straight
THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT • NOVEMBER 1-8
*m*£
THURSDAY.
Art That Works displays crafty, functional beauty
F
3 1
.!S..1^Y.1^.Vf^.^.1^.K...Z^..r....^..^.^!.X
Masque of the Plague Years
IRST THURSDAY offers up a visual feast November 7,
The grunt gallery and the Public Dreams Society team up t o revive Poe's timely fable of decadence and denial in the face of death
when \fcncouver Cultural Aliance member gaieties
with realizing those aspects of the work, he enlisted the co-operation of the Public Dreams Society, known for its participatory public-art spectacles. Paula Jardine, artistic director of Public Dreams, co-wrote the script with Alteen—working from the artists' statements—and will direct the performance. But Alteen isn't saying much about that, other than it is not like theatre as anybody would kne'v it. Not only the players—a mix of actors from alternative theatre groups and Independent performance artists—will be masked and in costume, but so will the audience, attending as the revellers at the ball. Alteen admits, with his trademark giggle, "The big 'if in this is what the audience is gonna do once you put them all in a mask. The audience has an opportunity to act like a.character, and how much t h e y , as a w h o l e , t a k e t h a t opportunity will really be fairly interesting.
and museums keep their doors open until 8 p.m. —free of charge—for visitors. The following is just a
BY N A O M I PAULS
sampling of the broad range of exhibits t o be seen.
W H H n c ^ s a y Macbeth is W^T a curse< J ptay>" sa ys 'Sa G l e n n A l t e e n , objects on display, which range from classic t o funky t o highSH lowering his voice, tech. Subtitled Decorative Arts of the Eighties Crafted in fcS "but I think I've America, the exhibit aims to show the various factors | g | come up with an —whether indigenous styles, imported aesthetics, or spaceI e v e r i mote cursed age materials—influencing American crafts during the past •fl one." He unclasps decade. To this end, it groups stylistically similar objects the chain around his neck to disaround themes such as European Modernism, Art Deco, play a small gold skull, complete Memphis Style, or Tradewinds from Asia. Despite the arbitrary with articulated jaw. He found it lying on the ground the same day he finally located—after much searching—a warehouse in which to produce his multi-disciplinary adaptation of Edgar AHan Poe's short story, "The Masque of the Red Death". An ongoing exhibinature of this classification, it succeeds brilliantly both as a tion featuring regular participatodesign tactic and an educational tool. The objects themselves, ry performances, The Masque of which include furniture, ceramics (eight terrific teapots!), the Red Death is open dally from glassware, weavings, and atverware, are always well-realized, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at. 1460 Burrard often whimsical, and—more often than not— simply stunStreet. 'Hie exhibition runs tor a ning. Art Tti.it Works continues until November 17.. LESS month, while performances take FUNCTIONAL, more purely abstract art may be found at the I place Thursday to Saturday from Alexander Gallery, where ones first impression is of having October. 31 to November 16. parachuted ; nto Gullivers toy-box Huge bright carcases by Spooky, frightening, even "My feeling is that if we can get Joseph Kyle—square, rectangular, and diamond-shaped— macabre...The Masque of the Red people to read the story, we can animate trie rijghxeilinged white gallery, their geometric Death is all those things. Yet the get people to participate. If you pianes of vibrant colour dancing to a distant tune. Paul Kyle, cackles of laughter that puncturead the story, I don't think you w h o runs the gallery, a excited about this latest series by his ate Alteen's discussion of his can help but go down and see prolific painter father—and not just because hes related, "it project indicate that, despite what's goin' on." epitomizes what contemporary art is aH about,* he explains. major set-backs and unnerving While Poe's 1842 story may Quiet contemplation of the works confirms his enthusiasm. coincidences {a close friend who have been based on a real With their immaculately smooth surfaces, precisely tuned was to have been involved in Parisian ball held a decade earlicolours, and carefully realized designs, these acrylics are perthe project is now dying of er during a cholera outbreak, his fectly balanced, yet far from static With a bold use of colour AIDS), he has not lost his sense dark fable about Prince Prosa n t r a r pi " n safer*-viaon, mis former cortducta strikes a powof humottl during the two years pero's denial of the Red Death erful, harmonious diord that resonates cairn and transcenit has taken to bring his dream resonates just as strongly today. dence. Kyle Se% paintings will be o n view until November to fruition. Alteen confesses, As Alteen says, "It's n o t just 17...0OWN T O EARTH and across t o w n , young Native between gulps of coffee and pulls AIDS. I mean, the cancer, the artists are voicing their o w n particular concerns in a group on consecutive cigarettes, that Resilient realist Glenn Arteen oversees the production of The Masque of the environmental stuff, all that show called Neo-Natrvists at the Pftt Gallery. The projects the process of administering 40 Red Death, an undertaking more cursed than Macbeth. Phillip Chin photo. stuff is a b o u t our d e n i a l to artistic director/curator Leonard Rsher, Jr., sporting a Wade staff, plus volunteers, has been an incredible 4,500-square-foot warehouse under the Bur- believe that we are coming to an end, that we chapeau and puffing o n a cigarette (no temple of high art, amount of work and that the major scope of rard Street Bridge. "Poe describes them as are consuming faster than it can grow back. the Pitt), says of the artists represented: "We're kind of piothe project has been a challenge for ail ballrooms," says A l t e e n , "so I really felt "There are certain messages on the wall that neering in a pop-cultural sense. We're trying to empower our involved. strongly that you had to feel a sense of spa- we choose not to read, like Prince Prospero. I own generation to feel free to say w h a t they want to say." It was the timeless quality of Poe's story, as ciousness in them." The rooms range in size mean, he really is us." Teresa MacPhees oversized Monopoly game instalation If it all sounds a bit bleak, Alteen has a well as its timely message about decadence from 450 to 900 square feet, and the artists (Kahnawake, price 500 years) —complete with Hudson Bay and denial in the face of death, that made had free rein to develop their own themes. caveat. "We're not planning to depress everyblanket "cards"—is easily accessible walk-on art especially Alteen want to bring it to life. "The story Marina Ssijarto, in the Blue Room, will one for months afterwards, or anything like favoured by children. Its blunt message about whites' isn't much," he says. "It's the way it's written, incorporate imagery based on a Guatemalan that," he says. "I think people will be ademonopoly over Native life is presented directly, but not w i t h more than anything. It's essentially just this graveyard and the Mexican Day of the Dead, quately amused by the whole thing and will out humour. And there is whimsy, too, in the car-part installamorality tale about this prince who locks while Steven Graham, in the Purple Room, maybe look at things a little differently than tion Auto Oka Frog by Fisher and Ride Harry. Sensitive India himself up in a castle and tries to avoid the will evoke the glitter clubs of the mid-'70s, they did before...maybe. Maybe not." ink and watercolour landscapes by Kim Soo Goodtradt plague, and has this big party, and has it in before the spectre of AIDS. The fearful Black And there's that cavalier laugh again—not downstairs in the Black Gallery are the least obviously political these seven r o o m s . " But it's t h e seven Room, by David Asmodeus, draped in black unlike the hoot of a resilient realist flying in the works in the show. Incorporating crackling suns and Cree velvet and housing the all-important clock, face of adversity or death.H rooms—each a different colour—that were, motifs, they are also the most traditional works in terms of as Alteen puts it, "the kicker", providing a will most closely resemble Poe's vivid yet content and format but do not suffer for their conventionality. visual hook on which to hang his rendition appropriately vague descriptions of the seven Due to the demanding scope of The Masque of the On the contrary, they evoke the true celebratory nature of this chambers. of the tale. Red Death, the grunt gallery will be closed for whole enterprise. Neo-Nativists continues through November 9, including three remaining evening performances. Alteen, curator of the grunt gallery, chose From the beginning, Alteen conceived The November's First Thursday art night. However, the seven artists to interpret each of the seven Masque of the Red Death as an interdisciplinary, November 7 Masque performance should serve as rooms, which have been constructed in a audience-participation production. To assist an adequate stand-in. • N A O M I PAULS Complete listings begm on page 32... ART THAT WORKS is the name of the Canadian Craft Museums current show,
but exquisite is the only word t o describe the more than 130
F I R S T THURSDAY notebook
F I R S T
T HI L I l * S D A Y
Do y o u have a gallery opening or art exhibit next month?
Advertise it in our monthly feature. Call
681-2000
^T H E• G E 0 R G I Am ^A_
straight
Burnaby Art Gallery
Debora K-M LIGHT AS MATERIAL sculpture through November 2 4
achromatism Black & White works from the Permanent Collection through November 24
Harley Parker 6344 Deer Lake Avenue Burnaby, B.C. V5G 2J3 Telephone 604.291.9441 Tuesday - Friday 9 - 5 Saturday - Sunday 12 - 5
Wotercolours: 1940-1990 November 28 through January 5 opening Thursday November 28, 5-9 prr Tour&Talk Sunday December 8, 1 pm
Wanda Koop Drawings on Canvas and Paper January 9 through February 16 opening Thursday January 9, 5-9pm Tour & Talk Sunday January 12, 1pm
*m*£
THURSDAY.
Art That Works displays crafty, functional beauty
F
3 1
.!S..1^Y.1^.Vf^.^.1^.K...Z^..r....^..^.^!.X
Masque of the Plague Years
IRST THURSDAY offers up a visual feast November 7,
The grunt gallery and the Public Dreams Society team up t o revive Poe's timely fable of decadence and denial in the face of death
when \fcncouver Cultural Aliance member gaieties
with realizing those aspects of the work, he enlisted the co-operation of the Public Dreams Society, known for its participatory public-art spectacles. Paula Jardine, artistic director of Public Dreams, co-wrote the script with Alteen—working from the artists' statements—and will direct the performance. But Alteen isn't saying much about that, other than it is not like theatre as anybody would kne'v it. Not only the players—a mix of actors from alternative theatre groups and Independent performance artists—will be masked and in costume, but so will the audience, attending as the revellers at the ball. Alteen admits, with his trademark giggle, "The big 'if in this is what the audience is gonna do once you put them all in a mask. The audience has an opportunity to act like a.character, and how much t h e y , as a w h o l e , t a k e t h a t opportunity will really be fairly interesting.
and museums keep their doors open until 8 p.m. —free of charge—for visitors. The following is just a
BY N A O M I PAULS
sampling of the broad range of exhibits t o be seen.
W H H n c ^ s a y Macbeth is W^T a curse< J ptay>" sa ys 'Sa G l e n n A l t e e n , objects on display, which range from classic t o funky t o highSH lowering his voice, tech. Subtitled Decorative Arts of the Eighties Crafted in fcS "but I think I've America, the exhibit aims to show the various factors | g | come up with an —whether indigenous styles, imported aesthetics, or spaceI e v e r i mote cursed age materials—influencing American crafts during the past •fl one." He unclasps decade. To this end, it groups stylistically similar objects the chain around his neck to disaround themes such as European Modernism, Art Deco, play a small gold skull, complete Memphis Style, or Tradewinds from Asia. Despite the arbitrary with articulated jaw. He found it lying on the ground the same day he finally located—after much searching—a warehouse in which to produce his multi-disciplinary adaptation of Edgar AHan Poe's short story, "The Masque of the Red Death". An ongoing exhibinature of this classification, it succeeds brilliantly both as a tion featuring regular participatodesign tactic and an educational tool. The objects themselves, ry performances, The Masque of which include furniture, ceramics (eight terrific teapots!), the Red Death is open dally from glassware, weavings, and atverware, are always well-realized, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at. 1460 Burrard often whimsical, and—more often than not— simply stunStreet. 'Hie exhibition runs tor a ning. Art Tti.it Works continues until November 17.. LESS month, while performances take FUNCTIONAL, more purely abstract art may be found at the I place Thursday to Saturday from Alexander Gallery, where ones first impression is of having October. 31 to November 16. parachuted ; nto Gullivers toy-box Huge bright carcases by Spooky, frightening, even "My feeling is that if we can get Joseph Kyle—square, rectangular, and diamond-shaped— macabre...The Masque of the Red people to read the story, we can animate trie rijghxeilinged white gallery, their geometric Death is all those things. Yet the get people to participate. If you pianes of vibrant colour dancing to a distant tune. Paul Kyle, cackles of laughter that puncturead the story, I don't think you w h o runs the gallery, a excited about this latest series by his ate Alteen's discussion of his can help but go down and see prolific painter father—and not just because hes related, "it project indicate that, despite what's goin' on." epitomizes what contemporary art is aH about,* he explains. major set-backs and unnerving While Poe's 1842 story may Quiet contemplation of the works confirms his enthusiasm. coincidences {a close friend who have been based on a real With their immaculately smooth surfaces, precisely tuned was to have been involved in Parisian ball held a decade earlicolours, and carefully realized designs, these acrylics are perthe project is now dying of er during a cholera outbreak, his fectly balanced, yet far from static With a bold use of colour AIDS), he has not lost his sense dark fable about Prince Prosa n t r a r pi " n safer*-viaon, mis former cortducta strikes a powof humottl during the two years pero's denial of the Red Death erful, harmonious diord that resonates cairn and transcenit has taken to bring his dream resonates just as strongly today. dence. Kyle Se% paintings will be o n view until November to fruition. Alteen confesses, As Alteen says, "It's n o t just 17...0OWN T O EARTH and across t o w n , young Native between gulps of coffee and pulls AIDS. I mean, the cancer, the artists are voicing their o w n particular concerns in a group on consecutive cigarettes, that Resilient realist Glenn Arteen oversees the production of The Masque of the environmental stuff, all that show called Neo-Natrvists at the Pftt Gallery. The projects the process of administering 40 Red Death, an undertaking more cursed than Macbeth. Phillip Chin photo. stuff is a b o u t our d e n i a l to artistic director/curator Leonard Rsher, Jr., sporting a Wade staff, plus volunteers, has been an incredible 4,500-square-foot warehouse under the Bur- believe that we are coming to an end, that we chapeau and puffing o n a cigarette (no temple of high art, amount of work and that the major scope of rard Street Bridge. "Poe describes them as are consuming faster than it can grow back. the Pitt), says of the artists represented: "We're kind of piothe project has been a challenge for ail ballrooms," says A l t e e n , "so I really felt "There are certain messages on the wall that neering in a pop-cultural sense. We're trying to empower our involved. strongly that you had to feel a sense of spa- we choose not to read, like Prince Prospero. I own generation to feel free to say w h a t they want to say." It was the timeless quality of Poe's story, as ciousness in them." The rooms range in size mean, he really is us." Teresa MacPhees oversized Monopoly game instalation If it all sounds a bit bleak, Alteen has a well as its timely message about decadence from 450 to 900 square feet, and the artists (Kahnawake, price 500 years) —complete with Hudson Bay and denial in the face of death, that made had free rein to develop their own themes. caveat. "We're not planning to depress everyblanket "cards"—is easily accessible walk-on art especially Alteen want to bring it to life. "The story Marina Ssijarto, in the Blue Room, will one for months afterwards, or anything like favoured by children. Its blunt message about whites' isn't much," he says. "It's the way it's written, incorporate imagery based on a Guatemalan that," he says. "I think people will be ademonopoly over Native life is presented directly, but not w i t h more than anything. It's essentially just this graveyard and the Mexican Day of the Dead, quately amused by the whole thing and will out humour. And there is whimsy, too, in the car-part installamorality tale about this prince who locks while Steven Graham, in the Purple Room, maybe look at things a little differently than tion Auto Oka Frog by Fisher and Ride Harry. Sensitive India himself up in a castle and tries to avoid the will evoke the glitter clubs of the mid-'70s, they did before...maybe. Maybe not." ink and watercolour landscapes by Kim Soo Goodtradt plague, and has this big party, and has it in before the spectre of AIDS. The fearful Black And there's that cavalier laugh again—not downstairs in the Black Gallery are the least obviously political these seven r o o m s . " But it's t h e seven Room, by David Asmodeus, draped in black unlike the hoot of a resilient realist flying in the works in the show. Incorporating crackling suns and Cree velvet and housing the all-important clock, face of adversity or death.H rooms—each a different colour—that were, motifs, they are also the most traditional works in terms of as Alteen puts it, "the kicker", providing a will most closely resemble Poe's vivid yet content and format but do not suffer for their conventionality. visual hook on which to hang his rendition appropriately vague descriptions of the seven Due to the demanding scope of The Masque of the On the contrary, they evoke the true celebratory nature of this chambers. of the tale. Red Death, the grunt gallery will be closed for whole enterprise. Neo-Nativists continues through November 9, including three remaining evening performances. Alteen, curator of the grunt gallery, chose From the beginning, Alteen conceived The November's First Thursday art night. However, the seven artists to interpret each of the seven Masque of the Red Death as an interdisciplinary, November 7 Masque performance should serve as rooms, which have been constructed in a audience-participation production. To assist an adequate stand-in. • N A O M I PAULS Complete listings begm on page 32... ART THAT WORKS is the name of the Canadian Craft Museums current show,
but exquisite is the only word t o describe the more than 130
F I R S T THURSDAY notebook
F I R S T
T HI L I l * S D A Y
Do y o u have a gallery opening or art exhibit next month?
Advertise it in our monthly feature. Call
681-2000
^T H E• G E 0 R G I Am ^A_
straight
Burnaby Art Gallery
Debora K-M LIGHT AS MATERIAL sculpture through November 2 4
achromatism Black & White works from the Permanent Collection through November 24
Harley Parker 6344 Deer Lake Avenue Burnaby, B.C. V5G 2J3 Telephone 604.291.9441 Tuesday - Friday 9 - 5 Saturday - Sunday 12 - 5
Wotercolours: 1940-1990 November 28 through January 5 opening Thursday November 28, 5-9 prr Tour&Talk Sunday December 8, 1 pm
Wanda Koop Drawings on Canvas and Paper January 9 through February 16 opening Thursday January 9, 5-9pm Tour & Talk Sunday January 12, 1pm
