sort of presence,working with circles again it was almost like a self portrait.
      Alexander was asked during his presentation where do his idea come from? He stated " eventually something will just come of letting ideas happen" I found this comment very relevant in my own practice, as often I find myself stuck attempting to construct ideas for new works. This belief that if you don't over analyze things then inspiration will soon materialize, is very comforting coming from an established artist. He also explained "it is up to ourselves to build opportunity's" this point I also found very interesting, as an artist you must be a master of self promotion and the ability to sell oneself I feel is very important in this profession.
     Finally, Alexander Irving's  work is a great example of an artist and educator. He enjoys working on a subject until he has exhausted all visual and conceptual avenues.

History of Conceptual Art In Canada

      Since nineteen sixty Conceptual Art in Canada has been rich with history. The art  produced at this time became very political and socially motivated. On a large global scale many areas of Canada have had an effect on this movement. For example, each geographic region had its own set of unique artists that influenced this movement. Many countries around the world looked at Conceptualism as a global movement. Creating a show that embodied all of these influential artists was a massive undertaking, there was a need for primary research in  provinces, archives, interviews, photographs, and collections with  all information collected and put into an online resource.
         This archive contains over five thousand entries and allows you to search by year, artist and  gallery. This allowed Canadian Art Historians the ability to take a closer look at comparing Canadian and European conceptual artists. The movement got much of its momentum from the emergence and effect of new technologies, environments and changes in society. Each region of the country has its own influences on the conceptual movement.
         For example the question of regionalism was brought up in Quebec with regards to the distribution of paintings. The idea of video experimentation was also introduced to Ontario during this time. The Art in Vancouver was very anti structure, attempting to break down the barrier of art and life. In the Prairies many performance pieces were produced, dealing with chance and using everyday objects.
        Conceptual art was the defining edge on the world stage, art that would interact with the environment and embrace the idea of anti culture. The idea of networking was an important idea that came from Conceptualism, and  engaging with other artists from  around the world was an important process in the art making.