A Visit to the Art Gallery of Alberta
I love visiting art galleries. It is one of my favorite things to do. Typically, I either leave inspired or disappointed, sometimes neutral. I use the word ‘inspired’ when I’ve seen some truly interesting work that revs me up to get into my own studio, regardless of whether the artwork I saw was paintings, sculpture, photography or instillation art, – or – ‘disappointed’ because I failed to connect with the curator’s vision or the work simply didn’t speak to me.
Claude Tousignant, “Gong” 1966, acrylic on canvas, The Double Bind: Conversations Between Modernism and Postmodernism
Art is so personal. It’s okay to love it – just like it’s okay to hate it. Different art forms/artists/concepts/etc. speak to different people, each in their own unique way.
My recent visit to the Art Gallery of Alberta was a mix. The Jack Bush exhibit was fascinating and I learned so much. I’m eager to find a biography of Bush’s life. If anyone has read a good one, please let me know! The Modern/Postmodern show was a bit confusing. The description to differentiate the successive artistic periods was excellent, but I was hoping the visuals exhibited would bring the words to life. Unfortunately, the gallery room was a bit sparse.
Jack Bush
May 30 – August 23, 2015
The Double Bind: Conversations Between Modernism and Postmodernism
May 2 – September 13, 2015
If you make it out to any of the Art Gallery of Alberta shows, let me know what you think!
Have you seen any interesting exhibits lately?
Here are some photos from the visit:
Jack Bush exhibit at the Art Gallery of Alberta
The Double Bind: Conversations Between Modernism and Postmodernism
Sculpture by Barbara Hepworth, The Double Bind: Conversations Between Modernism and Post Modernism, Art Gallery of Alberta
Brian Jungen, “Companion” 2013, steel, deer hide, Audi fenders, freezer
Want to learn about Word-and-Image Relationships?
Right now I am teaching students at Lesley University about word-and-image. It is my graduating student seminar and the culmination of both diligent research and a personal passion. We live in a visually engaged society and creative people of all kinds would do well to look into the future. Where are we headed? I believe part of that answer includes multi-genre, multi-media, and multi-medium artwork and collaborations.
If you would like to attend one of my workshops or bring them to your city or center, please email me at info@alexismariechute.com. Here is the information about my word-and-image seminar:
The Art of Writing: Exploring Word-and-Image Pairings in Contemporary Literature
By Alexis Marie Chute
Is a picture really worth a thousand words? What happens when imagery and text combine?
In an age of visual communication, it is important for writers to reflect on the dynamic relationship between words and images. In this interactive seminar we will discuss the ways writers might capitalize on visual material to strengthen their craft. We will explore the word-image relationships in children’s books, graphic novels, hybrid novels, photograph/art books, magazines, comics, literary journals and advertisements. Through these discussions, students will learn strategies for pairing words and images, observe what works and what doesn’t, and be inspired to expand the scope of their own writing projects – whether they include visual elements or not.
Writers of any genre will benefit from this workshop.
Please come prepared to write and flex your creative muscles.
No artistic abilities needed.
Win Free Tickets to the Edmonton Home and Garden Show
The Edmonton Home and Garden Show kicked off yesterday and what a fun event! I painted live and had passers-by peering over my shoulders watching the painting progress. I’m in an area called The M(art)ket with other creative folks; painters, photographers and crafters. My booth numbers are 1373 and 1474 in hall B.
Come visit me and find some art for your space!
I have tickets to give away to the Home Show and am doing a random draw from NEW WEBSITE SUBSCRIBERS FROM TODAY. So, if you want free tickets please click here and subscribe. Enter your name and email address at the bottom of my homepage. With the subscription you will receive tasteful and timely notifications of my blog posts about upcoming exhibitions and other fun artsy events and features to check out.
Subscribe today to be in the running for Edmonton Home and Garden Show tickets!
Subscribe at the bottom of my homepage.
Also, visit me on Twitter where I’m running another competition for free tickets. My handle is @_Alexis_Marie
The theme of the home show is: Real Advice, Real Inspiration, Real Experts. In that line of thought, please comment below on what inspires you. For me as an artist, I find inspiration in nature, in its colours, textures and movement.
Happy Friday everyone! And good luck!
Edmonton Home and Garden Show:
Friday, March 20 – Noon to 9pm
Saturday, March 21 – 10am to 9pm
Sunday, March 22 – 10am to 5pm
Edmonton Expo Centre
7517-118 Avenue NW
Check out my artist business information on the home show website, click here.
I will also be offering consultations for personalized art commissions – the perfect way to get amazing art with a story behind it.
Exhibiting at the Edmonton Home and Garden Show
I am excited to announce that I will be exhibiting and selling my art at the Edmonton Home and Garden Show! This will be a fun new venue for my paintings and photography. I’m located in a special feature called M(ART)KET. There I will sell my original paintings (new, never before seen artwork!) and offer commissions.
Here’s where to find me:
Edmonton Home and Garden Show 2015
Alexis Marie Art Booths:
#1373 & #1474 (Beside each other)
Location:
Northlands, Edmonton Expo Centre
113 Avenue & Wayne Gretzky Drive (76th St)
Edmonton, AB T5J 2N5
780-378-5547
Parking:
Northlands controls all on-site parking.
The cost is $15.00 and there are over 700 parking spots available.
Hours:
Thursday, March 19, 2015 – Noon to 9:00 pm
Friday, March 20, 2015 – Noon to 9:00 pm
Saturday, March 21, 2015 – 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday, March 22, 2015 – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Tickets:
$15/person at show doors ($12 online)
$12/Seniors at show doors ($9 online)
Children 12 years of age and under are free
Click here to purchase tickets.
I hope to see you at the show!
Over the next two weeks I will post previews of the artwork I will be selling at the show. Stay tuned!
What you see is not always what you get at the Art Institute Chicago
I recently visited Chicago to speak at a conference about the healing properties of visual art. Of course spending hours in the renowned Art Institute of Chicago was top on my list once the conference was over. I will write more about my visit to the Art Institute in next week’s post, but for now I want to share a fun moment I had while perusing the different galleries within the museum.
This one particular artwork caught my eye. It was brightly coloured and stood out because of its texture. It looked like used chewing gum stuck together on a surface and the overall effect had a pixilated appearance. My first reaction was to walk up to it so my nose was a foot away and inspect.
“What is that? I don’t think its gum but what… Hmm…” I said to my husband.
I took a step back. And another step. Then my eyes grew wide.
“There’s a face in there!” I said loudly in the joy of discovery. Some other art patrons leaned back as well and then nodded.
It turns out the artwork is called, “Woman with Halo and Sceptre,” (1972) and the strange textural effect is created through acrylic, cotton and Rhoplex on canvas. Rhoplex is an acrylic emulsion for sealing the work.
What I find so interesting with this piece is that the material choice beckoned me closer and closer, to become intimate with the shapes and textures. At the same time, while standing so close the image of the woman was impossible to decipher, thus allowing for the aha moment later on.
I love aha moments.
Surprises are good in art; they keep the viewer from getting lazy, maintain a visual dialogue and stimulate creative logic.
What you see is not always what you get – sometimes it’s more.
Once I stepped back from the artwork and saw the woman, I could no longer approach the piece without seeing her. My mind had assimilated the colorful acrylic cotton balls and made sense of it. Still, I loved the early observations where my eyes searched for meaning. And it was wildly satisfying when I found it.
Find out more about this artwork by Joe Zucker.
Artists of Many Mediums
I am a multi-medium artist. For this I have no apology.
Recently I found the framed article that I was given when I was named a “Sizzling Twenty Under 30” by Edmontonians Magazine. In rereading the article, one line popped out at me:
“She is noted for her unique way of mixing different art and media forms… deftly combining photography, painting, drawing and even adding pieces with her sewing machine.”
Some things never change. My mixed media compulsion is a part of who I am, inseparable from my artistic practice and unrelenting to the critics that exhort, “Pick one medium and stick with it.”
Yes, it’s true that if one spreads themselves too thin, the whole can suffer. Yet, if that someone can excel in different areas, I believe they should carry on. Even if they fail, so what? They tried. Freedom to experiment and think outside the box are values I cherish in my work and I encourage others to embrace as well. Honestly, it’s a reflection of our times. What job out there is singular in its focus? Not many I wager. People are expected to multitask whether they like it or not. (I happen to like it.)
I love the variety of my artistic approaches. When a concept calls to me, I respond by creating artwork that makes sense – which may be wood sculpture, painting, photography, writing or a combination of them all. I am not suggesting every artist juggle all these mediums, but it’s my style – and I chose to believe in myself and understand that not everyone will appreciate my work (though I am immensely grateful for those that do).
My current exhibition at Harcourt House Gallery and Artist Run Centre (on until November 29, 2013 before it travels to Calgary in February 2014) reflects my style to a tee. Many artistic mediums interconnect to form “The Quiet Rebuild,” a visual (and literary) picture of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of hardship.
The issue of being ‘mixed-medium’ was referenced in the latest issue of Vanity Fair (December 2013) in the article, “Paint by Numbers,” by Mark Stevens. The article asked the question, “Who is the greatest living artist?” The survey of top individuals in the field resulted with a list of some of the most incredible and visionary artists of our time. The top six included:
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Gerhard Richter
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Jasper Johns
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Richard Serra
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Bruce Nauman
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Cindy Sherman
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Ellsworth Kelly
I was wildly encouraged by Stevens’ article as he commented on some of the artists that made the top of the list. Gerhard Richter is commended for being a “chameleon” of artistic styles within his painting and that his shift between approaches in his work does not diminish any of it. Stevens wrote, of Richter’s varied artistic style: “He contains contraries, as if no single net can capture the whole truth.”
“Paint by Numbers” Vanity Fair article by Mark Stevens, Dec 2013
Stevens’ article also discussed the multi-faceted approach of Bruce Nauman. Stevens’ wrote: “[Nauman] is not confined to any medium, but adapts his methods to his meanings, shifting easily among performance, video and installations.”
“Paint by Numbers” Vanity Fair article by Mark Stevens, Dec 2013
I hope to one day be included on a list like the one in Vanity Fair, but for now it gives me solace that many of the great living art icons do not limit themselves to one medium. They have branched out, experimented, and rebuked any notion of solidarity of approach. These artists encourage me to stay the course and believe in my work.
Click here to see Vanity Fair’s image gallery of the top 6 artists.
Click here to see who else made the list in the top living artist poll.
Drawing Hearts for my Son – The Art of Struggle
Artwork: “Wanted, Chosen, Planned” Mixed Media, September 2010 © Alexis Marie Chute
I was well over halfway to my due date when doctors discovered that my unborn child had a large tumor around his heart. This news began a month and a half of daily testing to determine if there was anything that could be done. There wasn’t and my son Zachary passed away shortly after he was born.
During the month and a half before Zachary’s birthday and death day, I made art. I made art based on the news we were given and the new world of medical technology and imaging that was opened up to me. I was so overwhelmed on a daily basis that art became my therapy. It was a means for me to think about our situation in an effort to make sense of it all. I now know I will never understand the “why” of this tragedy but that creating art in that time was a helpful means to cope.
As the main issue with my son’s condition was the tumor around his heart, I began to draw anatomical hearts using black pen. I made three copies of my favorite drawing using a laser printer and painted three backdrops in flowing reds and blues, two colours associated with blood flow that I watched in real time on the monitor during many fetal echocardiograms of my son’s heart.
I did gel transfers to apply the hearts to the paintings, the abstracted reds and blues of the painted backgrounds showing through the images. I applied a sheer aqua fabric to the areas surrounding the hearts, sewing it on with red thread which I let hang loosely in certain places. The blue, water like effect, references the fact that a heart that is not beating properly, as in the case of my son, causes fluid to build up in a person’s body.
Black bars along the bottom of the compositions anchor the three pieces together and reveal the words that constantly ran through my brain as I struggled in the helplessness of trying to save my son. Wanted. Chosen. Planned. These three concepts became my mantra, my prayer during that dark time.
Have you used art to help work through a struggle? Please share your experience.
