ARCHIPELAGO
The AGGV’s unblinking Modern Eye > CLARE WALTON
PROVIDED
Lounge chair and ottoman, Strahan and Sturhan Upholsterers, Vancouver, c. 1954 sitting up on its hind legs, waiting for a treat. The lamp is bright red with a huge white, circular bulb and was created by Douglas Ball and John Berezowsky for Danesco Montreal out of acrylic and plastic. The lamp seems to embody the purpose of the exhibit. Odd shapes and colours, espe-
FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 10, 2011
CFUV TOP TEN
On Oct. 6, The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) hosted a lecture by Camosun College resident artist Caleb Speller. Speller, a young Canadian artist, spoke about modern do-ityourself art and showcased three of his works as part of the lecture series for The Modern Eye exhibition, which runs until Nov. 22. “[Canadian design] is all around us,” said Speller. “It is an inspirational source. Sometimes it is revered and other times it is tossed away.” The Modern Eye showcases craft and design in Canada from 1940 through 1980. During this time period, art took a modern form, moving away from classical ideals into the unconventional. The objects on display are modern in every sense: tapestries in bright blocks of colour, ceramics with varying designs and shapes as well as industrial or household pieces. Speller’s work was featured for one night only as a more contemporary take on modernism. He focuses on Canadian-made objects in his art. “Canadian Muscle” began as a drawing exercise but turned into a drawing series featuring objects from Canada’s industrious past. Speller drew objects that were created in Canada for consumption. One of the compelling drawings from this series was a sketch of Scripto Canada’s eraser-refill box. Scripto makes pencils for school children — the classic yellow pencils with pink erasers on their tops. The box had contained the eraser head replacements for the pencils, and the sketch illustrated how society no longer uses materials until they are depleted, but consumes constantly. Speller’s “Special Stones” was privately commissioned and featured arrowheads that were passed down three generations. Speller’s sketches of the arrowheads were
passed around for the audience to feel. The sketches had a three-dimensional quality that was readily apparent to the touch. To Speller, “Special Stones” represented a pre-industrial age. The artist imagined the speciality needed to create the arrowheads. Arrowhead quality was connected to the skill of an individual, and the artist imagined people travelling great distances to learn the skills and create these useful tools. Arrowheads are industrial items of Canada’s past that fit with the artist’s theme. The last project, tentatively named “Public Domains” or “Karsh Series,” was a series of collages that featured Speller’s take on famous Yousuf Karsh photos. Pictures had been cut up and placed in various ways to create an entirely different image. All parts of the original image were used to make the collages; any aspect of white space came from a Karsh piece. “Public Domains” was a visual reinterpretation of the past for Speller. The idea of taking an old item and renewing or reusing it to create a whole new interpretation fits with Speller’s idea of celebrating and utilizing the past in modern art. The Modern Eye includes works by prolific designers from many decades. Walking into the exhibit, viewers are greeted by a wallmounted coat rack made of simple metal with wooden knobs by Court Noxon of Metalsmiths Company Ltd. in Toronto. Another piece of interest is a green hoop chair from 1955 by John Hauser of John Hauser Ironwork Ltd., built in his original workshop in Kitchener. The chair consists of steel rod, plywood and upholstery and looks as if it could be purchased at NOOD (New Objects Of Desire) downtown. The chair is simple but futuristic with its fuzzy, moss-like green upholstery. A Glo-Up Lamp from 1969 looks like a dog
'*%#*.*#+%))
cially during these earlier time periods, were out of the ordinary and spoke to the change in society. To learn more about the exhibition or view a schedule of lectures and walking tours pertaining to The Modern Eye, visit the website: aggv.ca/exhibitions/modern-eye.
1. ZOLA JESUS Conatus (Sacred Bones) 2. WILCO The Whole Love (dbpm/Epitaph) 3. NEON INDIAN Era Extrana (Dine Alone) 4. MYTHS * Myths (Self-Released) 5. APPARAT The Devil’s Walk (Mute) 6. DUM DUM GIRLS Only In Dreams (Sub Pop) 7. ST. VINCENT Strange Mercy (4AD) 8. PARANOID CASTLE * Champagne Nightmares (Fake Four) 9. SLIM MOORE & THE MAR-KAYS * Introducing... (Marlow) 10. TALKDEMONIC Ruins (Glacial Pace)
* Canadian artist
+ local artist
CFUV
101.9 FM c f u v. u v i c . c a CFUV is an award winning campus/community radio station based at the University of Victoria. For more information about CFUV (including volunteering info, our program schedule, complete charts and much more) please visit us at: www.cfuv.uvic.ca twitter.com/cfuv facebook.com/CFUV101.9
Hear the weekly top ten on Charts and Graphs Tuesdays at 3:00PM on CFUV 101.9FM or online!
ARCHIPELAGO CANADIAN UNIVERSITY PRESS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 74
CO-HOSTED BY NEXUS (CAMOSUN COLLEGE) AND MARTLET (UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA)
JANUARY 11-15, 2012 · HARBOUR TOWERS HOTEL & SUITES VICTORIA, BC
16
MARTLET October 13, 2011
CULTURE
PROVIDED
Lounge chair and ottoman, Strahan and Sturhan Upholsterers, Vancouver, c. 1954 sitting up on its hind legs, waiting for a treat. The lamp is bright red with a huge white, circular bulb and was created by Douglas Ball and John Berezowsky for Danesco Montreal out of acrylic and plastic. The lamp seems to embody the purpose of the exhibit. Odd shapes and colours, espe-
FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 10, 2011
CFUV TOP TEN
On Oct. 6, The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) hosted a lecture by Camosun College resident artist Caleb Speller. Speller, a young Canadian artist, spoke about modern do-ityourself art and showcased three of his works as part of the lecture series for The Modern Eye exhibition, which runs until Nov. 22. “[Canadian design] is all around us,” said Speller. “It is an inspirational source. Sometimes it is revered and other times it is tossed away.” The Modern Eye showcases craft and design in Canada from 1940 through 1980. During this time period, art took a modern form, moving away from classical ideals into the unconventional. The objects on display are modern in every sense: tapestries in bright blocks of colour, ceramics with varying designs and shapes as well as industrial or household pieces. Speller’s work was featured for one night only as a more contemporary take on modernism. He focuses on Canadian-made objects in his art. “Canadian Muscle” began as a drawing exercise but turned into a drawing series featuring objects from Canada’s industrious past. Speller drew objects that were created in Canada for consumption. One of the compelling drawings from this series was a sketch of Scripto Canada’s eraser-refill box. Scripto makes pencils for school children — the classic yellow pencils with pink erasers on their tops. The box had contained the eraser head replacements for the pencils, and the sketch illustrated how society no longer uses materials until they are depleted, but consumes constantly. Speller’s “Special Stones” was privately commissioned and featured arrowheads that were passed down three generations. Speller’s sketches of the arrowheads were
passed around for the audience to feel. The sketches had a three-dimensional quality that was readily apparent to the touch. To Speller, “Special Stones” represented a pre-industrial age. The artist imagined the speciality needed to create the arrowheads. Arrowhead quality was connected to the skill of an individual, and the artist imagined people travelling great distances to learn the skills and create these useful tools. Arrowheads are industrial items of Canada’s past that fit with the artist’s theme. The last project, tentatively named “Public Domains” or “Karsh Series,” was a series of collages that featured Speller’s take on famous Yousuf Karsh photos. Pictures had been cut up and placed in various ways to create an entirely different image. All parts of the original image were used to make the collages; any aspect of white space came from a Karsh piece. “Public Domains” was a visual reinterpretation of the past for Speller. The idea of taking an old item and renewing or reusing it to create a whole new interpretation fits with Speller’s idea of celebrating and utilizing the past in modern art. The Modern Eye includes works by prolific designers from many decades. Walking into the exhibit, viewers are greeted by a wallmounted coat rack made of simple metal with wooden knobs by Court Noxon of Metalsmiths Company Ltd. in Toronto. Another piece of interest is a green hoop chair from 1955 by John Hauser of John Hauser Ironwork Ltd., built in his original workshop in Kitchener. The chair consists of steel rod, plywood and upholstery and looks as if it could be purchased at NOOD (New Objects Of Desire) downtown. The chair is simple but futuristic with its fuzzy, moss-like green upholstery. A Glo-Up Lamp from 1969 looks like a dog
'*%#*.*#+%))
cially during these earlier time periods, were out of the ordinary and spoke to the change in society. To learn more about the exhibition or view a schedule of lectures and walking tours pertaining to The Modern Eye, visit the website: aggv.ca/exhibitions/modern-eye.
1. ZOLA JESUS Conatus (Sacred Bones) 2. WILCO The Whole Love (dbpm/Epitaph) 3. NEON INDIAN Era Extrana (Dine Alone) 4. MYTHS * Myths (Self-Released) 5. APPARAT The Devil’s Walk (Mute) 6. DUM DUM GIRLS Only In Dreams (Sub Pop) 7. ST. VINCENT Strange Mercy (4AD) 8. PARANOID CASTLE * Champagne Nightmares (Fake Four) 9. SLIM MOORE & THE MAR-KAYS * Introducing... (Marlow) 10. TALKDEMONIC Ruins (Glacial Pace)
* Canadian artist
+ local artist
CFUV
101.9 FM c f u v. u v i c . c a CFUV is an award winning campus/community radio station based at the University of Victoria. For more information about CFUV (including volunteering info, our program schedule, complete charts and much more) please visit us at: www.cfuv.uvic.ca twitter.com/cfuv facebook.com/CFUV101.9
Hear the weekly top ten on Charts and Graphs Tuesdays at 3:00PM on CFUV 101.9FM or online!
ARCHIPELAGO CANADIAN UNIVERSITY PRESS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 74
CO-HOSTED BY NEXUS (CAMOSUN COLLEGE) AND MARTLET (UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA)
JANUARY 11-15, 2012 · HARBOUR TOWERS HOTEL & SUITES VICTORIA, BC
16
MARTLET October 13, 2011
CULTURE
