Saturday, April 18, 2015

the Molecule Mural - UPDATE

Phase One - Cafeteria installation Complete


here is actual evidence of the mural I'm working on at Northview,

I've done all of the jig saw work cutting the pieces and some of Mr. Belanger's students have cut the foundation - anchor discs. Students volunteering for their community hours have done the prepping and painting of the wooden pieces.

A total of 5 components (clusters) have been installed on the north wall of the cafeteria.
They are modular in nature and are composed of cut out 1/4 inch plywood molecules (underlay flooring material) with thermal colour prints mounted on black and white foam core and / or  'Plasti-core'.

All of the artworks that will be fixed to the 'foundation molecules' will be circular crops of photography and reproductions of traditional student artworks.


This allows the compositions as modular 'exhibits' to be flexible and easy to edit.

'Have been planning this for two years now and finally begun the installation. 

The mural should be completed by the end of June and next year new artworks can be added or updated.

Its funny how a description of the images are 'circle crops' and not 'crop circles'

I am such a banana head eh?

This is just a start but I'm really glad that the original concept actually works, will be tweeking the content as it grows of course, regarding the size of the circles etc., will be adjusting along the way with new pieces easily screwed into the plywood molecules with 1/4 inch wood screws and small drywall screws


The neat thing is, the more layers we apply the 'relief effect' off of the wall will increase creating a nice drop shadow effect.

I have been preparing the content in association with a variety of course disciplines at Northview and will be conferring with dept. heads for their recommendations as I go along.


The mural should reflect a value system shared by a progressive school. Still to be mounted on the mural are Canadian heroes,.. such as Terry Fox as well as Martin Luther King, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong along with Barrack Obama as well as others,... people of Cultural Importance,... Malala Yousafza,... Ghandhi,.. Nelson Mandela,.. etc.,


Why Dali? Some people think he's a knob,.... he just grabs your attention and is globally, a well known artist. I like Dali's stare more than Pablo Picasso's leer.


Einstein looks like he's had a few doesn't he?








Saturday, March 28, 2015

March Break Review Highlights -

Thursday of March Break

a visit to the R.O.M. - 4th Floor   Douglas Coupland exhibit

Queen St. West... Graffiti alley roam-around

The Cameron House with Corin Raymond & the Sundowners !

 

     4th Floor installation
  

   Tim Kamino and I took our tour of the ROM on a very busy thursday afternoon. The moment I stepped into the gallery I could feel this "I've been here before" sensation. Yes, it was Barbara Kruger, Andy Warhol, Kim Adams, not to mention Jenny Holzer and Ai Wei Wei. It was a great reminder of my art school days that piqued my interest in Contemporary Fine Art - history.
    Douglas Coupland is retreading our sense of Pop - Art as it were. I'm sure he is OK with that.
  The bottles on shelves were a pop graphic sensation, other statements were subtle and underhanded or shall I say came at you from the side,.. re- the massive object collections and surreal landscape in a box'.

 

  This study in colour is a wonderful piece that immediately brings to mind 'Atomic' and particle theory', a lateral path artists have explored since the great Jackson Pollock, something that is not only a metaphysical awareness of matter but an overall subjugation of Aesthetics.
    Ahhhh, -behold, the beauty of art and science, if I could only articulate the promissory note that they are related!!

 

  Tim noticed one of the kids circumambulating this table top display exclaiming; 
'hey'-there aren't any stop lights,... there aren't any stoplights! Wow, out of the mouths of babes eh? 




Help me here - west coast totem - colour field theory ?



   Probably one of the nicest installations, I loved the content in this corner of the gallery.
Truly a narrative, a history, a 3 dimensional depository , a diorama of Canadian identity.

 

   Very clean, very clinical, I don't know why I like this portion of the installation, I will think further about the juxtaposition and will get back to you on that.


A new ROM display of The 'Ivory Goddess'

   I couldn't leave without seeing a newly added but small exhibit, a controversial Minoan figure from the past. It is questionable how old she truly is or if she is a fraud but it was an honor to meet her just the same. We giggled in our grade 10 art class years ago, every guy thinking to themselves sharing the same thought: 'Now that's the kind of fashion that suits me fine, post mini-skirt - bring it on'!
read more of the controversy here.





 
On to Queen west and a tour of  'fresh graffiti'
It was late afternoon and the sun was giving us all her 'luma juice' on this stupidly cold and nippy day.

Down the Alleys

 


 

    Popeye meets Picasso's neon period in the car park, a gorgeous play of electric neon colour and 'cubistic' refraction. The space on this wall has been beautifully divided.



   'Stormy Portals', an alley entrance that sports an 'old-timey' elevator / loading - dock door.


 

    Grind your eyes on this visual chew! Again, the colours are magnificent.


 
   A cute pocket robot? Wonderful linear drawing, a negative of sorts, plays with inversality.




   'Banana- Rama Ding Dong - Rat Bike',.. love the colour, even has a Felix the cat decal on the back of the seat. We met the artist this afternoon as he was staging the bike for his own shoot. He didn't mind us admiring his retro wheels and allowed us to snap away.


   An improvisational reno? - when one really needs a cool breezeway,
install 'pane-less' windows, has a bombed  - out kinda feel.



   I'm not going in there '



   Alas ! A wonderful, Khaki colour, a warm backdrop to a funky rear of house / studio.







Corin Raymond & the Sundowners

at the Cameron play a stupendous matinee

to close out our day 'Sonic Food for the SOUL'  and we are blessed.

The BEST entertainment in Toronto,

 Thanks Corin'



 and just as you thought we reached the end of the day, why not a                    'Bomni - Boys' Sangwhich,.. or even better! 

      a Priest burger!

 

 

Tim goes for the single,.. fully loaded
and of course I do the double cheeseburger extravaganza !

[coke and fries with dat?]

 

 


Cold Jaunt up to Jackson's Point


     Experienced a few cold moments last day of March break up at Jackson's Point,

 

   Drove through Egypt on our way up the 10th line from Whitchurch-Stouffville .

Drove by the ATV brothers along beach road



 
   Over the Blue Bridge and  there you go


     Charlie.... ' (we shouldn't be out here)'...  Wot the Hebron is this?


     Ice fishers out on the bay...
should have gone ice fishing,... but that's a strange hobby.



      ' The Auger Trio'