A Painting In situ
2012-04-22
The painting Green Forest hung.
This is an a revived version of my old blog dating back several years.
I hope to create a more up to date version soon. Sorry for any broken links.
A moon over red
2012-04-09
A moon over red, a small painting, oil on board, 10 x 10 inches, 2011
Contact me if you would like to make it yours.
Sugarloaf – a ski painting
2012-03-26
Sugarloaf (study), oil on gessoed paper, 22 x 30 inches, 2011.
I have a painting that is based on this study on the go in the studio. It has been through many changes and nearly finished. Until then, here is the study that preceded it.
the yellow lighthouse
2012-03-06
Lighthouse (study), oil on paper, about 24 x 30 inches, 2010.
A study that stayed that way.
Shadows are falling and I have been here all day
2011-10-31
Shadows are falling and I have been here all day, oil on canvas, 152 x 122 cm, 2011
A large painting from my last exhibition (I finally got it documented).
Installation Views ‘Ni quitter ni coller’
2011-10-11
Here are two installation views of the exhibition ‘Ni coller ni coller’ at The McClure Gallery last February.
Main Gallery, right-hand wall.
Main Gallery, Cecile Ronc, Sebastien Worsnip, Mark Dixon.
Front gallery. Painting on left – Sebastien Worsnip. Painting on right – Mark Dixon.
Video Ni quitter ni coller – The McClure Gallery
2011-02-15
Ni quitter ni coller
de Mark Dixon, Cécile Ronc et Sébastien Worsnip.
Galerie McClure. Vernissage. Fevrier 2011
Montreal (QC)
Canada.
Exposition collective de peinture.
Current Exhibition ‘Ni quitter ni coller’
2011-02-04
Here is the information for my curent exhibition with fellow Montreal artists Cécile Ronc and Sébastien Worsnip.
For more information, view the press release.
Mark Dixon, Cécile Ronc and Sébastien Worsnip
Neither to stray nor to follow
February 4 to 26 2011
Vernissage: Thursday, February 3 at 6 pm
The McClure Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition Neither to stray nor to follow, featuring the paintings of Mark Dixon, Cecile Ronc and Sébastien Worsnip. The title is taken from a Chinese maxim and references landscape and the elements of nature as a primary source of artistic inspiration. The maxim well represents the artists’ approach to painting, all of which tend towards abstraction without, however, completely abandoning an evocation of landscape.
In preparation for the exhibition, Dixon, Ronc and Worsnip met regularly to exchange ideas, report on their works in progress and to engage in and provoke a more profound reflection on an art practice that focuses on a theme as ancient as painting itself. The artists have sought in their works to evoke more than to represent, to question the illusory nature of pictorial space as well as to permit the co-existence of several visual languages. They also sought to bring particular attention to the tactile aspect of paint and colour as expressions of the link between landscape and the inner life of the psyche.
La galerie McClure a le plaisir de présenter l’exposition Ni quitter ni coller des peintres Mark Dixon, Cécile Ronc et Sébastien Worsnip. Le titre de ce projet est issu d’une maxime chinoise et fait référence à la source d’inspiration première des artistes : le paysage et les éléments naturels. En effet, ceux-ci leur servent de prétextes à des explorations formelles qui tendent vers l’abstraction sans jamais quitter l’évocation du paysage.
Dixon, Ronc et Worsnip se rencontrent régulièrement pour échanger sur leur travail. Il en ressort une importante réflexion sur des pratiques intéressées par un sujet aussi ancien que la peinture elle-même. Les artistes recherchent dans leurs œuvres : « […] à évoquer plutôt qu’à représenter, à figurer ; à suggérer des espaces multiples et contradictoires au sein d’un même espace pictural illusoire, à faire coexister plusieurs langages visuels, à accorder une attention particulière à l’aspect tactile de la peinture et une place privilégiée à la couleur comme expression des liens entre le paysage et la vie psychique…»
Book – Making Art Connections
2010-12-03
Two of my paintings are included in the book Making Art Connections, published by McGraw-Hill in Australia. There is also a write up about my work.
You may view the 2 pages my paintings are on in this PDF file.
Making Art Connections is a new practical-based Visual Arts text for junior students in New South Wales. With a contemporary and fun design, Making Art Connections concentrates on your students? own experiences in creating art, while introducing them to new language, concepts and the world of a diverse range of artists. Making Art Connections enables your students to draw links between their own experiences and the artists, artworks and audiences that surround them, providing a rich learning experience.
Written by experienced author and teacher Chris Bates and practising Visual Arts teachers Megan Booth and Sean O’Keeffe, Making Art Connections ensures that students actively experience and appreciate the artmaking process.
Red Trees
2010-10-21
untitled (red trees), oil on canvas, 70 x 60 cm, 2010.
The trees make a lovely sky
2010-10-13
untitled, 30 x 24 inches, oil on canvas, 2010
Fog (island)
2010-10-04
Fog (island), oil on board, 8 x 8 inches, 2010.
A painting installed (archives)
2010-08-31
A painting from the Halifax series.
Red Trees From Below
2010-07-14
Red Trees From Below, 90 x 100 cm (approx.), oil on canvas, 2010.
Painting in the Montreal Hour
2010-03-25
The Montreal Hour has an article about ArtAnywhere. In the photo of Raymond and Julien, you can see one of my paintings in the background.
Forest Painting (a beginning)
2010-03-08
untitled, 60 x 60 cm, oil on canvas, 2010.
A recent painting in progress…
Red Tree Sky (study)
2010-02-16
Red Tree Sky (study), oil on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2010
Red River #3
2010-02-05
15 x 13 inches, acrylic on paper, 2010
Another Red River
2010-02-03
Red River Series, acrylic on paper, 15 x 13 inches, 2010
Collection of Per Olav Heimstad www.POHphoto.com
New Red River Painting
2010-01-31
Looking to exchange art work
2009-10-27
If you are interested please leave a comment here (or contact me at m a r k (at) m a r k d i x o n . c a ).
I forgot to name it
2009-10-07
untitled so far, acrylic on paper, 30 x 40 inches, 2009.
Collection of the New York University Medical Center.
Orphan (a painting)
2009-09-08
Orphan, 100 x 93 cm, 2003.
Blue Forest
2009-07-27
Blue Forest, oil on canvas, 25 x 30 cm, 2009.
Fall Trees
2009-07-24
Fall Trees, oil on canvas, 60 x 60 cm, 2008.
Through pink
2009-06-23
Pink Through the Yellow
2009-05-25
Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 inches, 2008-09.
Red Forest (another new painting)
2009-05-20
Oil on canvas, about 30 x 36 inches, 2009.
During my last trip to the studio I decided this painting is finished.
Dark Forest
2009-05-10
Dark Forest, 100 x 120 cm, oil on canvas, 2008-09.
Sky for Trees
2009-05-03
Tree Blur, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 cm, 2009
Pink Sky Woods
2009-04-26
Interesting Site
2009-04-21
Visualize people being born and dying in the world as well as the amount of carbon being emitted by each country : www.breathingearth.net
New Painting
2009-04-21
Grand Lake Orange, oil on canvas, 3 x 4 feet, 2009
It has been some time since I have posted anything here. I have been making quite a bit of new work and will start to post them in the next few days.
Download a high resolution version of this image.
I hope you enjoy and I appreciate any comments!
two friends
2008-09-14
two friends, oil on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2008
A small painting that I finished today.
Open Letter to a Bike Thief, Part 2
2008-08-30
I lost yet another to Montreal bike thieves. It is depressing and enraging… there is not much more I can say about someone who steals bikes. Here is a post I wrote a few years ago when Bike #2 was stolen : Open Letter to a Bike Thief.
Arts funding programs under attack
2008-08-26
As you may have heard, several arts funding programs have been cancelled in the last seven days. While many in the press have condemned this decision, government leaks have been handled in such a way that indicates they feel it is electorally profitable for them to cancel these programs.
from www.carfac.ca
Yellow Jade
2008-07-22
oil on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2008
MY Studio
2008-07-14
This is where I have been working the past few months. It is working out quite well especially since it is just down the street from where I live.
Jade (in orange)
2008-07-13
Oil on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2008.
This is an example of one of the small paintings I have been working on. I am also working on some other landscape paintings that I consider more “forest paintings” – paintings of the dense woods instead of the more vista type paintings I have been doing. I will most one of them soon – perhaps in progress…
Jade, a digital study
2008-06-19
The Horizon
2008-06-09
The Horizon, oil on canvas, about 30 x 36 inches, 2008.
Pangea Day
2008-01-15
Pangea Day taps the power of film to strengthen tolerance and compassion while uniting millions of people to build a better future.
Pink Flowers
2008-01-13
Pink Flowers, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches, 2008.
tower 3
2007-12-21
tower 3, acrylic and pencil on gessoed paper, 5 x 5 inches, 2007.
Another tower painting (study). I have a few new paintings in the studio but have not taken pictures of them yet – in 2008!
Happy holidays everyone. Thanks for visiting.
through the trees
2007-12-04
through the trees, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches, 2007.
Studio Search : Ended
2007-11-30
It had been a while that I was looking for a studio, but last month I found a place to work. It is a nice, smallish place with large windows on Pine Avenue near St Laurent Blvd (for those familiar with Montreal).
Tower 1
2007-11-30
Another small painting on paper.
Tower 2
2007-11-20
Tower 2, acrylic and pencil on paper, 11 x 9 inches, 2007.
This is a recent small painting on paper. I have done a few of these and will post the others soon. A new direction…
Phishing
2007-10-15
Someone has installed a malicious script on my server and is sending phishing emails. This will be resolved soon. I am sorry if you have received any of these emails. I am not exactly sure how this works, how they managed to do it or even what it is they exactly did.
This is why my web site and blog were off-line yesterday.
stand in front of me and let me dream with you
2007-10-11
Acrylic on canvas, 33 x 30 cm
LoopsOverGrid
2007-10-01
33 x 30 cm, oil on canvas, 2002
Green Looops
2007-09-16
Seen Elsewhere
2007-09-03
Here’s a heartwarming art story from The Economist, of all places. In 1993, two students at Frankfurt’s art school (Städelschule) each gave the caretaker a painting for his 50th birthday. Somehow, it became a tradition for students to give the caretaker and his wife a painting at graduation. By now, the couple have a superb art collection — much of it valuable, none of it for sale, with none of the acquistions based on anything but personal affection.
Small One
2007-08-30
green leaves, acrylic on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2007.
A small study done a few weeks ago.
Fiord
2007-08-14
Fiord, acrylic and oil on board, 60 x 60 cm, 2007 (click on image to view a larger version of the painting).
twins (intersection)
2007-08-09
This is a painting that I found on the wall of my mother’s cottage. It dates from several years ago (1999?). It is oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches approx.
Leaves green
2007-08-02
Green leaves, acrylic on paper, 13 x 10 inches, 2007.
paradigm shift
2007-07-19
I have always liked the term ‘paradigm shift’…
I found this interesting article via the art blog bloggy :
Today, instead of a cultural crisis, we’re facing a paradigm shift. Thanks to the Internet, the monopoly of the elites and the publishing empires they represent are crumbling, and if the blinders imposed by the powers that be haven’t yet been pried off, they have at least, for the moment, been bent back. If you don’t believe in democracy, this is a problem. If you do, then this is could be the dawning of a new golden age. Anyone who visits websites like artnet.com, artforum.com, or our own brooklynrail.org, is aware of the vast amount of valuable content on the net. Within the past few years individual art bloggers have appeared. As a confirmed contrarian, committed to opposing any structure whatsoever, the idea of a venue where the only limitations are an individual’s intellect, energy, and time is very appealing. Though the list of people writing and creating forums for discussions in cyberspace is long, indeed very long, for the purposes of this article I interviewed three who have made unique innovations.
Line of Trees 2
2007-07-05
acrylic on canvas, 70 x 55 cm, 2007.
A recent painting. Here is a study for the painting (acrylic on paper, 38 x 28 cm).
poke and pull
2007-06-29
digital sketch.
i knew i was in trouble when my shoe fell off
2007-06-27
small drawing on paper.
Still studio searching
2007-06-18
I am still searching for a small studio to rent or for a larger one to share. I sometimes use oil paints but use non-toxic solvents. If you know of a place in Montreal please let me know.
Spring Fever (late)
2007-06-15
digital sketch
long time
2007-05-28
this drawing is hanging in our bedroom. i gave it to J a few years ago.
Rob and Maria’s Wall
2007-04-25
Nice to see that the painting has found a nice home.
Rob’s video on Neil Young’s web site
2007-04-19
My friend Rob has a video listed on Neil Young’s top anti-war videos (#41). You can check it out here.
i am not telling you
2007-04-12
and you will never know.
Small Works Available
2007-04-02
I have put 10 small works on paper online and available for purchase. They are all easy to ship and inexpensive. Click to view the gallery. You may pay online using a credit card or contact me to arrange other payment options.
make it big
2007-04-02
a study for a large painting, (page from sketchbook, small moleskin). April 1, 2007.
island at mouth
2007-03-29
page from sketchbook, 8 1/2 x 11 inches.
A study for a landscape painting that i have not painted as of yet. Perhaps i will soon. i cannot remember if it is based on another sketch, a photograph or from my imagination.
trio
2007-03-24
8 1/2 x 11 inches, page from sketchbook.
escaping opaque
2007-03-23
page from sketchbook, 8 1/2 x 11 inches.
Saatchi Gallery Showdown (vote)
2007-03-19
I have a painting included in this week’s Saatchi Gallery Showdown.
You can Vote for it here.
In a new initiative to generate more exposure for the artists in Your Gallery and Stuart, and to spotlight their work to as wide an audience as possible, we have created SHOWDOWN.
SHOWDOWN is for all registered Your Gallery and Stuart artists to enter their works for visitors to score. The winner of the final head-to-head vote will receive £1000 and the runner up will receive £750. The winning work will go on display at the new Saatchi gallery.
This is the painting I have entered:
David Hall, exhibition
2007-02-15
My friend David Hall is having an exhibition here in Montreal. His paintings are defintely worth seeing in person.
“Shifting Groundâ€
Tableaux de David Hall
La galerie d’art Warren G. Flowers
4001 Boulevard de Maisonneuve ouest
Montréal, Québec
13 février au 7 mars, 2007
Vernissage: Mardi, le 20 f̩vrier, 2007; 17:30 Р19:30
Full Moon
2007-01-23
My friend Rob has posted another new song (Full Moon) that he wrote, on YouTube. Check it out here.
St. John River
2007-01-23
St. John River, digital sketch, 2006.
This is a study for a new painting. I am not sure I like the form of the river, but I think that the awkwardness of the shape makes it interesting.
Purchase Art Online
2007-01-22
I am working on a new section for my portfolio web site where people will be able to purchase small works on paper. They will be easy to ship and not too expensive (and you will be able to pay online). Coming soon.
I am not sure what to call the section, Gallery? Store? Purchase? Buy? The last three seem a bit crass. Suggestions?
Without images
2007-01-12
Recently I have been in a non-blog period. I have not been that regular with my own posts and at the same time have been reading less blogs. Do any of you have suggestions for good blogs to read? Add a comment and let me know – I would like to find some new ones to check out.
On the painting side of things I have been trying a few new things. Last week I started a portrait of J. If it improves I will post it here – but how it stands now I am not that happy with it. I used to do quite a bit of life drawing and painting from the model in my undergrad studies but have not in the last long while. It makes me realize how drawing or painting from life is a skill the requires continued practice.
Check out these artists on video
2006-12-28
This is just a quick note to recomment the videos on Vincent Romaniello’s blog. He features several artists talking about their work. The quality is very good.
X-Factor : Miami
2006-12-11
My work is currently included in an online exhibition organised by The Miami Art Exchange. Click here for more information.
Miami Art Exchange Presents X Factor, a group exhibition featuring the work of local and international artists. A “Factor†is an event, circumstance, influence, or element that plays a part in bringing about a result. A factor in a case contributes to its causation or outcome.
trees on a hill (final)
2006-12-07
trees on a hill, acrylic on panel, 91 x 123 cm, 2006
I previously posted this painting while on process but this is the final version.
to the ocean
2006-12-04
to the ocean, acrylic on panel, 91 x 123 cm, 2006
This a is a painting that I have finished recently.
Live free or die
2006-11-27
Video Description
I wrote this tune back in 2004 when I was doing work at the mill. I ended up back there for a couple of days in November as it was being dismantled so I took some footage and cut together this video.
This is a song I wrote and made a video for.
This is a video that my friend Rob made for a song he wrote. Definitely worth the listen and the look.
break
2006-11-23
I haven’t been posting much in the past few months but plan to do so a bit more soon. I have a few new paintings that I can show and I have been carrying arround my sketchbook more.
i had a dream i was drawing this drawing
2006-11-23
and it looked better in the dream.
Art Scam
2006-11-21
I recently was approached via email by someone interested in buying some of my paintings. After 2 emails and a bit of searching online I figured out that it was a scam.
Here is the email that I received :
Hello,
I will like to purchase some of your art works for my home in Middlesex (United Kingdom),and i will like you to get back to me with listings and costs of your works available.I will be able to choose the ones i want or need.Kindly get back to me asap.
Johnson Olson
You can read about the details of his scam zmadison.blogspot.com and Saatchi Gallery Forum.
Mr. “Olson” if you are reading this, you are pathetic.
the conversation beneath the trees
2006-10-18
trees on a hill, digital sketch.
A study for a new painting that it in progress (90 x 120 cm). Again I have used the computer as a means to figure certain things out (composition, colour). I will post the finished painting later.
another page, another day
2006-10-14
cape breton landscape memory
2006-10-12
from my sketchbook.
view from my window (dogs)
2006-09-29
I can see this photo (billboard) from my window in Old Montreal. I am really liking it – much better than the last. As you can see it is rather overcast and rainny in Montreal today. Very autumnal weather we are having.
lean in
2006-09-12
lean in, oil on gessoed paper, 20 x 20 cm, 2001
stand
2006-09-07
stand, oil on gessoed paper, 20 x 20 cm, 2001
my odd brother is coming for a visit
2006-09-06
about 20 x 20 cm, oil on gessoed paper, date (long time ago, maybe 2001?)
cheeky
2006-08-31
Charlie Finch “We omit the Hal Fosters, because no one reads them but sycophants at Artforum…”
from artnet.com
links
2006-08-29
I decided to separate my art links (blogroll – see below) into two categories, artist’s blogs and other art blogs. The distinction seems appropriate non?
two friends
2006-08-28
two friends, watercolour and ink on paper, about 20 x 20 cm, 2004.
an orphan
2006-08-25
when will you be back?, 25 x 30 cm, acrylic on paper, 2006.
line of trees (where are you going?)
2006-08-22
another page from a sketchbook.
trees on a hill
2006-08-21
sketch from my small sketchbook (about life-size), from a found photo (online).
Expressionist painter Philip Iverson dies (CBC)
2006-08-17
Canadian abstract and expressionist painter Philip Iverson has died from brain cancer at the age of 41.
The Fredericton-born oil painter had worked for the past five years in Montreal, where he lived with his wife Yukari.
Philip Iverson
2006-08-15
Philip Iverson, artist and friend, died yesterday here in Montreal. Philip was a very talented painter – his energy and commitment towards his work continually impressed me. He was a painter’s painter and I admired his boldness in the way that he worked. I will miss visiting his studio, going for the occasional pint and seeing the next series of paintings he was working on.
Self Portrait, Oils, Thick Paper, 4.5 x 4 feet, 1992
You may view his obituary here.
Expressionist painter Philip Iverson dies (CBC.ca)
Adagio, Oils, Acrylics, Wood, 5 x 4 feet, 2002
New work for auction (sold)
2006-08-14
The paintings on paper above are up for auction on eBay (SOLD). To place a bid click on a painting above.
Each painting on paper is 12 x 10 inches. You may scroll down to view the individual posts regarding these works.
when you were gone i forgot how to sleep
2006-08-14
This weekend I bought a new small moleskin sketchbook. I am planning to draw more in my sketchbooks. I will post pages here from time to time.
all that is behind you
2006-08-02
all that is behind you, acrylic on paper, 12 x 10 inches, 2006
This is another work on paper that I made last month. The three other works in this small series can be viewed below. Here is a photo of all of them together :
Which of the 4 is your favourite (orange, blue, yellow or red)? Comment here
Hizbullah, Israel, Beirut, Lebanon
2006-07-31
I have been trying to find non-mainstream information about the Hizbullah/Israeli conflict online. There are a lot of people blogging about it. I have followed a few links and have decided to make a list of some of the interesting websites, blogs, and articles that I have seen. Please make a suggestion for an interesting blogs by commenting on this post (click the “comment” link above or here).
Regular art posting will return soon.
Human Rights Watch : Questions and Answers on Hostilities Between Israel and Hezbollah
Hizbullah & Deterring Israeli Aggression, Chomsky (ZMag)
Informed Comment : Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion (blog)
Flickr photos of Qana (warning : graphic images)
Beirut blog
2006-07-21
Kerblog is an interesting blog from someone living in Beirut. He writes of his experiences of living in a city under attack and posts very interesting drawings that comment, sometimes seriously and other times less so, on what is going on over there. I came across the link on Marie-Chantal’s blog, Vue d’ici.
Deckard’s Sky
2006-07-21
acrid sky, acrylic on paper. 12 x 10 inches, 2006.
between dusk and dawn
2006-06-29
between dusk and dawn, acrylic on paper. 12 x 10 inches, 2006.
you are strange to me
2006-06-28
you are strange to me, acrylic on paper, 12 x 10 inches, 2006.
Web Design
2006-06-20
Some of you may know that I have a day job working as a web designer. If you are looking to have a web site designed I am available for these type of projects. Are you an artist looking to have a professional looking portfolio site? Contact me if you are interested and I will give you a quote for your project as well as send you a list of web sites that I have designed.
Fleur jaune (3)
2006-06-17
Fleur jaune 3, acrylic on paper, 12 x 10 inches, 2006.
Here is another in the small flower series. I have not been posting much lately but will start doing so soon. Cheers!
meander 3, a study for a new painting
2006-06-06
meander 3, digital sketch, June 5 2006.
Another sketch for an upcoming landscape painting. This one will be made quite large – I am thinking about 4 x 3 feet. Eventually I would like to be making these paintings larger as I would like to create the feeling of being surrounded by the work – falling into the pictorial space.
View other landscape paintings that I have done in this series here and here.
Paysage jaune
2006-06-02
Paysage jaune 1, 5 1/2 x 9 inches, acrylic on gessoed paper, 2006
A recent painting on paper.
Spiderplant 3
2006-05-31
Spider Plant 3, 12 x 9 inches, ink on vellum, 2006
Spiderplant 2
2006-05-24
spider plant 2, 12 x 9 inches, ink on vellum, 2006
wrap, from the archives (sale)
2006-05-21
wrap, oil on gessoed paper, 10 x 9 inches, 2003 (Larger view).
If you are interested in purchasing this painting on paper please click the “purchase this work” link below. You will be able to purchase the painting using Paypal. The work will be shipped within 3 days.
sun reach
2006-05-16
sun reach, ink on vellum, 12 x 9 inches, 2006.
spider plant drawing (sold)
2006-05-11
spider plant 1, ink on vellum, 12 x 9 inches, 2006.
Click here if you are interested in bidding on this drawing.
This is one of the drawings I have made over the last few days. I will post more soon…
seaside meander
2006-05-08
seaside meander, digital sketch.
Studio
2006-05-08
I am still looking for a studio to rent/share – in Montreal (Mile-end area preferably but not necessary). Please contact me if you have any leads. Thanks!
Plant Studies
2006-05-05
I have decided to re-list these small paintings on eBay. If you are interested you may click the “bid” links below to place a bid.
Plant Study (blue), 4 x 4 inches, acrylic on paper, 2005, buy this painting click here to bid.
Plant Study (green), 4 x 4 inches, acrylic on paper, 2005, buy this painting click here to bid.
Saatchi
2006-05-02
“British art mogul Charles Saatchi has launched a special section on his art website allowing undiscovered artists to show their work.” from CBC.ca
Blue Plants #6 (auction)
2006-04-18
Blue Plants #6, 11 x 13.5 inches, acrylic on paper, 2003.
Art Student Hotshots
2006-04-18
An article today in the NY Times talks about the pressures of open studio visits on MFA students. In the US, gallery owners check out (speculate) on new hot talent. Another way the art ‘market’ is much different in the US. I don’t remember gallery owners strolling through our studios at Concordia University…
Portfolio Web Site Update
2006-04-17
I have updated my portfolio web site to include some images of my more recent paintings. Click on over if you are interested in checking them out.
Falling pigeon
2006-04-12
Yesterday, while in traffic on boulevard Saint-Laurent, I saw a pigeon fall from the sky.
And land squarely on the white dotted line of the street.
Edward Winkleman
2006-04-11
Edward Winkleman’s blog has been in my blogroll for a while now and it is worth the read. He has posted a few interesting entries the past week “The Digital Dialog (or The Real Impact of the Internet on Artistic Practice)” and “What Is an ‘Emerging Artist’?“.
red lush, yellow flat
2006-04-11
untitled, 50 x 45 cm, oil on canvas.
A small painting from 2003. The colours in this painting were a bit of a departure for me (I made a few in this series). The red is more lush in life and the yellow is quite a contrast to the reds.
Contact me if you are interested in purchasing this work.
digital sketch
2006-04-07
Vu d’ici / (Seen From Here)
2006-04-05
Do you like nice indie pop music? Check out Marie-Chantal Turgeon’s blog and podcast (from Montreal).
plastic cups
2006-04-03
I discovered the work of Tara Donovan via Edward Winkleman‘s blog today. Very nice work – worth checking out. Her recent show is a top pick of art cal.
Finch on the Whitney
2006-04-01
Contoroversial art critic has written a scathing review of the Whitney Biennial. I like how he pulls no punches in his writting…
“Artists in their 30s throughout this show play at being teenagers with doodles, drips and drabs signifying nothing but their pathetic, dreary lack of self-regard. The fourth floor looks like the MoMA museum store designed by Kurt Cobain.”
untitled (river), (auction – sold)
2006-03-28
untitled (river), acrylic on paper, 34 x 28 cm (13.25 x 11 inches), 2003.
This painting on paper is for sale. You may bid on the painting here. Sold.
I made a mistake writing the size of this painting. The correct dimensions are above.
selling art online
2006-03-27
Do you or someone you know sell art online? How? Gallery? Portfolio web site? eBay?
2 and 1
2006-03-24
2 and 1, acrylic on paper, about 16 x 14 inches.
blue landscape unknown
2006-03-23
blue landscape unknown, oil on canvas, 30 x 20 inches.
we’ll see
2006-03-21
acrylic on paper, about 30 x 25 cm.
Carol Es
2006-03-21
This is a work by Los Angeles area artist Carol Es. Her blog is worth watching if you are interested in artists who blog about their work. To view details about the above work, click here.
This post is a part of a series where I highlight other artists websites.
Suggest a blog
2006-03-21
I have been looking for new blogs to consult (art related or not). Do you have a suggestion for a good blog? Enter a comment to suggest.
Sky and Land
2006-03-17
A drawing (acrylic on paper) digitally modified.
Flowers Pink
2006-03-16
a page from my small sketchbook.
David Ludmer : Con-struit
2006-03-15
My friend David is having a show of his photographs. The opening is March 16, from 6PM to 7:30PM.
David Ludmer, Con-struit
March 16 to April 29, Monday to Saturday, 1PM to 5PM.
DLAC, 5445 de Gaspe avenue #106, Montreal, QC, 514.223.0212
bend, a landscape
2006-03-14
bend, 77 x 60 cm, oil on canvas, 2003, collection of R.
A painting from my portfolio web site.
New Look
2006-03-11
I have been doing a few changes to the look of (re)mark. For the next few days I will be doing updates to finalise the customisation. I installed an update to WordPress and will have to change a few options of the K2 theme (I don’t think it will do everything I want it to do).
Éric Laplante
2006-03-03
This is a good drawing taken from Éric Laplante’s web site. I like the volumentric combined with the flat.
You can view more here : portfolio site and blog.
The Intrepid Collector
2006-02-27
Thanks to Lisa Hunter (The Intrepid Collector) for the link and for posting an image of one of my paintings.
The Intrepid Collector is :
Adventures in the art market — plus occasional museum and art book reviews.I’m an arts journalist based in Montreal and New York. My new book, The Intrepid Collector: How to Find, Buy and Appreciate Art on a Budget, will be published by Crown this October.
Pascal realised that the weight of the world is actually equally dispersed among everyone
2006-02-24
ink drawing on paper, actual size.
Why do Curators want to be Artists?
2006-02-24
I read the art blog From the Floor often. Today’s post “News Flash: Curators Are Not Artists” is worth reading :
I don’t know why it’s happening all of a sudden, but lately I’m starting to get tired of curators who become so enamored of their own process that they stop thinking about the art they are presenting for display and viewers’ engagement with it.
Red Flowers
2006-02-23
Flowers, acrylic on paper, 48 x 45 cm, 2001, private collection
Anselm Kiefer
2006-02-20
Sarah Milroy’s review of Anselm Kiefer’s show at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, was published in the Globe and Mail today. From the review :
The artist’s work is thus understood as creating the bridge between two realms through the very palpable and earthly medium of paint — soil impregnated with pigment and oil. It’s our cue to understand Kiefer’s attachment to the landscape, and more particularly, the scoured and plowed field, as a recurring subject in his art. The field is humble matter — paint, mud, the rotted remains of the past — from which we reach and strive.
I am looking forward to seeing it. Has anyone already been? What do you think of his work?
3 fleurs
2006-02-17
small drawing on paper.
Fiddlehead Cover
2006-02-15
One of my paintings is on the cover of the current issue of The Fiddlehead.
Canada’s longest living literary journal, The Fiddlehead is published four times a year at the University of New Brunswick, with the generous assistance of the University of New Brunswick, The Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of New Brunswick.
(from the Fiddlehead web site)
Protesting Google
2006-02-15
Many Tibetan protestors are calling on people to boycott Google. The search engine has agreed to the Chineses government’s cencorship policies. The irony is that I found many Google ads on pages covering the call to boycott. Not only that but I even found stories regarding this using the Google News search tool (I wanted to know if they were self censuring). I think I will change my homepage on my browser to another page – it used to be Google Canada’s site.
Typing “Dalai Lama†into Google’s U.S. Web site yields dozens of pages of results on the 14th Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet. Top results include his Web site, his biography and news of his appearances around the world.
The same search using Google.cn yields none of those sites. Instead, Chinese users get headlines such as “Dalai Lama unpopular among Tibetans: chairman of Tibet,†and “Dalai Lama Aims to Split Motherland.â€
from SignOnSanDiego.com
Vincent Romaniello
2006-02-13
This is an image of one of Vincent Romaniello’s paintings (please excuse the small format but you can view it larger here). I have been reading and watching his (v)blog for a while and would like to plug it here. He is a painter living in Philidelphia.
From his artist statement :
The methods and materials I use are inseparable from the concept. These opposing forces of painting precision and serendipity live side by side, sometimes working together harmoniously and sometimes creating tension.
Here is his (v)blog and here his art site (portfolio).
the flower that lives at your place
2006-02-09
small drawing on paper.
saint john river
2006-02-08
digital sketch.
water for trees
2006-02-02
untitled 3 (blue series), oil on board, 12 x 10 inches (contact for price).
blue knot
2006-01-27
blue knot, acrylic on paper, 30 x 30 cm, 2001
an older work from a series that did not get translated into larger paintings.
looking for studio space
2006-01-27
In a few months I will be looking for studio space (to share or rent alone). If you know of anything becoming available please let me know. The studio does not have to be that big, but in the Mile-end, Little Italy area of Montreal (other areas could work as well though).
Contact me or leave a comment below if you know of anything. Thanks!
thanks for the seats (too bad about the vote)
2006-01-24
Canadian Federal Election 2006
Here are 2 graphics that show the percentage of popular vote won compared to the percentage of seats won by the parties. In the Canadian graph, all of the parties get more seats (percentage) than the popular vote, exept for the New Democratic Party.
In the Quebec results, all the parties are at a disadvantage exept for the Bloc Quebecois. The Bloc gets 42 % of the popular vote but wins 68 % of the seats.
Had the same votes been cast under a proportional voting system, Fair Vote Canada projected that the seats allocation would have been approximately as follows:
Conservatives – 36.3% of the popular vote: 113 seats (not 124)
Liberals – 30.1% of the popular vote: 93 seats (not 103)
NDP – 17.5% of the popular vote: 59 seats (not 29)
Bloc – 10.5% of the popular vote: 31 seats (not 51)
Greens – 4.5% of the popular vote: 12 seats (not 0)
Canadian Ballot recipes
2006-01-23
Today is election day in Canada and most people I talk to are quite nervous of the out come. If polls are correct (they often are not) then we will be waking up to a conservative government tomorrow morning. On this note, I think that we should be able to spoil our ballots and have them counted. This would allow people to express themselves in a positive way (instead of not voting because there are no acceptable options). The percentage of spoiled or ‘none of the above’ ballots should then be released with the official results of each riding.
I am not referring to the eat your ballot option. An interesting option but it may cause strange digestive problems – just think of all that black ink.
In Canada it is actually illegal to spoil your ballot (I assume that eating it is also illegal).
According to section 167(2)(a) of the Canada Elections Act, “no person shall wilfully alter, deface or destroy a ballot.” Subsection 480(1) of the Act also provides that every person is guilty of an offence who, with the intention of delaying or obstructing the electoral process, contravenes this Act.
from the blue series (with a dash of pink)
2006-01-19
untitled (blue series), 100 x 90 cm, oil on canvas, 2003.
This is a painting from my portfolio site. I have not yet posted my new work there yet but hope to soon.
where you are from
2006-01-17
i have not been posting much content lately. it is mostly due to the fact that i have not been scanning new images (it is also due to the fact that i have not been getting much work done either). i have been working out a few ideas in my head for some new drawings and paintings. they never get resolved that well there actually. i need to get them on paper or canvas to work them out. concept feeds form feeds concept.
on an unrelated note, here is where you come from :
percentage of last 100 viewers/readers
38 % – US
10 % – Canada
8 % – UK
7 % – China
6 % – Netherlands
5 % – Poland
4 % – France
thick lines on top of background
2006-01-12
untitled, 48 x 45 cm, oil on canvas, 1999.
never
2006-01-06
untitled, charcoal on vellum, 75 x 60 cm, 1995.
when time could be wasted and many versions overlapped.
Drawing from 95
2006-01-03
untitled, charcoal on gessoed paper, 45 x 45 cm, 1995.
espacenomad
2005-12-19
J has opened a new massage therapy and yoga centre here in Montreal.
——–
Visit our new massage therapy centre at 3630 boul. St-Laurent (corner Prince-Arthur).
We now have the pleasure to offer you:
* Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga classes (maximum 8 persons per class!)
* Private Yoga therapy classes
* Sea salt exfoliant treatment (mint, rosemary, ginger and lavender)
* Massages offered : Hot Stone – Swedish – Sport – Californian
* Gift Certificates ”
To be informed of upcoming promotions signup for the espacenomad newsletter.
Pink Freesias
2005-11-25
Pink Freesias, acrylic on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2005.
this is another small painting from the scapes exhibition last month.
an orphan
2005-11-21
untitled, oil on canvas, 100 x 90 cm, 2003 (click here for a larger view).
i almost always work in series but from time to time a painting comes a bit out of nowhere. like this one. it is an orphan and i think it is why i like it.
Island (From Meat Cove)
2005-11-14
From Meat Cove, oil on canvas, 25 x 20 cm. 2005.
Meat Cove is in the centre of this map.
pink all around
2005-11-07
untitled, 60 x 60 cm, acrylic on board, 2005, (red dot).
another painting from my current show. the initial idea for this painting started here.
Julie’s Flowers
2005-11-03
Julie’s Flowers, 30 x 30 cm, acrylic on board, 2005, ( larger view). (red dot)
another painting from the scapes show. here is a study for this painting that i posted a few weeks ago.
another pink painting from the show
2005-11-02
untitled, 100 x 100 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2005, larger view
this is one of the paintings that is currently in my show scapes. this painting has a sister and i will post that one soon. they work quite well as a diptych (you can see them side by side in this photo).
untitled pink painting from scapes show
2005-10-31
untitled, 100 x 100 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2005, larger view
this is one of the paintings that is currently in my show scapes. this painting has a sister and i will post that one soon. they work quite well as a diptych (you can see them side by side in this photo).
scapes installation views
2005-10-27
Main wall 1 (click image for larger view).
Main wall 2 (click image for larger view).
Contact me for an image of a particular painting.
Blue Fictions Series
2005-10-27
Blue Fictions Series, acrylic on paper, 30 x 28 cm, 2001
Contact me if you are interested in buying this work on paper.
from the archives : big yellow thing
2005-10-25
untitled, 120 x 105 cm, oil on canvas, 1998
plant fictions video
2005-10-20
i don’t often post things that i find on the web but this video is amazing. it is an animation of this strange plant-like animals juxtaposed into real nature settings.
it is in a Flash site so there is no easy way to link to it. to view the video go to www.1st-ave-machine.com, click Projects and then click Sixes Last. check it out, it is well worth it!
pink study
2005-10-19
this is a study done for one of the recent large paintings. it is in the current show scapes .
julie’s flowers (a study)
2005-10-13
a study for a recent painting.
shadow on the wall
2005-10-12
shadow, acrylic and oil on board, 30 x 30 cm (red dot).
i don’t have many photos of my recent work but here is a small work that is going to be in the upcoming show. it is quite different than my previous work, and even different than the other paintings in the show.
super busy
2005-10-11
The reason I have not been posting much lately is because I am preparing for my upcoming show. Soon I will post some images of finished works that I will be showing.
finished but still untitled
2005-10-06
untitled, 20 x 20 inches, acrylic on board.
the colours vary quite a bit from the previous photo. they were taken using different cameras. the true colours are somewhere in between.
Jade Plant (in progress)
2005-10-05
untitled, 20 x 20 inches, acrylic on board, in progress.
January Blog
2005-10-05
January Blog posted the following post today about a comment I left on their blog the other day.
Hey Mark,
That last post of mine was pretty cheeky. I don’t think I wanted to critique Zak Smith’s work as much as I wanted to critique the Chelsea/Grad School scene that puts so much machinery behind young artists…
Read the post here.
freesias (digital study)
2005-10-04
just finished
2005-10-02
30 x 30 cm, acrylic on board, today. (red dot)
still untitled (cape breton)
2005-09-30
still untitled (cape breton), 24 x 30 inches, oil on canvas.
this is another painting in progress. i photographed the painting and added the land masses using photoshop. like the meat cove painting, i am working out ideas digitally – using photoshop to make studies.
scapes (exhibition invite card)
2005-09-27
If you would like a physical card sent to you send me your address.
meat cove study
2005-09-22
island off meat cove (working title), oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches.
this is a painting in progress. the ‘island’ and ‘land (foreground)’ have been added digitally – the rest is oil on canvas.
here is another version of the study (this one is for julie ;).
orange and flat green
2005-09-18
untitled (so far), acrylic on board, 60 x 60 cm, (red dot).
last week i posted a few digital studies for this ‘abstracted plant’ series. this is the first painting that is almost finished.
NYC : Williamsburg
2005-09-14
We went to nyc this past weekend and had a great time. On saturday we roamed around manhattan with no real plan. We happened upon The Deitch Project first annual Art Parade in SOHO in the afternoon. It was a fun, goofy, crazy event. Perhaps Montreal is in need of something like this.
Update : found this link for more photos of the parade.
On Sunday we walked around Williamsburg area and saw quite a few galleries. One highlight was the Black and White Gallery. The gallery has a great courtyard which had a very nice photo installed on the back wall (see right photo).
Another interesting show was at Dam Stuhltrager. Ryan Wolfe’s computerised grass blowing in the wind was simple and beautiful. It did, however, remind me a lot of sculpture done by the artist Doug Buis. Novelty is over-rated anyhow. (see left photo)
similar, but blue
2005-09-12
another small study (actual size) from my sketchbook.
green study
2005-09-09
actual size. small painting from my sketchbook.
guest blogging (julie)
2005-09-09
untitled, mixed media, 4 x 6 feet, 2004
this is a really great painting. it is much more interesting in the flesh – it is very textured. it hangs behind her desk and someday i am going to sneak into her office and steal it. multitalented.
plant drawings 1
2005-09-08
these digital drawings are studies for a series of paintings i have been thinking of doing. the colours are very preliminary.
loops again
2005-08-26
loops 2, 23 x 30 cm, 2004, acrylic on paper, (click image for larger view) $75.
title party #2 (winner)
2005-08-24
sorry for the long wait for the results of the last title contest. j has chosen “my bike route” by ahab. i will be emailing him soon to get his mailing address so i can send it off to him. i have one more title party planned and will post it soon. thanks to everyone who participated!
Loops
2005-08-09
loops (blue), acrylic and pen on paper, 23 x 30 cm, 2004, $75 (purchase) (click image for larger view).
back from vacation and back to the city. my mind is still next to the ocean. flipflops on my feet.
title party number 2
2005-07-20
untitled, acrylic and pen on paper, 12 x 10.5 cm, 2004.
like the last game, if you come up with the winning title for this little drawing, i will mail it to you. for this competition, j will choose the winning title (it is out of my hands). i will be away for two weeks and will announce the winner on my return.
please include your email (it will not show up on the site) in the comment form.
another yellow drawing
2005-07-18
30 x 23 cm, 2004, $150.
Drawing and the Art World
2005-07-15
Here is an interesting article from the CBC site that I found via Zeke’s.
Doodle Dandies : The art world’s newfound appreciation for drawing
By Sascha Hastings
buffer
2005-07-15
buffer, acrylic and pen on paper, 24 x 23 cm, 2004
old drawing : maps
2005-07-14
untitled, charcoal on paper, 60 x 65 cm, 1995
click here to see where the reference for this drawing.
i have received quite a few submissions for this little contest and will be deciding soon. you still have time to suggest a title!
red plants
2005-07-12
red plants 1, acrylic on paper, 28 x 22 cm, 2004, $100.
you title it you win it (won)
2005-07-08
untitled, acrylic on paper, 9 x 7 cm.
i am soliciting titles for this small painting on paper. if you suggest the winning title then i will send you the drawing. simple as that. to participate leave a comment with your title. you may remain anonymous but you must leave your email (so i can contact you – your email will not be displayed on the page).
the winner is :
i had a lot of trouble deciding between ‘En Tournée’ and ‘Mooring Hitch’ so i decided to pick between them randomly. ‘En Tournée’ won! I will be sending it to peter as soon as he sends me his postal address.
my bike route
2005-07-08
i just came accross this interesting little tool that uses google maps as a virtual pedometer. cool stuff.
draw together
2005-07-05
Eric Deis, an artist from Vancouver and has a interesting live online drawing tool on his site. You can draw along with others in real time. Check it out. I browsed through his projects and found lots of great stuff.
pools (landscape)
2005-07-05
pools, acrylic on paper, 25 x 20 cm, 2003
2005-07-04
river (blue), acrylic on paper, 25 x 20 cm.
Darfur
2005-07-04
I don’t often write about politics here much anymore but this story makes me angry. We are sitting by and watching this happen with such detached ‘concern’.
Justin Laku founder of Canadian Friends of Sudan recently paid a four-day visit to three refugee camps outside of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
“In comparison, the condition of a Canadian zoo is 10 times better,” Ottawa resident Laku said of the camps. “There is no water, no sanitation, no toilets, nothing whatsoever.”
www.thestar.com
The Bush administration still shares intelligence with the Sudan government even after it has stated that they have been commiting genocide. Their reasoning is that is neccessary in the ‘war on terror’. What else are they going to justify with this so called war?
The Bush administration described the Darfur atrocities as genocide in order to please the Christian right ahead of the American presidential elections, according to a senior US official.
www.sudantribune.com
up
2005-06-29
up, acrylic on paper, 40 x 30 cm, $150 (unframed).
landscape series (meander 2)
2005-06-27
meander 2, acrylic and oil on canvas, 76 x 60 cm, $600.
dual
2005-06-22
dual, oil on canvas, 10 x 9 inches, $250.
i normally do not mention that the paintings i post here are for sale but with this one i will. if you are interested please contact me.
click the image to view a larger version.
grouping
2005-06-21
small drawing in sketchbook (actual size).
bay (landscape series)
2005-06-19
bay, 77 x 60 cm, oil on canvas, 2003
another in the landscape series. click here to view an image with a better resolution.
bend (landscape series)
2005-06-16
bend, acrylic and oil on canvas, 76 x 60 cm, 2003
click here to view a larger version.
referendums are stupid
2005-06-16
A friend forwarded me an email to vote online for the “The National Marriage Referendum : Should Parliament pass Bill C-38 to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada?“.
After visiting the site and seeing the Yes votes out voted by the No votes my immedaite reaction was to vote Yes and forward the site link to as many like minded people I know. But I am undecided if I am going to vote as I believe that questions of such matter should not be decided with a referendum. The rights of a minority should never be decided by the majority. Even more, if a right is protected by The Charter, then it is guaranteed, no matter what the out come of a referendum.
The logic of a referendum is such that the majority can deny or take away the rights of a minority. I hope the Liberals do not bow to the Conservatives pressure to delay the vote on gay marriage. Have a back bone and stand up for what you believe in.
I am undecided. I want to see the Yes votes increase but I do not agree with the principle of a referendum.
Note : the site that is organising this online referendum is “the Defend Marriage Project of United Families Canada.”
lac echo
2005-06-11
Click here to view the original photo (here to view the drawing again).
it is hot and muggy here in montreal today. it makes me want to be back at lac echo (where we went last weekend).
lines in space
2005-06-11
untitled, 26 x 20 inches, charcoal on paper.
they hid their faces
2005-06-10
small drawing in sketchbook (pen and marker).
Sustaining Abstract Painting
2005-06-10
I like these few sentences from Donald Kuspit’s review of Wlodzimierz Ksiazek’s abstract paintings. I was unfamiliar with Ksiazek’s work and am now intrigued by the physicality of his paintings. I have always thought that one of painting’s great capacities is its ability to both illustrate and at the same time be a very physical medium. I like this duality and play with it in my paintings.
I am suggesting that from the start Ksiazek realized that two-dimensionality and three-dimensionality are inseparable — one always implies the other — and that the priority that modernist painting gave to flat painting, by reason of its “critical” relationship to the flatness of the canvas, is a reductive premise and falsifying limitation of painting, that is, an inhibiting and peculiarly naive “formalism.”
From Sustaining Abstract Painting by Donald Kuspit
i am a painter so here is a painting
2005-06-06
untitled, 115 x 90 cm, oil on canvas, 2003
a painting that is posted on my portfolio web site. you can view a better quality image of this painting here.
with nothing but infinitely mirrored irony to hold its hand
2005-06-03
A text that I have always like :
The reason that art in the postmodern, existential world has reached something of a culdesac is not that art itself is exhausted, but that the existential worldview is. Just as rational modernity previously exhausted its forms and gave way to aperspectival postmodernity, so now the postmodern itself is on a morbid death watch, with nothing but infinitely mirrored irony to hold its hand, casting flowers where they will not be missed. The skull of postmodernity grins on the near horizon, and in the meantime, we are between two worldviews, one slowly dying, one not yet born.
Ken Wilber, from To See A World–Art and the I of the Beholder
insert your own title
2005-06-03
pile 7 (where i end and you begin)
2005-06-02
all in good time
2005-06-01
untitled, acrylic on paper, 30 x 25 cm.
in anyone is interested in purchasing this work on paper or any others, please contact me.
(un)confined
2005-05-31
small drawing from sketchbook.
calvin and art theory
2005-05-31
a great calvin and hobbes comic strip – click here to view it over at modern kicks.
Calvin : A painting of a comic strip panel. Sophisticated irony. Philosophically challenging. High art.
go check it out – it is worth it.
tightrope walker
2005-05-27
red orange
2005-05-25
untitled, acrylic on paper (framed), 40 x 30 cm, 2003
little did they know the blimp was without a pilot
2005-05-24
another painting from the archives
2005-05-20
untitled, oil on canvas, 110 x 120 cm, 1999, private collection.
another painting from the archives. the reproduction is not that great but i think that this painting was the best of its series. this painting was a part of my mfa thesis show.
Beauty Questionnaire
2005-05-19
Jennifer over at simpleposie (art blog from Toronto) has posted a questionnaire that I sent her. Go and answer.
Beauty – Mark Dixon’s Questionnaire (MDBQ)
When simpleposie entered the word Beauty in the title above, the computer automatically remembered the words of philosopher George Santayana, “Beauty is pleasure regarded as the quality of a thing.” This is a funny yet fitting coincidence as the subject of the following ten question questionnaire, courtesy of artist , art blogger and most thoughtul individual Mark Dixon of Montreal is, as it happens, Beauty. Please answer with all your gusto.
ART@*^<>WORK
2005-05-19
I came across this project while visiting Chris Ashley’s web site. Chris also posts some photos of Tom Moody who is taking part in the project.
ART!@*<>WORK, an art exhibition that explores the tension between the art of work and the work of art. The cubicles of a midtown Manhattan office space provide the backdrop for fifteen New York artists’ pieces.
Each artist has been allocated a cubicle to transform and exhibit projects inspired by work and work environments. Visitors will be invited to explore and interact with the space during “office hours.” Cubicles will also be designated throughout the space for visitors to come and do their own work or eat their lunches.
touch
2005-05-19
small drawing (actual size).
pile 5
2005-05-17
colour is creeping in.
pile 4 (a gathering)
2005-05-16
what do people think of these? i have a few others done that i will be posting as well as have more ideas for new ones. i have done some that incorporate colour that i will post soon.
untitled (couple)
2005-05-13
from the archives, untitled, 20 x 30 cm, acrylic on paper, 2003.
pile 3
2005-05-11
the stare (artblog.net)
2005-05-10
If this quote interests you, check the entire post over at artblog.net.
Of course, most of us probably didn’t recognize that we were latecomers to the grad-school pyramid scheme. Theory with a capital T grew up with the expansion of graduate programs and the adjunctification of higer education during the last 30 years. It was a ticket to success for a charmed circle of insiders: a few people at elite institutions with the connections and advance knowledge to get in and out of the game before the general rush. The language of theory – carefully deployed in the world of academic hiring and publication – still functions in ways that suggest the sub rosa communications of Ivy League clubmen in the world of investment banking.
from artblog.net
pile 2 (missing you)
2005-05-09
small drawing.
pile
2005-05-06
small drawing done while on hold on the phone.
yellow painting
2005-05-05
we were over at my friend’s place for dinner last night and i saw this painting after a long time not seeing it. i like having distance from my own work – in a way it is like seeing it from an objective point of view. it is like seeing something you have writen or drawn when you were a kid.
other paintings like this one can be seen on my portfolio web site.
2 figures
2005-05-04
a drawing from the archives. untitled, acrylic on paper, 30 x 20 cm, 2003, unframed.
january blog
2005-05-03
Here is another plug for a site that I have put in the art blogs menu to the left. January Blog has some good writing about art exhibitions. I can’t tell too much about the blog (there is not an About section) but I think they are in the NYC area. There are three contributors. Today they have a review of a show at The Canada Gallery in NYC.
pink background (in progress)
2005-05-02
a drawing started on paper that i plan to continue working on with the computer. i’ll post the results (or the progression) soon.
ok, here it is. i am not crazy about the colours but i am posting it anyhow …
the pink glow
2005-04-30
3 and 2
2005-04-28
not sure what i think of this one but i thought i would post it anyhow.
together again
2005-04-27
(green added digitally).
a satire on the emptiness of prizes and the idiocy of art
2005-04-27
I just came across this article in The Guardian Unlimited.
Beck’s Futures, I have come to realise, is a satire on the emptiness of prizes and the idiocy of art.
Christina Mackie has won the Beck’s Futures Art Award (London). I am writing about this for a few reasons. One is the amount of money it comes with – $63 275.00 (in Canadian dollars), which is fairly substantial. The Canada Council reserves this type of support to senior artists. Another is that it seems she grew up in Canada (for some reason most of the articles mention this). And there is this scathing article thatnot only slams her art work but also the premise of the prize.
Mackie’s work would not make you look twice in a mediocre group show.
It seems that the sillier art becomes, the more money gets thrown into its void. You know, some people actually do create works of art that are engaging, complex, and multi-layered.
I cannot remember the general tone of Jonathan Jones’ previous reviews and/or articles but it makes me want to pay attention to his further writings. Not because he is somewhat vicious but because it seeme that he is not afraid to express ideas that could be interpreted as anti-intellectual or anti-avant-garde.
give and take
2005-04-26
another hybrid drawing
2005-04-25
i will probably post another version of this drawing. for now i thought i would upload an in-progress version.
hybrid drawing
2005-04-21
another hybrid drawing (started on paper and then edited on the computer). i would like to start some drawings on the computer and then re-work them on paper. perhaps even continue back into the original medium (i.e. from paper to computer and back to paper). this will entail a fairly good quality print though, especially if it is re-worked and re-scanned again. i wonder how many ‘generations’ i can take it…
tide
2005-04-20
tide
this idea for a landscape painting was stolen from N (he is six years old). i was amazed when he drew a swath of darker colour to show the wet sand. i have several ideas for a new landscape series and am eager to get them started.
mount jo
2005-04-18
j and i went to the adirondack mountains this weekend. it was fabulous. the weather was great and the camping and hiking area even better. the above photo was taken from the top of mount jo. i didn’t bring a camera and found the photo on the web here after doing a google search. we spent a long time lying in the sun and looking at this view. i searched for a picture of the view from our campsite on heart lake (the lake in the lower part of the picture) but have not found one yet. interesting that there are certain places in the world that have been captured in pictures by many people. of course the view was quite different yesterday but the picture is surprisingly similar (there were no leaves on the trees and a bit of snow at higher elevations). the sky was different though and there was a bit of ice still on the northern edge of the lake. i prefer my mental image.
cartoon abstraction
2005-04-15
digital manipulation (i.e. tweeked in photoshop) of a part of this drawing.
green on pink
2005-04-14
for J.
doctor anweil makes a discovery
2005-04-13
featured blog : bloggy
2005-04-11
i thought i would go through my blogroll and highlight a few of the blogs there over the next few weeks. bloggy is a good nyc based weblog. he writes about art exhibitions in and around the city. most of the artist he mentions art emerging artists and often he will post an image of the work. he also maintains artcal.net, a directory of nyc exhibitions.
orange space
2005-04-11
digby, nova scotia : a study
2005-04-09
study for new landscape painting.
has anyone seen this vista?
some kind of horizon
2005-04-08
some kind of horizon or whatever, page from sketchbook.
tied up
2005-04-07
Hirst’s Sad New Show
2005-04-07
i have never been a fan of damien hirst so it was a nice surprise to come across this negative review of his most recent show in nyc.
The 31 paintings in Damien Hirst’s sad new show at Gagosian are not paintings at all; or rather, they’re generic-to-bad photo-realist efforts. Any semi-adept student or average commercial artist could have made them. Many do. But this isn’t what makes Hirst’s paintings sad; it only makes them ordinary and academic.
from The Emperor’s New Paintings by Jerry Saltz
it is not the avant garde aspect of his work that annoys me but the simplistic shock reaction that he seems to searh for. it is easy to shock and it is a one-liner. what is even worse is the art world’s taking of his work hook, line and sinker. not only is his work praised in many art theory books but his work sells very well. the works in this show go for between a quarter million and two million. not bad work if you can get it. why don’t these art collectors (speculators) look a bit more at less blue chip artist? spread the interest and wealth a bit.
Seeing Hirst rehash his old subjects in such pale ways is like listening to Paul McCartney sing Beatles songs in Wings.
one and two
2005-04-06
one and two, page from sketchbook.
Cy Twombly, Doodler?
2005-04-06
I do not read Slate very often but for some reason I passed by it’s front page today. There is an interesting article on the work (and the person) of Cy Twombly. I have never really had a decisive viewpoint on what I think of his work but I have always been intrigued by it. I think more and more. His gestural marks (that some people call doodles) are very immediate and casual. At the same time they are quite serious and create a situation of pause and reflection. Randomness has interested me for quite some time. I do not refer to randomness in the sense of putting down whatever but more of a state where the discursive mind is less present. Perhaps openness is a better term. My work usually swings from randomness (gestural) to more contrived editing.
Nobody, however, could erect a theory on Twombly’s images. They are not just products of the imagination; they do not exist as correlatives to ideas, let alone to things. Done in pencil and crayon, Twombly’s trademark images capture the transient, universal sign of distraction: the doodle.
Cy Twombly : The man who made an art out of doodles.
From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Function: noun
an aimless or casual scribble, design, or sketch; also : a minor work
we float together
2005-04-05
a grouping of forms where 2 get better than the others.
page from small sketchbook, 14 x 20 cm.
red landscape
2005-04-04
red landscape #5, acrylic on board, 15 x 16 cm, 2002
i did a series of small and large red landscapes a few years ago. you can see more at my portfolio web site. all of these have sold and i am thinking of new approaches for a landscape series. in the past these somewhat abstract landscapes have been quite small, but i am thinking of making several large ones. i want to make the textured ground large and seductive – inviting to fall in to.
slight breeze
2005-04-01
blue pink
2005-03-31
i deliberated if i should post this drawing. i am not sure what i think of it – whether is good or what it suggests. the reason for this blog however, is to post things from my sketchbook and not to edit too much. many of the things i put down on paper are not very interesting (ideas or drawings) but it is helpful to put them down. often i find it cathartic to get rid of the forms that i think of in my head. if i don’t draw them they remain there and take up space and sometimes cause stress. so here it is, an unedited look.
julie’s drawing
2005-03-30
this is a drawing julie did in my sketchbook. hopefully she will do more and i can post them as well.
the top
2005-03-29
i am somewhat embarassed to say that the inspiration for this drawing was a soft drink advertisement. guess which.
Labyrinth of Theory
2005-03-29
Art has been lost in a labyrinth of theory. If this sounds anti-intellectual, let me clarify. There is no good work of art that cannot be described in intelligible English, however long it might take, however much patience is required. And yet this book begins with four theoretical essays explaining the post-structuralist concepts the authors believe we need before we can meaningfully discuss a single work of art.
I came across this article (Lost in a labyrinth of theory) via another art blog (Modern Art Notes). It is true that I am often annoyed with the extent or importance that is put on theory in the art world. Often it seems as if the theory is not there to describe or investigate the art but that the art is there to elucidate the theory. At the same time a certain amount of specialized language is required.
joined #2
2005-03-24
another page from sketchbook. continuing on a theme. what do you think?
Covert Art Placement
2005-03-24
I found this via bloggy. Quote is from the Wooster Collective.
Dressed as a British pensioner, over the last few days Banksy entered each of the galleries and attached one of his own works, complete with authorative name plaque and explanation.
The galleries mentioned above are all in New York City (The Brooklyn Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Natural History).
Auction Project #3
2005-03-24
fog, 40 x 30 cm, acrylic on paper, 2003
i have been planning on continuing with my landscape series in the near future. this drawing, or painting on paper, was done quite a while ago but i do like the fog effect. most of the landscapes that i have made are either fictional places (made up from my imagination) or conjured up from my memory. often the landscapes of the ocean are places that i have been and miss. i have started thinking of several new paintings along these lines and may post some of the sketches soon.
SOLD
joined at the ‘hip’
2005-03-23
page from sketchbook.
blue blobs
2005-03-23
blue blobs, 45 x 40 cm, oil on paper, 2002.
a not so successful painting from a series that never went anywhere. here are a few others :
blue blob 3
blue blob 5
blue blob 1
loosened mind
2005-03-22
walking in old montreal this morning, the sun was warm and the sidewalks wet with small rivers of melting snow. i tried to loosen the control of my thoughts. i wanted to see the images that would appear in my mind. unfettered.
i saw billowing sails against a deep blue sky.
Canada crawls with terrorists
2005-03-22
Came across this National Review article via Disinfo.
But American officials better eye the northern frontier, too. Canadians seem rather relaxed about some who inhabit the land nestled between Alaska and the Lower 48. While most Canadians are as friendly as Labrador retrievers, that attitude is not universal.
And how is this for instilling fear of Canada among Americans :
Canada crawls with terrorists, suspected violent extremists, and folks worthy of 24-hour surveillance.
party on brown
2005-03-22
flock, acrylic on paper, 30 x 24 cm, 2003.
David Bierk
2005-03-22
I came across this article by Donald Kuspit today. I didn’t realize that David Bierk had died.
To say that Bierk is simply quoting two Old Master works of art — a painting and a sculpture, the former by way of his own hand, the latter by way of a photograph — in an ironic postmodern manner is to miss the tension generated by their juxtaposition.
shadow (16:42)
2005-03-19
the shadow that inches its way across the wall behind me at work.
beautiful pink background
2005-03-17
this is the first image posted from my new sketchbook and happens to be the first post made on my new blog site. i have switched from Blosxom to WordPress (and switched web servers as well). you may have noticed the blog title change from ‘to leave a mark’ to ‘(re)mark’. the first title was meant to be temporary but i never got around to changing it. thanks j, for help with the new title 😉
(in)congruent
2005-03-14
grid, 30 x 30 cm, acrylic on paper
my work is mostly thematic but this small painting on paper is quite different than a the work i normally do. i often work in series so there is a progression that develops. it is however, good to try incongruent things. it is often in doing so (as with chance or mistakes) a way to discover new and interesting avenues or ways of working.
Auction Project # 2
2005-03-13
Duo, oil on board, 14.5 x 16 cm, 2003
AUCTION ENDED
The Thought Project
2005-03-09
I came across this link here. It is a very nice (simple) project. The photographer takes close up photos of people he meets in the street. He askes them what they were thinking just before he met them and includes this with their photo.
loops
2005-03-08
Digital image.
eBay Project No. 1
2005-03-02
untitled, oil on board, 14.5 x 16 cm, 2003
This small painting is the first that I am posting as a part of my eBay project. I will be posting small paintings from a series on this blog with links to the page on eBay where they will be auctioned.
SOLD
Blue Blur
2005-02-28
Digital image.
my affair with pink continues
2005-02-25
Digital image.
what i look at while waiting for the bus in the morning
2005-02-24
i will teach you how to grow
2005-02-24
droopintertwined
2005-02-23
a small drawing from nowhere.
digital images – physical marks
2005-02-22
Digital image
it is not very often that i create images digitally but this is an example. at times i work through various possibilities digitally but usually i do so in the studio or in my sketchbook. but as this blog has become somewhat of a working sketchbook, i think there are ways to experiment with imagery, colour, etc. using the computer. even if i come up with interesting ideas in this way i feel that the true test is how it will look when made into a ‘real’ painting. it is hard to ignore, especially for me, paint’s physical quality. i have wrote these thoughts before and perhaps it is me making excuses for spending time on these digital, or web-based, images. this being said, i think that this ‘sketch’ (there are the quotation marks again) could make for an interesting avenue to explore on canvas.
Bilingual
2005-02-21
Altered Drawing
2005-02-21
Stomach-ing Pomo
2005-02-15
From artnet.com
:
So, what is left to find in painting? Quite frankly, in the context of Postmodernism,
rather too much. While the constant refinement of Modernist abstraction is
now an old story, the pluralism that so happily succeeded it seems increasingly
unmoored. The freedom of Postmodern painters is in the advocacy of their caprices.
In other words, they get to paint whatever they want however the hell they
want, and don’t mind us, we’ll find a way to stomach it somehow.
I was surprised and glad to read this review of a show on ArtNet.com. Has the
‘freedom of Postmodern painters’ caused them to become more unmoored than Modernist
painters at the turn of the century supposedly did? I am not sure. The pluralism of so called
Postmodern painters obviously irks this reviewer. It makes me wonder if he would
express similar sentiments if he were reviewing a show of ‘Modernist’ painting
as painters diverged from figurative work.
Spreading Bad News About Wal-Mart
2005-02-15
From Harpers :
Wal-Mart closed a store in Canada to prevent the store’s workers from unionizing;[The Street] in a separate case, the company agreed to pay $135,540 in fines for breaking child-labor laws.[ABC News]
Christos’ Gates
2005-02-14
a friend went to see the christo installation in new york this weekend and sent these photos (thanks mo!).
i am not sure what i think of it. i think that it has to be experienced to make a judgement. the drawings (christo made many to finance the 20 million dollar project) are very nice. it is surprising, given that the project was completely paid for by the artists (no grants were given), that there has been quite a bit of protest over it. is it going to disturb that many dog walkers in the park?
Chris Ashley’s HTML Paintings
2005-02-13
I recently came accross Chris Ashley’s blog via a series of links on other blogs. I was thinking of what it means to view images of art work posted on web sites in lieu of experiencing them in person. On Chris Ashley’s site he has an article someone wrote about his ‘paintings’ that I found interesting.
Chris Ashley is a painter. That’s the first thing I want to say, and as it may turn out, the most radical, because he creates his color images without paint. Ashley uses HTML (hypertext markup language), the original and rudimentary instructional software of the internet, and delivers the results to his audience via the web. No brushes to clean. No walls to leave nail holes in. His studio/gallery is, in the parlance, a Blog, an online journal he maintains on a day to day basis.
George Lawson: Chris Ashley’s HTML Drawings
I have always found that the physical aspect of my paintings to be very important (as most or all paintings). At the same time my paintings have been experienced only by seeing images on a screen. In fact I have sold paintings based on people viewing images on my web site. Perhaps the ‘flattening’ of painting on the web happens with many other areas as well (journalism, literature, etc.).
There are philosophical implications to the virtual reality, the non-physical aspect of these HTML images. Rather than painting, one might call them coding, and one could ask angel-on-a-pinhead questions like, “What direction is the light coming from?” and, “How big are they?” They don’t conform to painting’s standard vocabulary, deriving their color as they do neither from mass tone nor undertone.
someone always feels your gravity
2005-02-11
coagulate at the seams
2005-02-10
Israel and Palestine : The Problem of Democracy
2005-02-09
I read this article in last month’s Harpers and found it to be quite revealing. The author, Bernard Avishai, who went to McGill University, elucidates several views on the Israel/Palestine problem. These viewpoints are not usually seen in mainstream media, or in media that requires any great depth or history.
Worse, there is an obvious way to safeguard a “Jewish majority” that hardly comes up in conversations, though the way most Israelis now grasp their history should give us pause. I mean ha’transfer, reducing by forced expulsion or economic pressure the numbers of Arabs living where Jews do. The fact is, it is impossible to get the “clean” separation Goldberg speaks of without extensive ethnic cleansing. And Israelis know this.
Harpers article
a gathering
2005-02-09
9 x 11 inches, acrylic on paper, 2004.
old timer
2005-02-08
80 x 60 cm, drawing on paper, 1995.
many of the drawings posted on this blog, and my art web site are for sale. if interested contact me.
reach
2005-02-07
one day they will be big
2005-02-04
approx. 11 x 11 inches.
this is a study from a series of small works on paper that i originally planned to do in large format. the large paintings have not yet taken shape, but i continue to make the drawings/small paintings.
after a long pause
2005-02-03
11 x 8.5 inches.
it has been quite some time since i last posted. my domain name was not renewed (this is why the site was not working). anyhow here is another drawing from a sketchbook. i hope to have some new material ready to post soon. stand by.
another one from the archives
2005-01-20
untitled, charcoal on paper, 80 x 60 cm, 1995
droop
2005-01-17
a page from my sketchbook.
i am getting quite a bit behind in the studio lately. ideas have been piling up in my head for new paintings and i have not been to the studio to get them down in a more concrete form. this creates the dilemma of whether to make time to get there (the studio) or get those slides and other information off to the gallery. time seems like a delicious commodity lately.
3 figures
2005-01-11
untitled, acrylic on paper, 20 x 30 cm, 2003
i have been busy with lot’s of things lately. so here is a small painting on paper (you can see more here – click on Works on Paper). i hope to get some recent work digitized soon.
another drawing from the archives
2005-01-10
untitled, charcoal on paper, 75 x 60 cm, 1995
nice sky
2005-01-05
16:08
just got back from the ‘deep south road trip’ last night. it was a lot of fun. interesting. bizarre. cool. bad coffee. fried food. lots of miles. good weather. super duper nye – cool bars and hotels in new orleans. saw crocodiles. ate crocodile meat. white beaches. cabin on the bayou. waffle houses. juke joint. 4 states. more later.
wireless is the new black
2004-12-25
so here i am at the halifax airport on my way to YFC. left YUL way too early and have a 3 hour wait here. it is cool that there is free wireless in the terminal – it makes the new laptop uber handy. so here i sit drinking coffee, chatting with my bro in fredericton (who is sick) and friend in nyc (who is also sick) – hope they get well soon, and checking email. i am off for a speedy trip to see the family and then back to YUL to go to JAN for a week long road trip in the deep south.
last drawing
2004-12-23
this will probably be the last image of my sketchbook that i post this year. more to come next year…
Top 10 Music : 2004
2004-12-23
Here is a list of my top ten music artists of 2004. Most of them released an album this year – others I discovered this year. There is lots of good stuff there. Great Lake Swimmers are really great – haunting, melodic, folky.
- Great Lake Swimmers
- I am Kloot
- The Arcade Fire
- Franz Ferdinand
- Smog
- Clem Snide
- John Vanderslice
- Elliott Smith
- TV on the Radio
- Interpol
Close but not the top ten : Les Cowboys Fringants, Scissor Sisters, Wilco, Jean Leloup.
spine drawing
2004-12-22
a drawing from last night
2004-12-21
Sensationalist US Media
2004-12-21
From the web site MediaMatters.org
Coulter: Canada is “lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent”; Carlson: “Without the U.S., Canada is essentially Honduras”
View article
Watch video clip:
Quicktime
Windows Media
a -40 (Celcius) blue
2004-12-20
The End of Suburbia (I wish)
2004-12-20
I came accross a link to this documentary on another blog (I can’t remember which). It looks very interesting. It investigates the problematics of suburbia – a topic that I have had an interest for some time. I think that this type of (sub)urban planning creates dead communities. Vast areas of asphalt and manicured lawns where everyone drives around in cars. Have you ever walked through a suburb? You seem very out of place as a pedestrian – chances are, you are the only one walking.
THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream
But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary.
i remember you too
2004-12-14
90 x 60 cm, 1995
another one.
i remember you
2004-12-13
90 x 60 cm, 1995
i took this drawing out to show someone at the studio the other week. it is interesting to look at your work from a distance of many years. it is almost as if it has been made by someone else. at the same time i can see marks and remember making them – or remember what i was doing (that day, week) when i made it. for this drawing, i can picture what time of day i made it and bright sunny light in my studio.
Keeping Art Dangerous
2004-12-13
If you spend any time walking around the Mile-End or Plateau region of Montreal you have surely seen some of Roadworth’s stencil art. Apparently he was busted and charged with 85 counts of public mischief.
Zeke, of Zeke’s Gallery has started a (email) campaign to have his interventions considered art and not common vandalism. It is an interesting debate – when does something become art and when is it graffiti? At the same time, part of what makes his art works interesting is that they are illegal and have to be made in a very covert way. The illegality of the work removes it from the institution of art (i.e. galleries or sanctioned art venue). I do not want him to get punished too harshly but at the same time I feel that having the city or the police sanction his interventions as Art will, for me, lessen the work. A large part of the impact is that it is rebellious, unsanctioned and clandestine.
I really like his stencils and find that they are often very clever. It is nice when art interjects itself into common, pedestrian venues. There is an especially clever stencil on Fairmount, just east of St Laurent – a vine wraps around the shadow of a lampost (cast from a street light).
As mentioned in the Montreal Mirror:
The zipper on Parc above the interchange, the light switch on St-Laurent and St-Viateur, the vines at St-Urbain and St-Joseph; these are some of the unique signature pieces by Montreal stencil artist sensation Roadsworth. While widely praised for bringing some life onto Montreal’s otherwise drab and potholed Plateau streets, Roadsworth’s popularity didn’t save him from being arrested last week by Montreal police.
travelling in diagonals
2004-12-09
since the theft of my bike i have been riding the metro. it has gotten me down a bit. the crowded underground spaces leave a lot to be desired. buses are not much better. since i stopped riding my bike i have started thinking of the city in terms of bus routes and metro lines. how do i get from one place to another? does this bus line stop at this metro line? and since i do not have a transit pass but have been getting packets of 6 tickets, i am even more careful of the trajectory of my travels. perhaps this is all quite mundane but it actually affects ones way of living.
i long to travel the city in nice swooping diagonals again.
painting set to music
2004-12-04
a friend of mine has been experimenting with making music on his computer. he recently made (or re-mixed) a track and set it to one of my paintings. he mentioned that he would be doing this so i was curious to see which one he chose. i like the track, the favourite of his from what i have heard so far. thanks man.
you can view/listen to it here.
10 AM Moon
2004-12-02
for some reason i always find a day moon intriguing.
an opening
2004-12-01
Big Fluffy Snowflakes
2004-12-01
A view from my desk this morning (from Old Montreal towards downtown). Big fluffy flakes that fall and half melt on your jacket and hat.
after a long pause, a drawing
2004-11-30
there are times when i feel so amorphous. not only in the sense of uncohesive thoughts but also in an almost physical sense. the skin at times seems like such an undelineated barrier. what mine is yours and yours is mine. i remain open.
Open Letter to a Bike Thief
2004-11-24
Ok, this is not an open letter to just any bike thief. It is, rather, an open letter to the bike thief who stole my bike this morning. The bike thief that stole my bike a little over a year ago may also consider this addressed to him or her (although I suspect it is a him).
First of all, fuck you. I used that bike for my main mode of transportation. It was not a luxurious toy. When I saw my crumpled bike lock where my bike used to be this morning, I was on my way to work. Thanks to you I was late.
I think there are levels of thieves and you my friend are near the bottom. You remind me of horse thieves and how they were considered to exist on the lowest level of thief-dom. You should be punished not only for the value in dollars that you steal but for the fact that you are stealing someones mode of transportation. Car thieves get their own category don’t they? Why not you as well? Perhaps you should have to work in a bike shop for free. Or volunteer for an alternative transportation group like Critical Mass.
So tell me, how much did you get for it? Was it worth it? Did you buy crack? A 40 ouncer? It would make me feel better if you bought some new shoes for your kid but somehow I think that your motive was less noble.
P.S. – fuck you.
Green Fiction 2
2004-11-22
Three Fictions in a Green Space
2004-11-19
I was showing old drawings to someone last night and came accross this one. It dates from around 1997. It is approximately 30 x 25 cm and oil on paper.
Democracy Painting Update
2004-11-16
I have decided to stop the voting later this week. If you have not voted and still would like to – do it fast! There are some people who have not been clear in their choice. Unfortunately their votes will not be counted. You can only choose 1, 2, or 3 (not “humm, I choose 2 but 1 is nice”, “the current version” or “1 or 3”). Democracy has to have its rules to keep order!
Thank you to everyone who has voted.
The Democracy Paintings (Beta)
2004-11-07
A few months ago I wrote about my idea for The Democracy Paintings here. I am not sure I have completely resolved how to approach it but I have done a test. Click here to take part in The Democracy Paintings Beta version. It is actually quite simple – you just look at the studies I have made for th progression of the painting and send me an email with the number.
unfinished small painting
2004-11-01
still in progress. untitled, 30 x 30 cm, oil and acrylic on canvas.
Voter Suppression, Observers and so called Democracy
2004-11-01
I was listening to NPR this morning and the discussion was on the problem of voter suppression or intimidation at the US polls. It is suprising that this type of swaying is allowed on the day of election. Shouldn’t there be a free and unhindered atmosphere at the polling stations?
From Truth Out :
With political analysts agreeing that voter turnout, especially of minority and youth voters, will likely determine the outcome of next Tuesday’s presidential election, civil and human rights groups are pressing the Republican National Committee (RNC) to call off plans aimed at discouraging people from casting ballots.
Perhaps the US version of democracy should be fixed before it is spread around the world. From The Washington Post :
Precincts in Virginia and Maryland will allow international observers to monitor the election process tomorrow, despite concerns from local voters who say such a presence undermines U.S. sovereignty.
Michael Moore is asking people to document cases of election fraud with their video cameras. This article was also published in The Guardian :
The filmmaker Michael Moore has announced a large-scale effort to combat dirty tricks during tomorrow’s US election by stationing hundreds of people with video cameras outside polling stations.
At any rate, it should be an intersting few days for everyone south of the border – and to others observing.
open ended
2004-10-29
a small drawing quick drawing done while at work. actual size. i wonder, do visual artists ever doodle?
100 000 Dead in Iraq
2004-10-29
From The International Herald Tribune :
More than 100,000 civilians have probably died as direct or indirect consequences of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, according to a study by a research team at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
Eminem’s Mosh
2004-10-27
Eminem has released a new song and video that is a scathing indictment of the Bush Administration. You can view the video here (Guerrilla News Network). Visually it is a strange video due to the type of animation it uses. It has a video game feel to it in some ways.
the ostrich liberation front
2004-10-26
for those of you in montreal and who have frequented the bar bily kun, you will find this stunt rather funny. here is an exerpt from the site created for the stunt www.ostrichliberationfront.com.
Hi, a very happy Bily Kun here. Stan our OSTRICH HEAD is back in perfect shape and in a very good mood indeed! We’d like to thank the gentlemen thieves for taking Stan on a SIGHTSEEING TOUR and above all for bringing him back. We love you for it! In fact, we’d like to become friends with you. Sans Racune! Absinthe—One, maybe two, but definitely not three—on the house. This one goes to show that the Rant Line works. Thank you all very much. There’s still hope for this world of ours.
four columns
2004-10-25
untitled, 50 x 50 cm, oil on canvas, 2004.
over-complication
2004-10-24
this is the state of this painting that i have been working on for some time now. i am not very happy with the progression that it has taken and thus probably shouldn’t be posting it here. but in respect to this blog’s stated purpose (to show things from my skecthbook [i.e. method of working] and works in progress) i will show it. i think it has become over-complicated visually.
Happiness : rich/poor, urban/rural
2004-10-22
I found this static interesting (emphasis mine):
And the final twist is that Atlantic Canada is not “poor.” That, too, is relative. The word only comes up because others are filthy rich. If we look at it in world terms, we are in fact mostly filthy rich ourselves. Figures from the World Bank indicate this: If you make $25,000 a year, you’re in the top 10 per cent of wage earners on the face of the Earth.
It is taken from an article that features the result of a study on the happiness of Canadians. Turns out that the happiest people are in the supposed poor areas of the country and the least happy in the richest. I wonder, though, if it is not due to the poor/rich dichotomy but rather rural/urban.
About Me
2004-10-21
I am a painter and have lived in Montreal, Quebec, Canada since 1998. Before Montreal I lived in Halifax, Carrabassett Valley, Bouler and Providence. I grew up in New Brunswick, Canada.
The idea for this blog started as a place to post images from my sketchbook. While it has remained this to a large extent, it expanded in scope as well. I also have been posting images of works in progress from time to time. From this I have developed a method of working where I work on images of unfinished paintings in Photoshop before continuing with them in the studio. Furthermore, I am also posting a fair amount of material in the Politics and Ideas section. These are mostly articles that I come accross in my reading of numerous web sites. And lastly I also post things from my trips or general life in the Day to Day section.
You may also view examples of my art work on my portfolio site here – www.markdixon.ca.
If you are interested in buying drawings shown on my blog (or paintings from my portfolio web site, please contact me by clicking the Contact link in the left hand column.
I also work as a web designer for a non-profit foundation.
close to the origin of pink
2004-10-21
i had finished this painting a few months ago but this weekend i thought that it may not be finished. i may try my new method of working (studies) possibilities out using photoshop. it may need a strong graphic element in the foreground to break things up a bit. until then, it remains as it is above. not title as of yet (big surprise), about 50 x 50 cm, oil on canvas.
sunday afternoon drawing
2004-10-20
sometimes i just draw what pops into my head.
the ocean renews me
2004-10-19
on a recent trip to new brunswick we went to this beach for an afternoon. click here to see exactly where it is (just right of the red star).
between the background and you
2004-10-19
small painting (oil and acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 cm, May-October 2004).
Bush and the NY Times
2004-10-19
Here is an informative article that was printed in the NY Times a few days ago. The newspaper has openly declared their supprot for Kerry in the upcoming election (John Kerry for President). To view these articles you will need to sign up (for free). This is an anecdote from the first mentioned story:
There is one story about Bush’s particular brand of certainty I am able to piece together and tell for the record.
In the Oval Office in December 2002, the president met with a few ranking senators and members of the House, both Republicans and Democrats. In those days, there were high hopes that the United States-sponsored ”road map” for the Israelis and Palestinians would be a pathway to peace, and the discussion that wintry day was, in part, about countries providing peacekeeping forces in the region. The problem, everyone agreed, was that a number of European countries, like France and Germany, had armies that were not trusted by either the Israelis or Palestinians. One congressman — the Hungarian-born Tom Lantos, a Democrat from California and the only Holocaust survivor in Congress — mentioned that the Scandinavian countries were viewed more positively. Lantos went on to describe for the president how the Swedish Army might be an ideal candidate to anchor a small peacekeeping force on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Sweden has a well-trained force of about 25,000. The president looked at him appraisingly, several people in the room recall.
”I don’t know why you’re talking about Sweden,” Bush said. ”They’re the neutral one. They don’t have an army.”
Lantos paused, a little shocked, and offered a gentlemanly reply: ”Mr. President, you may have thought that I said Switzerland. They’re the ones that are historically neutral, without an army.” Then Lantos mentioned, in a gracious aside, that the Swiss do have a tough national guard to protect the country in the event of invasion.
Bush held to his view. ”No, no, it’s Sweden that has no army.”
The room went silent, until someone changed the subject.
A few weeks later, members of Congress and their spouses gathered with administration officials and other dignitaries for the White House Christmas party. The president saw Lantos and grabbed him by the shoulder. ”You were right,” he said, with bonhomie. ”Sweden does have an army.”
another pink affair
2004-10-18
this painting was finished (i think) this past weekend. click the image to see a detail. it is oil on canvas and about 60 x 40 cm.
the return of pink
2004-10-17
i finally finished this painting this afternoon. i struggled a bit with the colour of the dots but i have decided to stick with this hue of pink. here is a previous post where i was working with the colour using photoshop. the slight yelloe hue added to the pink makes the pink contrast with the blue-grey of the ‘background’ a bit better. i withheld from making this painting overly complicated as i feel that it’s simplicity makes its stronger. there is another painting in this series (that i may post later) that i completely over-worked and am now trying to salvage. although it may be at the point of no return so i will over-work it to death in hopes of something interesting happening in doing so.
i drift from the micro to the macro
2004-10-15
i seem to drift between the micro and the macro and not rest in between. what i remember most about visiting places are the close ups of streets, rock, sand, skin. i am still able to see the texture of the streets of madrid, the colour of the rock while climbing in welsford, the cracked plaster over the bed in my old apartment. i can picture the constellation on your back. or the far-reaching vistas, horizon line, mountain contours, cloud formations. the in between views fade away more quickly as if stored in a temporary place to be replaced rugularily.
a painting that never happened
2004-10-13
orbit.
a study for a painting along the same lines as this one.
Baker’s Conflict of Interest
2004-10-13
James Baker is lobbying for countries to forgive Iraq’s debt as he tries to get $27 billion for The Carlyle Group. Conflict of interest? There is even more surprises as shown in Naomi Klein’s article.
Baker is on two sides of this transaction: He is supposed to be representing the interests of the United States, but he is also a senior counselor at Carlyle, and Carlyle wants to get paid to help Kuwait recover its debts from Iraq.
Read the Alternet article
What Barry Says
2004-10-07
An interesting short animation film that critiques the US’ foreign policy quite heavily. It was shown in The Brooklyn Film Festival in 2004.
An un-apologetic criticism of US foreign policy and The Project for the New American Century.
three fictions hanging out
2004-10-06
Julie by the Lake
2004-10-06
where i spent my sunday afternoon
2004-10-05
i have been taking short close-up videos of water the past few times i have gone to ‘the country’. they are not like the photo above. when i have time i am going to experiment with how best to present them. they are very simple and meditative and i would like to keep them that way. so perhaps photos from my ‘day to day’ section may eventually make it over to the ‘sketchbook’ section. more later …
Work in Progress
2004-10-01
the pink dots are now actually blue and more subtle. here is a possible hue of pink that i may use.
Post Debate Headlines
2004-10-01
CNN; Poll: Kerry tops Bush in debate
BBC; Kerry, Bush clash over Iraq war
Fox News; Bush, Kerry Battle Over the War
Globe and Mail; Bin Laden free because of Iraq war, Kerry charges
Le monde; John Kerry franchit le premier obstacle
la press; Une colossale erreur de jugement
Le devoir; Kerry attaque, bush tient bon
National Post; Kerry takes offensive in TV debate
NY Times; In Debate, Kerry and Bush Stand Firm for 90 Minutes
Scotland on Sunday; Poll Boost for Kerry after Bush Debate
Washington Post; Bush and Kerry Rush Back to the Trail
my beautiful aleoli
2004-09-30
i dig lists
2004-09-30
Here are a few funny lists from McSweeney’s site.
Songs That Wouldn’t Have Been Hits If They’d Been Grammatically Correct. (Lie, Lady, Lie) >> more
E-mail Addresses It Would Be Really Annoying to Give Out Over the Phone. (One1TheFirstJustTheNumberTheSecondSpelledOut@hotmail.com) >> more
solitary floating fiction
2004-09-29
watch what i am listening
2004-09-28
so i installed a little itunes plugin that keeps track of the songs that i am listening to and then updates my profile of the audioscrobbbler website. at the same time i put the ten recent songs on the left hand menu of this blog. at first i thought it pretty cool, but now i am not so sure. now whatever i listen to is known by whoever reads this. so if i want to listen to the same track over and over it is ‘published’. not only that but everyone has those songs that they like to listen to but are embarrassed to admit and in this situation it becomes known! does this reveal too much about the trivial and mundane aspects of our life? what next? a program that keeps track (and then updates a web site for all to see) of the tv programs we watch? the web sites we visit? yeah well, i still think this audioscobbler thing is cool though.
Red Theme
2004-09-27
This is the only image I have of this painting. It was sold before I had a chance to properly document it. Lush.
bottom of the sea
2004-09-24
today i woke up at the bottom of the sea. that in itself is not that unusual as it happens from time to time. but usually i drift up and reach the surface – with a sudden break i hear and see with a sharp clarity. today, however i floated midway. between. looking up i saw everything through an undulating and reflecting image. my ears felt a weight . the noises above were muffled and faraway feeling. this all seems rather unpleasant but was actually quite enjoyable. when you float you don’t have to kick.
Recent Harper’s
2004-09-24
Naomi Klein’s article in the recent Harper’s magazine is now online. The issue is quite good with an article on Iraq by Klein and a long feature by Lampham about how the Right in the U.S. effectively bought their power and influence.
Klein’s article :
Every policy that liberates multinational corporations to pursue their quest for profit would be put into place: a shrunken state, a flexible workforce, open borders, minimal taxes, no tariffs, no ownership restrictions. The people of Iraq would, of course, have to endure some short-term pain: assets, previously owned by the state, would have to be given up to create new opportunities for growth and investment.
Read
Red
2004-09-24
I may have painted over this small painting (on board) – I can’t remember.
Three Somewhat Related Fools
2004-09-23
Last Night
2004-09-22
Squiggles
2004-09-21
Sometimes it takes a while to figure out the perfect squiggle.
Election Observers Arrive in U.S.
2004-09-21
I am curious to know how much coverage this is getting in the U.S. media.
A team of 20 independent democracy experts from 15 countries and five continents has arrived in the United States in order to observe this year’s presidential election campaign.rabble.ca article
Pomo
2004-09-21
From a NY Times Article:
Many say that no real avant-garde – which I’ll define as a combative group of free-thinking artists – can exist anymore. The media’s reach is too vast. New artists and movements get snatched up too quickly. If they are popular they get overexposed and stale. If they are not popular they disappear, and the marketeers decide they had better play it safe next time.
I wonder how this media effect works on the idea of artist becoming successful in their life time. Is the idea that an artist is more likely to become known after they are dead, dead? Perhaps the spread of media has caused our cultural history memory to be shortened – we remember less but are aware of current art more.
Universities are filled with arts programs. The training raises the level of craft and sophistication. It does not necessarily raise the courage quotient – the likelihood that artists will go their own way despite the rules dictated by the vanguard. … Postmodernism has the same effect. It drives artists to mine the past constantly – and flagrantly.
Links
2004-09-21
The Art List Monthly e-Newsletter and searchable database listing upcoming Art Contests, Art Competitions, and Opportunites for visual artists and photographers.
rabble.ca
rabble.ca is a new kind of publication, one built on the efforts of progressive journalists, writers, artists and activists across the country.
alternet.org
AlterNet is a highly acclaimed Internet information source that provides readers with crucial facts and passionate opinions they can’t find anywhere else.
znet
A community of people committed to social change. (Think Chomsky.)
ThisMagazine
Praised for integrating commentary and investigative reporting with in-depth arts coverage, This Magazine has been instrumental in trumpeting the new works of young Canadian writers and artists.
disinfo.com
Launched on September 13, 1996, Disinformation was designed to be the search service of choice for individuals looking for information on current affairs, politics, new science and the “hidden information” that seldom seems to slip through the cracks of the corporate-owned media conglomerates.
FairVoteCanada.org
Fair Vote Canada (FVC) is a multi-partisan citizens� campaign for voting system reform.
critical-mass.org
The “.org” domain notwithstanding, Critical Mass is not an organization, it’s an unorganized coincidence. It’s a movement … of bicycles, in the streets.
MoveOn.org
MoveOn is a catalyst for a new kind of grassroots involvement, supporting busy but concerned citizens in finding their political voice.
Times of Tibet
Timesoftibet.com is a non-profit online news service providing latest developments on anything related to Tibet. (blogs).
Here are a few good sites to discover and read about new music:
PitchFork Media
epitonic
New Music Canada
Agora-Gallery
Established 1984, Agora Gallery is a fine art gallery dedicated to the promotion of national and international artists… (NYC).
Poll : World / U.S. Election
2004-09-20
Here are some of the results of a world survey on who citizens of other countries would vote for in the U.S. election:
France: Bush 5%, Kerry 64%
UK: Bush 16%, Kerry 47%
Poland: Bush 31%, Kerry 26%
Canada: Bush 16%, Kerry 61%
Mexico: Bush 18%, Kerry 38%
Source: University of Maryland, July-August 2004.
Looks like Canadians favour Kerry by a long shot – almost as much as the French.
The Democracy Paintings
2004-09-17
I have been thinking about a new project called The Democracy Project or The Democracy Paintings. It will be a way to truly combine internet media and painting. I am not sure that my painting would benefit from this ‘merger’ but anyhow, here is the idea.
There are times that I post works in progress on my art web site (portfolio) even though it is not as regular as I had intitially anticipated or wanted. My idea is to continue with this in a more regular manner. I will start a series of paintings and then photograph them. For each painting I will work out several (maybe 3) different avenues using PhotoShop. Readers (i.e. people like you) will then vote on which avenue they want the painting to continue in. This will be repeated until the ‘voters’ decide that the painting is finished. I did something like this here.
There is something I really like about taking aesthetic judgement away from myself and letting it rest with the majority. It is true that it will not rest entirely with the voters as they will be presented with limited choices but it could be an interesting exercise. One problem I can foresee (besides no one voting) is that besides this painting, I have never really worked out a painting using digital means.
Stay tuned.
Windmills in NYC
2004-09-16
I am not sure what I think of the design of the new towers but the fact that it is going to be a green(er) building is interesting.
The Freedom Tower will have a major impact on the New York skyline while minimizing its impact on the environment. Designers say the world’s tallest building will include a wind farm, solar panels and advanced, energy-efficient technology, and will become an icon of environmentally friendly architecture.
Wired.com
Same Same
2004-09-14
Slice
2004-09-13
A blurred background peeking out from a flat area of colour.
Recycling in Nova Scotia
2004-09-13
There is an interesting article on Wired.com about the cost benefits of recycling in Nova Scotia. Nice to see that it is working so well and getting noticed.
While recycling programs cost more than dumping trash into a big hole, a new study finds that the sparsely populated Canadian province is actually saving money by reducing its waste.
View article
Flat Lines Over a Textured Background
2004-09-09
It seems that green has been the theme of this blog lately (drawings, design, text). I actually even painted my bathroom lime green. Perhaps I am obsessed.
This is a quick study for a large painting (that was never started). I think I like the idea but think that it would work only on a large scale. Am I going too much towards the ‘diagrammatic’ with this?
Wednesday’s Links
2004-09-08
Another article I came accross while drinking my coffee :
…to make a meaningful difference in the Middle East, John Kerry would have to reduce the gap between words and deeds, and actually pursue democracy. Such a policy might limit U.S. hegemony in the short term, but in the long run will make the world a better and safer place and in this way strengthen the U.S. itself.
Znet Article
Texans for Truth has produced this ad with a veteran who was in Bush’s supposed unit during the Vietnam War.
Cheney is a Moron
2004-09-08
“If we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we’ll get hit again,” Mr Cheney told in a rally in Iowa.
BBC
Can you believe that Cheney warns that the US would be less likely to be attacked under a Bush administration? The Bush administration has given Al Quaeda and other extremists just what they want – a war between the Muslim world and the US. I find it amazing that the notion that the US’s war on terrorism is making the world safer is believed.
Green Forms
2004-09-07
Study for random organic forms to float over an abstract background.
Song and Dance
2004-09-02
Klein and Singh Write About the RNC
2004-09-02
There are a few good articles on rabble.ca about the Republican Convention in NYC this week.
Naomi Klein writes :
It’s true that war is at the centre of the election campaign — just not the one in Iraq. The talk is all of what happened on Swift boats 35 years ago, not what is being dropped out of U.S. AC-130 gunships this week.
Article
Jaggi Singh writes :
As some of you might know, there has been a series of scare-mongering articles in New York City and beyond — targeting mainly anarchists and other left-wing political organizers — in anticipation of the mobilization against the Republican National Convention (RNC) this weekend and next week. Some of these articles mention me by name (although I was never contacted beforehand for comment by any of the reporters, and I’m not even attending the anti-RNC protests).
Article
New Title Coming Soon
2004-09-02
When I started this project I used the title ‘Online Sketchbook’ or ‘Sketchbook’ as a working title. I never really liked it and am trying to figure out a new one. It is very boring and unimaginative – don’t worry, a new and improved one is coming.
Another Study for a Painting
2004-09-01
This is one of the studies for this painting. The form in the lower part of the canvas started out as a linear form but ended up as a flat area of colour (applied thicky using tape to block out the shapre).
Toss the Art
2004-08-31
A bag of rubbish that was part of a Tate Britain work of art has been accidentally thrown away by a cleaner.
BBC
Le Globe and Mail, Ayoye
2004-08-30
Here is a conversation that took place this weekend early morning at a camp-ground cafeteria type place at Baie St Paul. I was reading the paper at breakfast on a picnic table.
Homme : C’est Le Soleil? (Soleil is a Quebec City newspaper).
Me : Non, c’est le Globe and Mail.
Homme : Le quoi?
Me : Le Globe and Mail.
Homme : (pause) Ayoye.
Baie St Paul
2004-08-30
Took this picture on a beach just up river from Baie Saint-Paul this weekend. (Just realised that the photo’s composition is similar to the one I took in New River Beach (below)). It is a beautiful area. The trip made me want to spend more time in the Charlevoix region. We stayed at a great place in a little cabin.
Morning News Items
2004-08-30
Here are some links from my morning news reading. They are actually not only ‘new’ items, but interesting ideas pieces :
Linda McQuaig writes on rabble.ca
It’s downright strange that the U.S. presidential election campaign — easily the most important in decades — has come to focus on what happened in a faraway boat during the course of a few minutes more than 30 years ago.
Rick Salutin (who also writes for The Globe and Mail) writes about losing, the Olympics and the nature of communities. Also on rabble.ca
Many countries have unifying elements like ethnicity, religion or language. When these are lacking or sparse, as in Canada, that need to belong is so strong that people find a way to identify anyhow, with what have been called “imagined communities,” which also makes sense to me. I’d add that nations are not just communities (like churches, unions, clubs etc.) but have a political nature.
Michael Moore on alternet.org
Dear Mr. Bush: It takes real courage to desert your post and then attack a wounded vet.
Growth Metaphor
2004-08-27
It occured to me that the size of these drawings may be a bit of a mystery. Most are around 8.5 x 11 (like this one) – the size of a page from a medium sized sketchbook. Others are cropped (like yesterday’s), and thus are smaller.
I have a feeling that this Fall is going to be a very productive time in the studio. For now I am struggling to get anything done (with life and summer monopolising my time).
Surfacing
2004-08-26
An example of a drawing done in my sketchbook that does not usually see the light of day. Often I draw these type of fictions and they never develop into paintings or larger drawings. Perhaps I am too attached to the idea of working in series and should make more diverent (thematically) work.
Kerry and Canada
2004-08-26
With an estimated 600,000 American expatriates living north of the 49th, Canada has a higher population of Americans living within its borders than either the District of Columbia or Wyoming. Which explains why John Kerry’s younger sister has been making the rounds addressing hundreds of Democratic supporters in Calgary and Vancouver this week to try and drum up support for her brother’s run for presidency.
The Tyee
Last Year’s Sketchbook 3
2004-08-25
Hotel Art
2004-08-24
It is always nice to see interesting, current art exhibited outside of galleries and museums. There are times that these attempts do not work very well but mostly, I think, it is a good tendency. Several hotels have been showing contemporary artists in their lobbies and rooms. The is an article in The Globe and Mail about this. How nice that we are spared looking at the typical cheesy reproductions at these hotels.
Hotel art, once the mainstay of washed-out reproduced masterpieces and the butt of bad jokes, has recently acquired a bold new lease on life. Forget the Frette linens, celebrity chefs and Aveda bath products. To stay on top of the game, luxury high-end chains and boutique hotels must now provide their guests with cultural stimulation too, which is why a growing number of hoteliers in Canada and around the world are investing in serious modern-art collections to spice up their designer lobbies.
Orange
2004-08-24
This drawing is reminiscient of this painting I did quite a while ago. The drawing was done after the painting.
Archives 2
2004-08-23
Another page from the older book. Click on the image for a larger version.
Scrap Paper
2004-08-21
Sometimes doodles on scrap pieces of paper are the most interesting. This form ended up in a painting but I cannot remember which.
From an Older Sketchbook
2004-08-20
I have scanned a few pages from my previous sketchbook and will post a few here. These drawings were done in the last year or so. It is interesting to go back after a good length of time and look at things one has done. After a certain point the work almost seems like it has been made by someone else. Although I am surprised at how much I remember about the making of a painting. The other week I was moving a few large paintings (that I made around 1994!)that are in storage at my father’s place. I actually remembered working on certain areas of the painting, choosing colours, etc.
Distance (time) allows one to edit a bit more accurately. This is why I do not like showing work that has only recently been finished. Although it always seems to happen that I am vigourously trying to finish a few paintings before the show starts …
Witold Riedel
2004-08-19
I came accross Witold Riedel’s (NYC) blog recently. From there I went to his art web site and was impressed by his line drawings. There are similarities in his and my work – check it out, they are very good. To view his drawings go to his site and click Catalogue.
Unravelling
2004-08-19
These forms in my sketchbook are starting to seem like characters to me. They do not appear together but seperate on the page. Perhaps some of them should be put together (pastiche) in the the composition.
Float
2004-08-18
My sketchbook has not seen a lot of action lately and thus my choices as to what I post has been limited. Here is a a quick drawing of a form that I pictured recently.
From Chads to Worse
2004-08-16
The US, the champion of democracy, will get election observers for the coming election.
An effort by more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers to bring international observers to monitor the November elections has paid off with an invitation by the State Department to the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). One World United States
In another related article on rabble.ca, Linda MaQuaig writes about the potential for more election problems in Florida. The plan to use electronic voting machines will make it impossible to do recounts. Given that the the results could be so close this requirement is a true possibility.
Of course, no country likes to admit that its elections need U.N. supervision. But the allegations of black disenfranchisement are so serious and the election so potentially close that the involvement of a neutral body, unconnected to the Bush family, might be useful.
If the Florida voting is as close as expected, recounts will be inevitable — but impossible. View article
Towards the Sun
2004-08-13
Oil : Canada and US
2004-08-12
Alberta sits atop the biggest petroleum deposit outside the Arabian peninsula
– as many as 300 billion recoverable barrels and another trillion-plus barrels
that could one day be within reach using new retrieval methods.
Wired.com
The above fact has not gone unnoticed in Bush’s Whitehouse to the south. As the
U.S. consumes more and more oil it must look for more reserves. Relying on imports
of oil
from the Middle East has obvious problems (Iraq). There is no doubt that the
U.S.’s foreign policy is influenced by its oil policy. Given this, what would
this mean to Canada to be supplying a great quantity of oil to our southern neighbours?
Light Breeze #2
2004-08-11
Sometimes it is difficult to know when to stop. Over-working something can ruin its freshness. The whiteness of the paper can become luminescent, positive instead of negative.
Artists and Money
2004-08-10
Visual artists of all ilk have a thing with money. Most don’t have enough of it, at least not enough to live on while they produce their art. And many more don’t know how to get it, short of working a day job that comes nowhere close to holding their hearts like the sound of a paintbrush as it dances across a canvas or the satisfying slice of a knife making its way through a fresh hunk of clay. In short, most artists go blank, get nervous, or give up when it comes to dealing with filthy lucre.
View article
Bay of Fundy
2004-08-09
This is where I was last week. It was hard to come into work this morning after spending a week by the lake and ocean. This picture is from a short hike I did with my nephews at New River Beach in NB. It was a great day – beautiful weather.
New Place, Many Boxes
2004-07-29
Well I have finally got around to moving to my new place. Things are looking good there even though there is a plethora of boxes filing the place (I guess that is what you get when you move into a smaller place). Am now at a internet cafe around the corner as I have not yet got access at home. Perhaps I will wait and see and not get it – although my roomate would not be impressed. What a bunch of useless rambling. I am actually using up my free 20 minutes of internet time I got with my latte purchase.
Bono, Africa and US Election
2004-07-28
Bono is writing for alternet.org and has posted an article about the US election. It seems he is going to both parties’ conventions and pushing the topic of Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa.
I know this doesn’t look good; I’m a rich Irish rock star, not even a rich American rock star. It makes people wince, including myself. But there’s a real opportunity for America to lead an adventure, and the adventure is this: We are the first generation that really can do something about the kind of “stupid” poverty that sees children dying of hunger in a world of plenty or mothers dying for lack of a 20-cent drug that we take for granted. We have the science, we have the resources, what we don’t seem to have is the will.
View article
The Orange and Blue I saw on My Way Home
2004-07-23
The colour combination of this drawing came to me as I was walking home one day. Perhaps something I saw sparked the idea. I remember seeing vividly how it would look. I was not that happy with the result of this drawing. Perhaps it would work better as a large painting – with the orange ‘background’ being somewhat translucent and textured. The above drawing is done with coloured pastels and is about 30 x 26 inches.
A Page from March
2004-07-23
Ok, so it is not the most recent drawing (it was done last March). I haven’t been scanning many pages from my sketchbook lately but I plan to do so soon. I have been busy with many of life’s distractions lately.
Divergent Ideas
2004-07-22
There is not that much that is special about this drawing but I feel like putting up the bad with the good with this project. Often I have the problem of too many diverging ideas for paintings and not enough time (and materials) to start them.
Save the Waves
2004-07-22
I went to see Jean-Pierre Aubé’s Save the Waves exhibit at La Fondarie Darling today. It is a sculptural installation that ‘captures’ and then plays electrical waves. Here is a better and more detailed description :
Summer long, the huge transformer of Hydro Québec, next to the Fonderie Darling, will be under close monitoring. The transformer generates a 60 cycle per second humm, the offical wavelength of the american power grid. This is the sound of electricity, the contemporary soundtrack of our domestic life. It will be captured by 8 VLF antennas implanted in the old Fonderie.
www.kloud.org
Even though the installation is comprised of large speakers, I found it to be a interesting sculpture to look at. The speakers are made of wood and have an organic feel to them. The main aspect of the work however is the sound element. The space (large and empty) is filled with the humming and droning of the waves the contraption is ‘catching’. At first it seems as though the sound of the waves’ are regular but closer observation reveals that there are slight fluctuations. What I enjoyed most was the harmonics that are created with the overlapping of the deep bass tones (waves) with higher pitched ones. It reminded me of Tibetan throat singing. It was a nice thing to do during my lunch break. I think I should stop by La Fondarie more often, especially given that I work next door.
Canada Abstains from UN Resolution
2004-07-21
Despite the UN voting overwhelmingly for Israel to comply with the World Court’s ruling that Israel’s wall is illegal, Canada abstains.
Voting against the measure were Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Palau and the United States. The countries that abstained were Cameroon, Canada, El Salvador, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Uganda, Uruguay and Vanuatu.
UN News
This Magazine’s New Blog
2004-07-20
It is nice to see that This Magazine has revamped their web site. Before it was rather amateurish and difficult to navigate. As you can see I have linked to their Blog section in my “Other Blogs” links.
Here is an interesting entry about Quebec and the seperatist question.
Separatism is parochial mob rule of the worst kind. In supporting the Bloc Quebecois, leftists expose themselves as unmatched political cynics, betraying not only their country, but the “progressive” ideals they pretend to support.
View the entry (and post a comment)
Idea for Painting #243
2004-07-20
It is an intriguing form no?
Anti-Nike Sneakers
2004-07-19
I have yet to see these shoes around but I am sure it is only a matter of time. When I first saw the web site I was critical for some reason. Then I thought, shit, at least they are doing something proactive. Kudos.
After 10 years of whining about the world, Adbusters changed tactics and broke out of the lefty mold. Now, we’re making change happen. We decided to build a shoe to defeat the king of logo culture and the biggest turbo-capitalist shoe company at their own game. Phil Knight’s Nike is an empire in decline, hurt by years of “brand damage” from activists and culture jammers resisting sweatshop labor and corporate mindfucks. They were begging for a beating.
www.blackspotsneaker.org
Sound Bytes Yer Arse
2004-07-17
I am a bit surprised that this got national news coverage but I saw it on the CBC site this morning. It is nice to see my old school getting attention.
The exhibit, entitled Sound Bytes Yer Arse, opened at NSCAD University’s Anna Leonowens Gallery this week. It features a selection of work ranging from an audio “picture” of a city landscape to an interesting kitchen “duet.”
View story
Found Images
2004-07-16
Often I am intrigued by scientific images that I come accross. It is not very often, however, that these images make their way into the paintings or drawings directly. At times parts of the image or diagram does, however, make it into a painting or inspire it in some way. Sometimes it is a combination of colours other times a forms shape. In this blue image (on the right) I am interested in the space it creates and the possibility it could serve as background or starting point for a new painting. Perhaps someday I will reproduce an image I have found.
endless river
2004-07-15
Farenheit 9/11
2004-07-13
Last week I went to see Michael Moore’s latest movie. It was interesting to see it after all the news and controversy about it. I enjoyed watching it even though there was not a lot of things that I learned in it. It helps as well that I agree roughly with his politics.
There were times, however, that I found it a bit annoying. It definitely is not a documentary but a commentary piece. His methods are not very sophisticated and he often relies on emotional justaposition of elements to stir his audience. For example he cuts from one series of shots (Bush giving his invasion of Iraq) to another (kids playing in Bagdad). He also uses music in an emotive (and humerous) way as well. I found it a bit surprising that when he was making fun of the supposed “Coalition of the Willing” that he fails to mention Britain and Australia. It ends up discrediting the film.
It is worth seeing and I wonder what impact it will have in the Fall election
Possible Directions
2004-07-12
On the left is the current state of this painting. On the right is the possible direction I will be taking it. This is a test to see how I can use the computer to test options digitally. On the one hand it allows for quick tests of compostions and colour. On the other it is very distanced from the material of painting. I will see how it works when I return to the studio and work on the painting again.
Occupation
2004-07-09
It is quite surprising to see the extent of Israeli occupation of the West Bank. It becomes quite clear when we see it graphically as with this map. Today The Internation Court rules on the legality of Israel’s barrier.
The Edible Ballot Society
2004-07-08
Being guilt-tripped into voting for the least offensive politician isn’t synonymous with genuine democracy. Our electoral process is shallow – we don’t have any real power to make decisions, just the illusion of democracy. Unless we press for real change, we will continue to jump from election to election, gradually becoming bored into submission.
The Edible Ballot Society
My Daily Ride
2004-07-08
Here is a photo montage of the bike ride from Old Montreal (where I work) to my place.
Light Breeze
2004-07-07
Up and Down
2004-07-06
A small drawing (10 x 12 inches), that I think would be nice to make into a large painting.
Fox at Breakfast
2004-07-05
This past weekend I went to Le Reserve Matawin just north of Parc Mont-Tremblant. It was a nice escape from the city. Not only were there plenty of flies (the big biting deer flies), but this fox came up to our campsite while we were eating breakfast.
Floating in Space
2004-07-05
pencil on paper, 30 x 20 cm
Charcoal Drawing
2004-07-02
Back to Drawing
2004-07-01
This is from a series of drawings I did last month. It is roughly 30 x 20 inches and in charcoal.
Another View on Proportinal Voting
2004-06-30
If seats had been awarded to parties on the basis of the votes they received, the Liberals, Bloc and Conservatives would have had fewer seats and the NDP and Green Party more seats. For example, rather than 135 seats, the Liberals would have received about 113. The NDP, rather than 19 seats would have had about 48. The Greens, rather than no seats, would have had about 12 seats.
View article
Loopy Drawing
2004-06-30
A drawing from last night. I am not sure where these loopynoodle drawings are coming from but you will probably see more in the days to come.
Proportional Voting?
2004-06-29
Here are the results of the election. As you can see the percentage of seats
won compared with the percentage of the actual vote varies considerably. Most
hurt are the NDP. I am usure if I support full proportional representation
but it is clear that the voting system has to better reflect the popular vote.
Liberal — 36.7% of vote — 43.8% of seats
Conservatives — 29.6% of vote — 32.1% of seats
Bloc — 12.4% of vote — 17.5% of seats
NDP — 15.7% of vote — 6.16% of seats
Mini Drawing
2004-06-28
A small drawing done a few months ago.
Camel’s Hump
2004-06-28
Yesterday I hiked Camel’s Hump in Vermont. It is a short drive from Montreal (about and hour and a half) and just south of Burlington. It was a beautiful day for hiking – clear skies and a cool breeze. We got rained on just before reaching the car though. That was ok, as it made the food and beer had in Burlington taste that much better. It is a great little town. I think, that if I were to live anywhere in the US it would be Vermont.
Finally …
2004-06-28
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that the Bush administration’s policy of detaining foreign nationals without legal process at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station is illegal. The Court determined that the prisoners cannot be held in a prison beyond the law, and are entitled to basic legal rights.
I am not American
2004-06-23
Naomi Klein writes in rabble.ca :
It is a privilege not to be hated for your nationality, and we should not relinquish it lightly. George Bush has denied that privilege to his own people, and Stephen Harper would cavalierly strip it from Canadians by erasing what few small but important differences remain between Canadian and U.S. foreign policy. The danger posed by this act is not just about whether Canadians are safe when we travel to the Middle East. The hatred that Bush is manufacturing there, for the United States and its coalition partners, is already following the soldiers home.
No More Dirty Fingers?
2004-06-18
This is the first study that i used for a painting that was done on the computer. I have thought about doing it for some time but hadn’t found an appropriate subject. Creating the studies this way for the abstract landscapes seems to work. The ‘sketch’ above was the study for this painting.
Rodeohead
2004-06-18
I came accross this link in another site. Have you ever wondered what Radiohead would sound like if they started playing Bluegrass? Find out here.
ok, so i am not the most regular ‘poster’
2004-06-07
I have not been posting in quite some time now. Actually this scan of my sketchbook
is rather old. I was not sure, when setting up this sketchbook blog thing,
if I would be a regular poster. It seems that I am not that commited to it
and sometimes do not see the point. So why do I continue to do it even if it
is only the occaisional post? Perhaps it is because I am looking for a diversion
at work – perhaps because I think it will become more of a habit. I was thinking
that it would make me become more diligent about putting my ideas into my sketchbook.
I have a few more ideas for new paintings and perhaps they will show up soon
here. I feel, however, that I should focus on contacting galleries to get a
show. This is work that I really do not like doing but have to do – soon.
Bush and Buddha
2004-05-20
Alternet has published an article about how a buddhist should respond to Bush.
The consistent unskillfulness of the Bush government makes it tempting to confuse evil and ignorance. Buddhism observes that people are not inherently evil – even if their behavior has that appearance.
View story
Art Provokes
2004-05-17
Art’s job is to provoke thought in ways that are difficult to resolve and uncomfortable; it’s a relatively neutral place to experience the unresolvable issues that dominate real life, to practise a kind of abstract flexibility that might move us toward resolution in real life.
View article
Naomi Klein and the Iraq “Quagmire”
2004-05-04
Here is an article writen by Naomi Klein on the situation in Iraq. It is quite revealing and mentions a good number of specifics to back up her argument.
Can we please stop calling it a quagmire? The United States isn’t mired in a bog in Iraq, or a marsh; it is free-falling off a cliff. The only question now is: who will follow the Bush clan off this precipice, and who will refuse to jump?
View rabble.ca article
Thom Yorke, Howard Zinn Talk Art and Politics
2004-04-29
I get several daily newsletters and found a link to this article in one this morning. It is an interview with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Howard Zinn. It is title ‘Art and Politics’ – not an original title, but an interesting read. It it posted on the Zmag.org site.
This goes back to what should be causing extreme alarm. If there are political programs on TV, yet it takes an artist to actually energize political debate, that tells you something really quite frightening about the level of the political debate happening on mainstream channels-right-wing-biased mothers. One of the interesting things here is that the people who should be shaping the future are politicians. But the political framework itself is so dead and closed that people look to other sources, like artists, because art and music allow people a certain freedom. (Thom Yorke)
View article
Pentagon Tries to Ban Photos
2004-04-26
The Pentagon yesterday sought to ban the release of photographs of American coffins arriving home from Iraq after hundreds of images were published on American websites and picked up by media outlets.
View Guardian article
A Drawing Like the Other
2004-04-20
Bush and God
2004-04-20
From an alternet.org article :
So, it was a holy war, a new crusade. No wonder George W. Bush could lie to Congress and the American public with such impunity while keeping the key members of his Cabinet in the dark. He was serving a higher power, according to Bob Woodward, who interviewed the president for a new book on the months leading up to the Iraq invasion.
View article
Wars = History?
2004-04-19
An article from alternet.org
Over the years, Canadians might have coalesced around a shared sense of history but for the fact that they have so little of it they consider worth remembering. The country never fought a revolution or a civil war, pioneered no great social or political movement, produced no great world leader and committed no memorable atrocities – as one writer put it, Canada has no Lincolns, no Gettysburgs and no Gettysburg addresses.
View Article.
Another Weekend at the Studio …
2004-04-19
I still seem somewhat undecided as to the direction my new work will take. In the mean time I am drawing ideas in my sketchbook and making a few small paintings.
Another Page …
2004-04-17
Americans Leaving for Canada?
2004-04-05
An Alternet article today writes of the trend (or perceived trend) of Americans leaving the U.S. for more progressive countries. Canada is one of the countries mentioned. The article mentions Canada’s liberal stance on such things as medical marijuana and gay marriage. It mentions that Canada is a popular country for Americans to ‘escape to’ as it is close and that Canadians speak English. I guess the writer forgot to mention that the second largest province is French speaking. It is a good read – check it out here:
If Americans are leaving the United States, Canada is certainly one of the most convenient places to go. It may be a little chilly at times, but it’s right across the border and most Canadians speak English. Many of the major issues that divide people and political parties in the U.S. seem resolved in Canada. They have a lower crime rate, universal health care, and reportedly better education. Their medical doctors can dispense marijuana and last year they decided to officially recognize same-sex marriages. And, on top of all that, the rest of the world isn’t mad at them.
View article
Bush, Esso and Iraq
2004-04-05
A church group in Winnipeg recently protested in front of an Esso gas station. The Christian Peacemaker Teams has highlighted the U.S.’s human rights offences concerning the holding of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.
The Winnipeg group chose the Esso location because of the almost incestuous links between oil interests and Bush’s foreign policy. Esso’s parent company ExxonMobil — the second biggest corporation on the globe — is a heavy financial backer of Bush, as well as of several Washington think tanks that pushed for the Iraq war.
View story on rabble.ca
Two Directions
2004-03-31
I have started a small painting like this and have a few ideas how to finish it. They are subtle but I think that, as it is quite simple, it will be important how I proceed.
Killing Yassin : by Robert Fisk
2004-03-30
Here is an article writen by Robert Fisk (who doesn’t pull his punches) on the zmag.org web site.
It doesn’t take an awful lot of courage to murder a paraplegic in a wheelchair. But it takes only a few moments to absorb the implications of the assassination of Sheikh Yassin. Yes, he endorsed suicide bombings – including the murder of Israeli children. Yes, if you live by the sword, you die by the sword, in a wheelchair or not. But something went wrong with the narrative of the news story yesterday – and something infinitely more dangerous, another sinister precedent – was set for our brave new world.
View story
Bush Statements on Iraq Database
2004-03-30
An interesting site where you can search through various (false) statements made by the Bush Administration regarding Iraq. It is searchable using Cheney, Powell, Rumsfeld, Rice or Bush.
Prepared at the direction of Rep. Henry A. Waxman, the Iraq on the Record Database is a searchable collection of 237 specific misleading statements about the threat posed by Iraq made by the five Administration officials most responsible for providing public information and shaping public opinion on Iraq …
View Web Site
A Few New Ideas
2004-03-29
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2004-03-29
I went to see Eternal Sunshine of tth Spotless Mind this weekend. It is a very good and enjoyable film. On Saturday night a few friends and I jumped into the car I had rented. We drove out to the suburbs and saw the movie in a huge movie complex. It sounds quite unappealing but it was actually quite fun. The movie was well worth the trip. It is nice to see that it is possible for Hollywood to make good films once in a while.
The plot is inventive and the actors do a good job playing the roles of the various goofy characters. I was especially impressed with Jim Carey. He does not play the wacky, over the top character he normally does. Even though there are funny points in the film, he is actually quite serious and does a good job playing Joel, a shy, and soulful person.
Anyhow it gets two thumbs up.
Art Award, Blood and Controversy
2004-03-28
These three items often seem to go together no?
Well there seems to be another small art funding controversy in Canada. The news coverage of the Governor General’s Awards in several newspapers cites the controversial nature of one of this year’s winners. He is Istvan Kantor, you know, the guy who paints Xs on the walls of galleries and museums. I am not surprised by the media expressing surprise that an artist such as Kantor would win this 15 000 dollar award but at how superficial their coverage is. They make very little effort to see the work for what it is (to contextualize it). Here is a link to the CBC article (one of the more tame ones I came accross.
A performance artist who once lay naked in a shallow grave with a vial of his own blood dribbling out of his anus is among seven winners of one of Canada’s most prestigious visual arts awards this year.
http://cbc.ca/stories/2004/03/03/art_awards040303
Serra and Richter Films at FIFA
2004-03-28
This past Friday I went to see two films at FIFA. One was on Richard Serra and the other on Gerhard Richter. They were both quite refreshing as both of them featured the artists talking about their work.
The Serra film included showed the installation and subsequent planning of a huge peice that he installed on a farm in New Zealand. It is an impressive sculpture (from what I could tell from the film). Not only was the finished sculpture impressive but the planning that was required was very interesting to see. Serra often talks about his peices being a reaction to the landscape. While I do see this point I do think that his peices are a definite imposition on the same space. Not that an imposition is bad.
The film on Richter included interviews with him and other art historians and critics. Mostly, the critic and historians were quite annoying. Richter. however, talks about his work in a very simple and humble way. He mentions that he still does not know what his abstract paintings mean. Often artists seem to overwhelm their work with too many words to try and attempt to explain it. I think it is ok to not know what your own work means and at the same time see value in it and continue to make it.
rabble.ca
2004-03-28
I have just come accross this web site and find it quite intresting. There are several good columnists, including Naomi Klein and Rick Salutin.
rabble.ca is a new kind of publication, one built on the efforts of progressive journalists, writers, artists and activists across the country. We launched rabble on April 18, 2001, just before the protests against the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, and leapt onto the Net with the kind of coverage you could only get from the point of view of the rabble. We have covered events and issues in ways you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else ever since.
the left takes back spain
2004-03-28
here is a link to an interesting analysis of the recent attacks in spain and its relationship to the national election.
The reasons Aznar’s government wanted to see the attacks connected to ETA instead of al Qaeda were found in the streets of Spain by the thousands on the Saturday after the bombs went off.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18122
Aznar, Franco and Bush
2004-03-28
Here is a link to an interesting story about right wing politics in Spain and its relationship between Aznar, Franco and Bush.
The Spanish fascist dictatorship led by General Franco was one of the most repressive regimes to have existed in Western Europe in the 20th Century. For every political assassination that took place under the Mussolini regime, Franco assassinated 10,000. The Franco dictatorship was established by the Armed Forces, the Church, the banking community, the large employers, the oligarchic land owners, and sectors of the middle class after a military coup took place in 1936 against a democratically elected government who had enacted major reforms that had injured the pro-Franco groups’ interests.
view article
Yassin Assasination : Two Headlines
2004-03-28
Looking at both the Aljezeera and CNN web sites one notices subtle differences in the way their headlines are writen. Aljezeera calls it an assassination and CNN refers to it as a killing (there is no mention of murder either).
Annan Condemns Yassin Assassination : Aljezeera
Thousands mourn Hamas founder : CNN
Hamas vows ‘open war’ over Yassin’s death : CBC
Condemnation of Sheik Ahmed Yassin’s assassination poured in from across the Arab world, and calls for revenge filled the air at Palestinian protests in Gaza.
US vetoes Another UN Resolution Condemning Israel
2004-03-28
The US voted against a new UN resolution that condemns Israel’s killing of Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas.
The vetoed resolution condemned Yassin’s death and called for a “complete cessation of extrajudicial executions.” It also condemned “all terrorist attacks against any civilians as well as all acts of violence and destruction.”
http://sf.indymedia.org
Here is a link to U.S. Vetoes of UN Resolutions Critical of Israel from 1972 to 1992.
http://www.independent-media.tv
Neil Young the Innovator
2004-03-28
every day at work i get the wired newsletter. often there are interesting articles, ranging from tech topics to pop culture. today there was an interesting interview with neil young. i remember listening to him in high school and in fact he is probably the only artist that i have continued to listen to over that amount of time.
here is a link to the item:
The Reinvention of Neil Young, Part 6
The folk-country-grunge dinosaur is reborn (again) as an
Internet-friendly, biodiesel-driven, multimedia machine.
A New Series?
2004-03-28
I have been making a lot of new drawings while working at the studio lately. Soon, I think, I will start making large paintings. Yesterday I made a few smallish paintings based on the sketch above. I am still unsure about them. Are they dynamic enough? Too graphic in a design sense? I am happy, however, that I have started to work fast again. There are times when I get overly finicky with the works and would be better off getting things done faster – just getting them out.
New Book
2004-03-24
Despite having plans to post drawings from my sketchbook at regular intervals, I have actually been fairly lazy. Yesterday, however, I went out and bought a new sketchbook. It is smaller than my other ones which means that I am more apt to carry it around with me – and more likely to have it at work where I do my scanning. I remember seeing a friend’s sketchbook and being impressed by it – both by his commitement to it and how nice it looked.
I think that doing a lot of drawings over the next while is a good idea (not that it is ever a bad idea). It often helps when I am undecided what to start next in the studio, especially with larger paintings.
More to come
from my sketchbook
2004-03-15
often i go through periods when i do not use my sketchbook very often. lately i have been trying to be more vigilant. when i work at the studio i often make small drawings and paintings on paper which bypasses the need for working out ideas in the sketchbook. i really should carry it around with me more often.
drawing of the day
2004-03-07
i have been toying with the idea of posting a drawing a day. it will be a way of showing what i am working on at the studio. it will also keep me diligent about making drawings on a regular basis. there are times when i make a lot of drawings and other times barely any. my process of working alternates from making many drawings and then, from there, making larger paintings on canvas. at times i begin directly on large canvases and ‘work out’ the painting that way. as of late i have been making a lot of drawings as i seem to be in a in between period with my work. a few weeks ago i was worried that this signaled a bit of a painting block. the past few weeks, after making quite a few drawings, or small paintings on paper, i have found that there are many new ideas for larger works that are developing.
A moon over red
2012-04-09
A moon over red, a small painting, oil on board, 10 x 10 inches, 2011
Contact me if you would like to make it yours.
Sugarloaf – a ski painting
2012-03-26
Sugarloaf (study), oil on gessoed paper, 22 x 30 inches, 2011.
I have a painting that is based on this study on the go in the studio. It has been through many changes and nearly finished. Until then, here is the study that preceded it.
the yellow lighthouse
2012-03-06
Lighthouse (study), oil on paper, about 24 x 30 inches, 2010.
A study that stayed that way.
Shadows are falling and I have been here all day
2011-10-31
Shadows are falling and I have been here all day, oil on canvas, 152 x 122 cm, 2011
A large painting from my last exhibition (I finally got it documented).
Installation Views ‘Ni quitter ni coller’
2011-10-11
Here are two installation views of the exhibition ‘Ni coller ni coller’ at The McClure Gallery last February.
Main Gallery, right-hand wall.
Main Gallery, Cecile Ronc, Sebastien Worsnip, Mark Dixon.
Front gallery. Painting on left – Sebastien Worsnip. Painting on right – Mark Dixon.
Video Ni quitter ni coller – The McClure Gallery
2011-02-15
Ni quitter ni coller
de Mark Dixon, Cécile Ronc et Sébastien Worsnip.
Galerie McClure. Vernissage. Fevrier 2011
Montreal (QC)
Canada.
Exposition collective de peinture.
Current Exhibition ‘Ni quitter ni coller’
2011-02-04
Here is the information for my curent exhibition with fellow Montreal artists Cécile Ronc and Sébastien Worsnip.
For more information, view the press release.
Mark Dixon, Cécile Ronc and Sébastien Worsnip
Neither to stray nor to follow
February 4 to 26 2011
Vernissage: Thursday, February 3 at 6 pm
The McClure Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition Neither to stray nor to follow, featuring the paintings of Mark Dixon, Cecile Ronc and Sébastien Worsnip. The title is taken from a Chinese maxim and references landscape and the elements of nature as a primary source of artistic inspiration. The maxim well represents the artists’ approach to painting, all of which tend towards abstraction without, however, completely abandoning an evocation of landscape.
In preparation for the exhibition, Dixon, Ronc and Worsnip met regularly to exchange ideas, report on their works in progress and to engage in and provoke a more profound reflection on an art practice that focuses on a theme as ancient as painting itself. The artists have sought in their works to evoke more than to represent, to question the illusory nature of pictorial space as well as to permit the co-existence of several visual languages. They also sought to bring particular attention to the tactile aspect of paint and colour as expressions of the link between landscape and the inner life of the psyche.
La galerie McClure a le plaisir de présenter l’exposition Ni quitter ni coller des peintres Mark Dixon, Cécile Ronc et Sébastien Worsnip. Le titre de ce projet est issu d’une maxime chinoise et fait référence à la source d’inspiration première des artistes : le paysage et les éléments naturels. En effet, ceux-ci leur servent de prétextes à des explorations formelles qui tendent vers l’abstraction sans jamais quitter l’évocation du paysage.
Dixon, Ronc et Worsnip se rencontrent régulièrement pour échanger sur leur travail. Il en ressort une importante réflexion sur des pratiques intéressées par un sujet aussi ancien que la peinture elle-même. Les artistes recherchent dans leurs œuvres : « […] à évoquer plutôt qu’à représenter, à figurer ; à suggérer des espaces multiples et contradictoires au sein d’un même espace pictural illusoire, à faire coexister plusieurs langages visuels, à accorder une attention particulière à l’aspect tactile de la peinture et une place privilégiée à la couleur comme expression des liens entre le paysage et la vie psychique…»
Book – Making Art Connections
2010-12-03
Two of my paintings are included in the book Making Art Connections, published by McGraw-Hill in Australia. There is also a write up about my work.
You may view the 2 pages my paintings are on in this PDF file.
Making Art Connections is a new practical-based Visual Arts text for junior students in New South Wales. With a contemporary and fun design, Making Art Connections concentrates on your students? own experiences in creating art, while introducing them to new language, concepts and the world of a diverse range of artists. Making Art Connections enables your students to draw links between their own experiences and the artists, artworks and audiences that surround them, providing a rich learning experience.
Written by experienced author and teacher Chris Bates and practising Visual Arts teachers Megan Booth and Sean O’Keeffe, Making Art Connections ensures that students actively experience and appreciate the artmaking process.
Red Trees
2010-10-21
untitled (red trees), oil on canvas, 70 x 60 cm, 2010.
The trees make a lovely sky
2010-10-13
untitled, 30 x 24 inches, oil on canvas, 2010
Fog (island)
2010-10-04
Fog (island), oil on board, 8 x 8 inches, 2010.
A painting installed (archives)
2010-08-31
A painting from the Halifax series.
Red Trees From Below
2010-07-14
Red Trees From Below, 90 x 100 cm (approx.), oil on canvas, 2010.
Painting in the Montreal Hour
2010-03-25
The Montreal Hour has an article about ArtAnywhere. In the photo of Raymond and Julien, you can see one of my paintings in the background.
Forest Painting (a beginning)
2010-03-08
untitled, 60 x 60 cm, oil on canvas, 2010.
A recent painting in progress…
Red Tree Sky (study)
2010-02-16
Red Tree Sky (study), oil on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2010
Red River #3
2010-02-05
15 x 13 inches, acrylic on paper, 2010
Another Red River
2010-02-03
Red River Series, acrylic on paper, 15 x 13 inches, 2010
Collection of Per Olav Heimstad www.POHphoto.com
New Red River Painting
2010-01-31
Looking to exchange art work
2009-10-27
If you are interested please leave a comment here (or contact me at m a r k (at) m a r k d i x o n . c a ).
I forgot to name it
2009-10-07
untitled so far, acrylic on paper, 30 x 40 inches, 2009.
Collection of the New York University Medical Center.
Orphan (a painting)
2009-09-08
Orphan, 100 x 93 cm, 2003.
Blue Forest
2009-07-27
Blue Forest, oil on canvas, 25 x 30 cm, 2009.
Fall Trees
2009-07-24
Fall Trees, oil on canvas, 60 x 60 cm, 2008.
Through pink
2009-06-23
Pink Through the Yellow
2009-05-25
Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 inches, 2008-09.
Red Forest (another new painting)
2009-05-20
Oil on canvas, about 30 x 36 inches, 2009.
During my last trip to the studio I decided this painting is finished.
Dark Forest
2009-05-10
Dark Forest, 100 x 120 cm, oil on canvas, 2008-09.
Sky for Trees
2009-05-03
Tree Blur, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 cm, 2009
Pink Sky Woods
2009-04-26
Interesting Site
2009-04-21
Visualize people being born and dying in the world as well as the amount of carbon being emitted by each country : www.breathingearth.net
New Painting
2009-04-21
Grand Lake Orange, oil on canvas, 3 x 4 feet, 2009
It has been some time since I have posted anything here. I have been making quite a bit of new work and will start to post them in the next few days.
Download a high resolution version of this image.
I hope you enjoy and I appreciate any comments!
two friends
2008-09-14
two friends, oil on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2008
A small painting that I finished today.
Open Letter to a Bike Thief, Part 2
2008-08-30
I lost yet another to Montreal bike thieves. It is depressing and enraging… there is not much more I can say about someone who steals bikes. Here is a post I wrote a few years ago when Bike #2 was stolen : Open Letter to a Bike Thief.
Arts funding programs under attack
2008-08-26
As you may have heard, several arts funding programs have been cancelled in the last seven days. While many in the press have condemned this decision, government leaks have been handled in such a way that indicates they feel it is electorally profitable for them to cancel these programs.
from www.carfac.ca
Yellow Jade
2008-07-22
oil on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2008
MY Studio
2008-07-14
This is where I have been working the past few months. It is working out quite well especially since it is just down the street from where I live.
Jade (in orange)
2008-07-13
Oil on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2008.
This is an example of one of the small paintings I have been working on. I am also working on some other landscape paintings that I consider more “forest paintings” – paintings of the dense woods instead of the more vista type paintings I have been doing. I will most one of them soon – perhaps in progress…
Jade, a digital study
2008-06-19
The Horizon
2008-06-09
The Horizon, oil on canvas, about 30 x 36 inches, 2008.
Pangea Day
2008-01-15
Pangea Day taps the power of film to strengthen tolerance and compassion while uniting millions of people to build a better future.
Pink Flowers
2008-01-13
Pink Flowers, oil on board, 18 x 24 inches, 2008.
tower 3
2007-12-21
tower 3, acrylic and pencil on gessoed paper, 5 x 5 inches, 2007.
Another tower painting (study). I have a few new paintings in the studio but have not taken pictures of them yet – in 2008!
Happy holidays everyone. Thanks for visiting.
through the trees
2007-12-04
through the trees, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches, 2007.
Studio Search : Ended
2007-11-30
It had been a while that I was looking for a studio, but last month I found a place to work. It is a nice, smallish place with large windows on Pine Avenue near St Laurent Blvd (for those familiar with Montreal).
Tower 1
2007-11-30
Another small painting on paper.
Tower 2
2007-11-20
Tower 2, acrylic and pencil on paper, 11 x 9 inches, 2007.
This is a recent small painting on paper. I have done a few of these and will post the others soon. A new direction…
Phishing
2007-10-15
Someone has installed a malicious script on my server and is sending phishing emails. This will be resolved soon. I am sorry if you have received any of these emails. I am not exactly sure how this works, how they managed to do it or even what it is they exactly did.
This is why my web site and blog were off-line yesterday.
stand in front of me and let me dream with you
2007-10-11
Acrylic on canvas, 33 x 30 cm
LoopsOverGrid
2007-10-01
33 x 30 cm, oil on canvas, 2002
Green Looops
2007-09-16
Seen Elsewhere
2007-09-03
Here’s a heartwarming art story from The Economist, of all places. In 1993, two students at Frankfurt’s art school (Städelschule) each gave the caretaker a painting for his 50th birthday. Somehow, it became a tradition for students to give the caretaker and his wife a painting at graduation. By now, the couple have a superb art collection — much of it valuable, none of it for sale, with none of the acquistions based on anything but personal affection.
Small One
2007-08-30
green leaves, acrylic on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2007.
A small study done a few weeks ago.
Fiord
2007-08-14
Fiord, acrylic and oil on board, 60 x 60 cm, 2007 (click on image to view a larger version of the painting).
twins (intersection)
2007-08-09
This is a painting that I found on the wall of my mother’s cottage. It dates from several years ago (1999?). It is oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches approx.
Leaves green
2007-08-02
Green leaves, acrylic on paper, 13 x 10 inches, 2007.
paradigm shift
2007-07-19
I have always liked the term ‘paradigm shift’…
I found this interesting article via the art blog bloggy :
Today, instead of a cultural crisis, we’re facing a paradigm shift. Thanks to the Internet, the monopoly of the elites and the publishing empires they represent are crumbling, and if the blinders imposed by the powers that be haven’t yet been pried off, they have at least, for the moment, been bent back. If you don’t believe in democracy, this is a problem. If you do, then this is could be the dawning of a new golden age. Anyone who visits websites like artnet.com, artforum.com, or our own brooklynrail.org, is aware of the vast amount of valuable content on the net. Within the past few years individual art bloggers have appeared. As a confirmed contrarian, committed to opposing any structure whatsoever, the idea of a venue where the only limitations are an individual’s intellect, energy, and time is very appealing. Though the list of people writing and creating forums for discussions in cyberspace is long, indeed very long, for the purposes of this article I interviewed three who have made unique innovations.
Line of Trees 2
2007-07-05
acrylic on canvas, 70 x 55 cm, 2007.
A recent painting. Here is a study for the painting (acrylic on paper, 38 x 28 cm).
poke and pull
2007-06-29
digital sketch.
i knew i was in trouble when my shoe fell off
2007-06-27
small drawing on paper.
Still studio searching
2007-06-18
I am still searching for a small studio to rent or for a larger one to share. I sometimes use oil paints but use non-toxic solvents. If you know of a place in Montreal please let me know.
Spring Fever (late)
2007-06-15
digital sketch
long time
2007-05-28
this drawing is hanging in our bedroom. i gave it to J a few years ago.
Rob and Maria’s Wall
2007-04-25
Nice to see that the painting has found a nice home.
Rob’s video on Neil Young’s web site
2007-04-19
My friend Rob has a video listed on Neil Young’s top anti-war videos (#41). You can check it out here.
i am not telling you
2007-04-12
and you will never know.
Small Works Available
2007-04-02
I have put 10 small works on paper online and available for purchase. They are all easy to ship and inexpensive. Click to view the gallery. You may pay online using a credit card or contact me to arrange other payment options.
make it big
2007-04-02
a study for a large painting, (page from sketchbook, small moleskin). April 1, 2007.
island at mouth
2007-03-29
page from sketchbook, 8 1/2 x 11 inches.
A study for a landscape painting that i have not painted as of yet. Perhaps i will soon. i cannot remember if it is based on another sketch, a photograph or from my imagination.
trio
2007-03-24
8 1/2 x 11 inches, page from sketchbook.
escaping opaque
2007-03-23
page from sketchbook, 8 1/2 x 11 inches.
Saatchi Gallery Showdown (vote)
2007-03-19
I have a painting included in this week’s Saatchi Gallery Showdown.
You can Vote for it here.
In a new initiative to generate more exposure for the artists in Your Gallery and Stuart, and to spotlight their work to as wide an audience as possible, we have created SHOWDOWN.
SHOWDOWN is for all registered Your Gallery and Stuart artists to enter their works for visitors to score. The winner of the final head-to-head vote will receive £1000 and the runner up will receive £750. The winning work will go on display at the new Saatchi gallery.
This is the painting I have entered:
David Hall, exhibition
2007-02-15
My friend David Hall is having an exhibition here in Montreal. His paintings are defintely worth seeing in person.
“Shifting Groundâ€
Tableaux de David Hall
La galerie d’art Warren G. Flowers
4001 Boulevard de Maisonneuve ouest
Montréal, Québec
13 février au 7 mars, 2007
Vernissage: Mardi, le 20 f̩vrier, 2007; 17:30 Р19:30
Full Moon
2007-01-23
My friend Rob has posted another new song (Full Moon) that he wrote, on YouTube. Check it out here.
St. John River
2007-01-23
St. John River, digital sketch, 2006.
This is a study for a new painting. I am not sure I like the form of the river, but I think that the awkwardness of the shape makes it interesting.
Purchase Art Online
2007-01-22
I am working on a new section for my portfolio web site where people will be able to purchase small works on paper. They will be easy to ship and not too expensive (and you will be able to pay online). Coming soon.
I am not sure what to call the section, Gallery? Store? Purchase? Buy? The last three seem a bit crass. Suggestions?
Without images
2007-01-12
Recently I have been in a non-blog period. I have not been that regular with my own posts and at the same time have been reading less blogs. Do any of you have suggestions for good blogs to read? Add a comment and let me know – I would like to find some new ones to check out.
On the painting side of things I have been trying a few new things. Last week I started a portrait of J. If it improves I will post it here – but how it stands now I am not that happy with it. I used to do quite a bit of life drawing and painting from the model in my undergrad studies but have not in the last long while. It makes me realize how drawing or painting from life is a skill the requires continued practice.
Check out these artists on video
2006-12-28
This is just a quick note to recomment the videos on Vincent Romaniello’s blog. He features several artists talking about their work. The quality is very good.
X-Factor : Miami
2006-12-11
My work is currently included in an online exhibition organised by The Miami Art Exchange. Click here for more information.
Miami Art Exchange Presents X Factor, a group exhibition featuring the work of local and international artists. A “Factor†is an event, circumstance, influence, or element that plays a part in bringing about a result. A factor in a case contributes to its causation or outcome.
trees on a hill (final)
2006-12-07
trees on a hill, acrylic on panel, 91 x 123 cm, 2006
I previously posted this painting while on process but this is the final version.
to the ocean
2006-12-04
to the ocean, acrylic on panel, 91 x 123 cm, 2006
This a is a painting that I have finished recently.
Live free or die
2006-11-27
Video Description
I wrote this tune back in 2004 when I was doing work at the mill. I ended up back there for a couple of days in November as it was being dismantled so I took some footage and cut together this video.
This is a song I wrote and made a video for.
This is a video that my friend Rob made for a song he wrote. Definitely worth the listen and the look.
break
2006-11-23
I haven’t been posting much in the past few months but plan to do so a bit more soon. I have a few new paintings that I can show and I have been carrying arround my sketchbook more.
i had a dream i was drawing this drawing
2006-11-23
and it looked better in the dream.
Art Scam
2006-11-21
I recently was approached via email by someone interested in buying some of my paintings. After 2 emails and a bit of searching online I figured out that it was a scam.
Here is the email that I received :
Hello,
I will like to purchase some of your art works for my home in Middlesex (United Kingdom),and i will like you to get back to me with listings and costs of your works available.I will be able to choose the ones i want or need.Kindly get back to me asap.
Johnson Olson
You can read about the details of his scam zmadison.blogspot.com and Saatchi Gallery Forum.
Mr. “Olson” if you are reading this, you are pathetic.
the conversation beneath the trees
2006-10-18
trees on a hill, digital sketch.
A study for a new painting that it in progress (90 x 120 cm). Again I have used the computer as a means to figure certain things out (composition, colour). I will post the finished painting later.
another page, another day
2006-10-14
cape breton landscape memory
2006-10-12
from my sketchbook.
view from my window (dogs)
2006-09-29
I can see this photo (billboard) from my window in Old Montreal. I am really liking it – much better than the last. As you can see it is rather overcast and rainny in Montreal today. Very autumnal weather we are having.
lean in
2006-09-12
lean in, oil on gessoed paper, 20 x 20 cm, 2001
stand
2006-09-07
stand, oil on gessoed paper, 20 x 20 cm, 2001
my odd brother is coming for a visit
2006-09-06
about 20 x 20 cm, oil on gessoed paper, date (long time ago, maybe 2001?)
cheeky
2006-08-31
Charlie Finch “We omit the Hal Fosters, because no one reads them but sycophants at Artforum…”
from artnet.com
links
2006-08-29
I decided to separate my art links (blogroll – see below) into two categories, artist’s blogs and other art blogs. The distinction seems appropriate non?
two friends
2006-08-28
two friends, watercolour and ink on paper, about 20 x 20 cm, 2004.
an orphan
2006-08-25
when will you be back?, 25 x 30 cm, acrylic on paper, 2006.
line of trees (where are you going?)
2006-08-22
another page from a sketchbook.
trees on a hill
2006-08-21
sketch from my small sketchbook (about life-size), from a found photo (online).
Expressionist painter Philip Iverson dies (CBC)
2006-08-17
Canadian abstract and expressionist painter Philip Iverson has died from brain cancer at the age of 41.
The Fredericton-born oil painter had worked for the past five years in Montreal, where he lived with his wife Yukari.
Philip Iverson
2006-08-15
Philip Iverson, artist and friend, died yesterday here in Montreal. Philip was a very talented painter – his energy and commitment towards his work continually impressed me. He was a painter’s painter and I admired his boldness in the way that he worked. I will miss visiting his studio, going for the occasional pint and seeing the next series of paintings he was working on.
Self Portrait, Oils, Thick Paper, 4.5 x 4 feet, 1992
You may view his obituary here.
Expressionist painter Philip Iverson dies (CBC.ca)
Adagio, Oils, Acrylics, Wood, 5 x 4 feet, 2002
New work for auction (sold)
2006-08-14
The paintings on paper above are up for auction on eBay (SOLD). To place a bid click on a painting above.
Each painting on paper is 12 x 10 inches. You may scroll down to view the individual posts regarding these works.
when you were gone i forgot how to sleep
2006-08-14
This weekend I bought a new small moleskin sketchbook. I am planning to draw more in my sketchbooks. I will post pages here from time to time.
all that is behind you
2006-08-02
all that is behind you, acrylic on paper, 12 x 10 inches, 2006
This is another work on paper that I made last month. The three other works in this small series can be viewed below. Here is a photo of all of them together :
Which of the 4 is your favourite (orange, blue, yellow or red)? Comment here
Hizbullah, Israel, Beirut, Lebanon
2006-07-31
I have been trying to find non-mainstream information about the Hizbullah/Israeli conflict online. There are a lot of people blogging about it. I have followed a few links and have decided to make a list of some of the interesting websites, blogs, and articles that I have seen. Please make a suggestion for an interesting blogs by commenting on this post (click the “comment” link above or here).
Regular art posting will return soon.
Human Rights Watch : Questions and Answers on Hostilities Between Israel and Hezbollah
Hizbullah & Deterring Israeli Aggression, Chomsky (ZMag)
Informed Comment : Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion (blog)
Flickr photos of Qana (warning : graphic images)
Beirut blog
2006-07-21
Kerblog is an interesting blog from someone living in Beirut. He writes of his experiences of living in a city under attack and posts very interesting drawings that comment, sometimes seriously and other times less so, on what is going on over there. I came across the link on Marie-Chantal’s blog, Vue d’ici.
Deckard’s Sky
2006-07-21
acrid sky, acrylic on paper. 12 x 10 inches, 2006.
between dusk and dawn
2006-06-29
between dusk and dawn, acrylic on paper. 12 x 10 inches, 2006.
you are strange to me
2006-06-28
you are strange to me, acrylic on paper, 12 x 10 inches, 2006.
Web Design
2006-06-20
Some of you may know that I have a day job working as a web designer. If you are looking to have a web site designed I am available for these type of projects. Are you an artist looking to have a professional looking portfolio site? Contact me if you are interested and I will give you a quote for your project as well as send you a list of web sites that I have designed.
Fleur jaune (3)
2006-06-17
Fleur jaune 3, acrylic on paper, 12 x 10 inches, 2006.
Here is another in the small flower series. I have not been posting much lately but will start doing so soon. Cheers!
meander 3, a study for a new painting
2006-06-06
meander 3, digital sketch, June 5 2006.
Another sketch for an upcoming landscape painting. This one will be made quite large – I am thinking about 4 x 3 feet. Eventually I would like to be making these paintings larger as I would like to create the feeling of being surrounded by the work – falling into the pictorial space.
View other landscape paintings that I have done in this series here and here.
Paysage jaune
2006-06-02
Paysage jaune 1, 5 1/2 x 9 inches, acrylic on gessoed paper, 2006
A recent painting on paper.
Spiderplant 3
2006-05-31
Spider Plant 3, 12 x 9 inches, ink on vellum, 2006
Spiderplant 2
2006-05-24
spider plant 2, 12 x 9 inches, ink on vellum, 2006
wrap, from the archives (sale)
2006-05-21
wrap, oil on gessoed paper, 10 x 9 inches, 2003 (Larger view).
If you are interested in purchasing this painting on paper please click the “purchase this work” link below. You will be able to purchase the painting using Paypal. The work will be shipped within 3 days.
sun reach
2006-05-16
sun reach, ink on vellum, 12 x 9 inches, 2006.
spider plant drawing (sold)
2006-05-11
spider plant 1, ink on vellum, 12 x 9 inches, 2006.
Click here if you are interested in bidding on this drawing.
This is one of the drawings I have made over the last few days. I will post more soon…
seaside meander
2006-05-08
seaside meander, digital sketch.
Studio
2006-05-08
I am still looking for a studio to rent/share – in Montreal (Mile-end area preferably but not necessary). Please contact me if you have any leads. Thanks!
Plant Studies
2006-05-05
I have decided to re-list these small paintings on eBay. If you are interested you may click the “bid” links below to place a bid.
Plant Study (blue), 4 x 4 inches, acrylic on paper, 2005, buy this painting click here to bid.
Plant Study (green), 4 x 4 inches, acrylic on paper, 2005, buy this painting click here to bid.
Saatchi
2006-05-02
“British art mogul Charles Saatchi has launched a special section on his art website allowing undiscovered artists to show their work.” from CBC.ca
Blue Plants #6 (auction)
2006-04-18
Blue Plants #6, 11 x 13.5 inches, acrylic on paper, 2003.
Art Student Hotshots
2006-04-18
An article today in the NY Times talks about the pressures of open studio visits on MFA students. In the US, gallery owners check out (speculate) on new hot talent. Another way the art ‘market’ is much different in the US. I don’t remember gallery owners strolling through our studios at Concordia University…
Portfolio Web Site Update
2006-04-17
I have updated my portfolio web site to include some images of my more recent paintings. Click on over if you are interested in checking them out.
Falling pigeon
2006-04-12
Yesterday, while in traffic on boulevard Saint-Laurent, I saw a pigeon fall from the sky.
And land squarely on the white dotted line of the street.
Edward Winkleman
2006-04-11
Edward Winkleman’s blog has been in my blogroll for a while now and it is worth the read. He has posted a few interesting entries the past week “The Digital Dialog (or The Real Impact of the Internet on Artistic Practice)” and “What Is an ‘Emerging Artist’?“.
red lush, yellow flat
2006-04-11
untitled, 50 x 45 cm, oil on canvas.
A small painting from 2003. The colours in this painting were a bit of a departure for me (I made a few in this series). The red is more lush in life and the yellow is quite a contrast to the reds.
Contact me if you are interested in purchasing this work.
digital sketch
2006-04-07
Vu d’ici / (Seen From Here)
2006-04-05
Do you like nice indie pop music? Check out Marie-Chantal Turgeon’s blog and podcast (from Montreal).
plastic cups
2006-04-03
I discovered the work of Tara Donovan via Edward Winkleman‘s blog today. Very nice work – worth checking out. Her recent show is a top pick of art cal.
Finch on the Whitney
2006-04-01
Contoroversial art critic has written a scathing review of the Whitney Biennial. I like how he pulls no punches in his writting…
“Artists in their 30s throughout this show play at being teenagers with doodles, drips and drabs signifying nothing but their pathetic, dreary lack of self-regard. The fourth floor looks like the MoMA museum store designed by Kurt Cobain.”
untitled (river), (auction – sold)
2006-03-28
untitled (river), acrylic on paper, 34 x 28 cm (13.25 x 11 inches), 2003.
This painting on paper is for sale. You may bid on the painting here. Sold.
I made a mistake writing the size of this painting. The correct dimensions are above.
selling art online
2006-03-27
Do you or someone you know sell art online? How? Gallery? Portfolio web site? eBay?
2 and 1
2006-03-24
2 and 1, acrylic on paper, about 16 x 14 inches.
blue landscape unknown
2006-03-23
blue landscape unknown, oil on canvas, 30 x 20 inches.
we’ll see
2006-03-21
acrylic on paper, about 30 x 25 cm.
Carol Es
2006-03-21
This is a work by Los Angeles area artist Carol Es. Her blog is worth watching if you are interested in artists who blog about their work. To view details about the above work, click here.
This post is a part of a series where I highlight other artists websites.
Suggest a blog
2006-03-21
I have been looking for new blogs to consult (art related or not). Do you have a suggestion for a good blog? Enter a comment to suggest.
Sky and Land
2006-03-17
A drawing (acrylic on paper) digitally modified.
Flowers Pink
2006-03-16
a page from my small sketchbook.
David Ludmer : Con-struit
2006-03-15
My friend David is having a show of his photographs. The opening is March 16, from 6PM to 7:30PM.
David Ludmer, Con-struit
March 16 to April 29, Monday to Saturday, 1PM to 5PM.
DLAC, 5445 de Gaspe avenue #106, Montreal, QC, 514.223.0212
bend, a landscape
2006-03-14
bend, 77 x 60 cm, oil on canvas, 2003, collection of R.
A painting from my portfolio web site.
New Look
2006-03-11
I have been doing a few changes to the look of (re)mark. For the next few days I will be doing updates to finalise the customisation. I installed an update to WordPress and will have to change a few options of the K2 theme (I don’t think it will do everything I want it to do).
Éric Laplante
2006-03-03
This is a good drawing taken from Éric Laplante’s web site. I like the volumentric combined with the flat.
You can view more here : portfolio site and blog.
The Intrepid Collector
2006-02-27
Thanks to Lisa Hunter (The Intrepid Collector) for the link and for posting an image of one of my paintings.
The Intrepid Collector is :
Adventures in the art market — plus occasional museum and art book reviews.I’m an arts journalist based in Montreal and New York. My new book, The Intrepid Collector: How to Find, Buy and Appreciate Art on a Budget, will be published by Crown this October.
Pascal realised that the weight of the world is actually equally dispersed among everyone
2006-02-24
ink drawing on paper, actual size.
Why do Curators want to be Artists?
2006-02-24
I read the art blog From the Floor often. Today’s post “News Flash: Curators Are Not Artists” is worth reading :
I don’t know why it’s happening all of a sudden, but lately I’m starting to get tired of curators who become so enamored of their own process that they stop thinking about the art they are presenting for display and viewers’ engagement with it.
Red Flowers
2006-02-23
Flowers, acrylic on paper, 48 x 45 cm, 2001, private collection
Anselm Kiefer
2006-02-20
Sarah Milroy’s review of Anselm Kiefer’s show at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, was published in the Globe and Mail today. From the review :
The artist’s work is thus understood as creating the bridge between two realms through the very palpable and earthly medium of paint — soil impregnated with pigment and oil. It’s our cue to understand Kiefer’s attachment to the landscape, and more particularly, the scoured and plowed field, as a recurring subject in his art. The field is humble matter — paint, mud, the rotted remains of the past — from which we reach and strive.
I am looking forward to seeing it. Has anyone already been? What do you think of his work?
3 fleurs
2006-02-17
small drawing on paper.
Fiddlehead Cover
2006-02-15
One of my paintings is on the cover of the current issue of The Fiddlehead.
Canada’s longest living literary journal, The Fiddlehead is published four times a year at the University of New Brunswick, with the generous assistance of the University of New Brunswick, The Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of New Brunswick.
(from the Fiddlehead web site)
Protesting Google
2006-02-15
Many Tibetan protestors are calling on people to boycott Google. The search engine has agreed to the Chineses government’s cencorship policies. The irony is that I found many Google ads on pages covering the call to boycott. Not only that but I even found stories regarding this using the Google News search tool (I wanted to know if they were self censuring). I think I will change my homepage on my browser to another page – it used to be Google Canada’s site.
Typing “Dalai Lama†into Google’s U.S. Web site yields dozens of pages of results on the 14th Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet. Top results include his Web site, his biography and news of his appearances around the world.
The same search using Google.cn yields none of those sites. Instead, Chinese users get headlines such as “Dalai Lama unpopular among Tibetans: chairman of Tibet,†and “Dalai Lama Aims to Split Motherland.â€
from SignOnSanDiego.com
Vincent Romaniello
2006-02-13
This is an image of one of Vincent Romaniello’s paintings (please excuse the small format but you can view it larger here). I have been reading and watching his (v)blog for a while and would like to plug it here. He is a painter living in Philidelphia.
From his artist statement :
The methods and materials I use are inseparable from the concept. These opposing forces of painting precision and serendipity live side by side, sometimes working together harmoniously and sometimes creating tension.
Here is his (v)blog and here his art site (portfolio).
the flower that lives at your place
2006-02-09
small drawing on paper.
saint john river
2006-02-08
digital sketch.
water for trees
2006-02-02
untitled 3 (blue series), oil on board, 12 x 10 inches (contact for price).
blue knot
2006-01-27
blue knot, acrylic on paper, 30 x 30 cm, 2001
an older work from a series that did not get translated into larger paintings.
looking for studio space
2006-01-27
In a few months I will be looking for studio space (to share or rent alone). If you know of anything becoming available please let me know. The studio does not have to be that big, but in the Mile-end, Little Italy area of Montreal (other areas could work as well though).
Contact me or leave a comment below if you know of anything. Thanks!
thanks for the seats (too bad about the vote)
2006-01-24
Canadian Federal Election 2006
Here are 2 graphics that show the percentage of popular vote won compared to the percentage of seats won by the parties. In the Canadian graph, all of the parties get more seats (percentage) than the popular vote, exept for the New Democratic Party.
In the Quebec results, all the parties are at a disadvantage exept for the Bloc Quebecois. The Bloc gets 42 % of the popular vote but wins 68 % of the seats.
Had the same votes been cast under a proportional voting system, Fair Vote Canada projected that the seats allocation would have been approximately as follows:
Conservatives – 36.3% of the popular vote: 113 seats (not 124)
Liberals – 30.1% of the popular vote: 93 seats (not 103)
NDP – 17.5% of the popular vote: 59 seats (not 29)
Bloc – 10.5% of the popular vote: 31 seats (not 51)
Greens – 4.5% of the popular vote: 12 seats (not 0)
Canadian Ballot recipes
2006-01-23
Today is election day in Canada and most people I talk to are quite nervous of the out come. If polls are correct (they often are not) then we will be waking up to a conservative government tomorrow morning. On this note, I think that we should be able to spoil our ballots and have them counted. This would allow people to express themselves in a positive way (instead of not voting because there are no acceptable options). The percentage of spoiled or ‘none of the above’ ballots should then be released with the official results of each riding.
I am not referring to the eat your ballot option. An interesting option but it may cause strange digestive problems – just think of all that black ink.
In Canada it is actually illegal to spoil your ballot (I assume that eating it is also illegal).
According to section 167(2)(a) of the Canada Elections Act, “no person shall wilfully alter, deface or destroy a ballot.” Subsection 480(1) of the Act also provides that every person is guilty of an offence who, with the intention of delaying or obstructing the electoral process, contravenes this Act.
from the blue series (with a dash of pink)
2006-01-19
untitled (blue series), 100 x 90 cm, oil on canvas, 2003.
This is a painting from my portfolio site. I have not yet posted my new work there yet but hope to soon.
where you are from
2006-01-17
i have not been posting much content lately. it is mostly due to the fact that i have not been scanning new images (it is also due to the fact that i have not been getting much work done either). i have been working out a few ideas in my head for some new drawings and paintings. they never get resolved that well there actually. i need to get them on paper or canvas to work them out. concept feeds form feeds concept.
on an unrelated note, here is where you come from :
percentage of last 100 viewers/readers
38 % – US
10 % – Canada
8 % – UK
7 % – China
6 % – Netherlands
5 % – Poland
4 % – France
thick lines on top of background
2006-01-12
untitled, 48 x 45 cm, oil on canvas, 1999.
never
2006-01-06
untitled, charcoal on vellum, 75 x 60 cm, 1995.
when time could be wasted and many versions overlapped.
Drawing from 95
2006-01-03
untitled, charcoal on gessoed paper, 45 x 45 cm, 1995.
espacenomad
2005-12-19
J has opened a new massage therapy and yoga centre here in Montreal.
——–
Visit our new massage therapy centre at 3630 boul. St-Laurent (corner Prince-Arthur).
We now have the pleasure to offer you:
* Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga classes (maximum 8 persons per class!)
* Private Yoga therapy classes
* Sea salt exfoliant treatment (mint, rosemary, ginger and lavender)
* Massages offered : Hot Stone – Swedish – Sport – Californian
* Gift Certificates ”
To be informed of upcoming promotions signup for the espacenomad newsletter.
Pink Freesias
2005-11-25
Pink Freesias, acrylic on board, 30 x 30 cm, 2005.
this is another small painting from the scapes exhibition last month.
an orphan
2005-11-21
untitled, oil on canvas, 100 x 90 cm, 2003 (click here for a larger view).
i almost always work in series but from time to time a painting comes a bit out of nowhere. like this one. it is an orphan and i think it is why i like it.
Island (From Meat Cove)
2005-11-14
From Meat Cove, oil on canvas, 25 x 20 cm. 2005.
Meat Cove is in the centre of this map.
pink all around
2005-11-07
untitled, 60 x 60 cm, acrylic on board, 2005, (red dot).
another painting from my current show. the initial idea for this painting started here.
Julie’s Flowers
2005-11-03
Julie’s Flowers, 30 x 30 cm, acrylic on board, 2005, ( larger view). (red dot)
another painting from the scapes show. here is a study for this painting that i posted a few weeks ago.
another pink painting from the show
2005-11-02
untitled, 100 x 100 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2005, larger view
this is one of the paintings that is currently in my show scapes. this painting has a sister and i will post that one soon. they work quite well as a diptych (you can see them side by side in this photo).
untitled pink painting from scapes show
2005-10-31
untitled, 100 x 100 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2005, larger view
this is one of the paintings that is currently in my show scapes. this painting has a sister and i will post that one soon. they work quite well as a diptych (you can see them side by side in this photo).
scapes installation views
2005-10-27
Main wall 1 (click image for larger view).
Main wall 2 (click image for larger view).
Contact me for an image of a particular painting.
Blue Fictions Series
2005-10-27
Blue Fictions Series, acrylic on paper, 30 x 28 cm, 2001
Contact me if you are interested in buying this work on paper.
from the archives : big yellow thing
2005-10-25
untitled, 120 x 105 cm, oil on canvas, 1998
plant fictions video
2005-10-20
i don’t often post things that i find on the web but this video is amazing. it is an animation of this strange plant-like animals juxtaposed into real nature settings.
it is in a Flash site so there is no easy way to link to it. to view the video go to www.1st-ave-machine.com, click Projects and then click Sixes Last. check it out, it is well worth it!
pink study
2005-10-19
this is a study done for one of the recent large paintings. it is in the current show scapes .
julie’s flowers (a study)
2005-10-13
a study for a recent painting.
shadow on the wall
2005-10-12
shadow, acrylic and oil on board, 30 x 30 cm (red dot).
i don’t have many photos of my recent work but here is a small work that is going to be in the upcoming show. it is quite different than my previous work, and even different than the other paintings in the show.
super busy
2005-10-11
The reason I have not been posting much lately is because I am preparing for my upcoming show. Soon I will post some images of finished works that I will be showing.
finished but still untitled
2005-10-06
untitled, 20 x 20 inches, acrylic on board.
the colours vary quite a bit from the previous photo. they were taken using different cameras. the true colours are somewhere in between.
Jade Plant (in progress)
2005-10-05
untitled, 20 x 20 inches, acrylic on board, in progress.
January Blog
2005-10-05
January Blog posted the following post today about a comment I left on their blog the other day.
Hey Mark,
That last post of mine was pretty cheeky. I don’t think I wanted to critique Zak Smith’s work as much as I wanted to critique the Chelsea/Grad School scene that puts so much machinery behind young artists…
Read the post here.
freesias (digital study)
2005-10-04
just finished
2005-10-02
30 x 30 cm, acrylic on board, today. (red dot)
still untitled (cape breton)
2005-09-30
still untitled (cape breton), 24 x 30 inches, oil on canvas.
this is another painting in progress. i photographed the painting and added the land masses using photoshop. like the meat cove painting, i am working out ideas digitally – using photoshop to make studies.
scapes (exhibition invite card)
2005-09-27
If you would like a physical card sent to you send me your address.
meat cove study
2005-09-22
island off meat cove (working title), oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches.
this is a painting in progress. the ‘island’ and ‘land (foreground)’ have been added digitally – the rest is oil on canvas.
here is another version of the study (this one is for julie ;).
orange and flat green
2005-09-18
untitled (so far), acrylic on board, 60 x 60 cm, (red dot).
last week i posted a few digital studies for this ‘abstracted plant’ series. this is the first painting that is almost finished.
NYC : Williamsburg
2005-09-14
We went to nyc this past weekend and had a great time. On saturday we roamed around manhattan with no real plan. We happened upon The Deitch Project first annual Art Parade in SOHO in the afternoon. It was a fun, goofy, crazy event. Perhaps Montreal is in need of something like this.
Update : found this link for more photos of the parade.
On Sunday we walked around Williamsburg area and saw quite a few galleries. One highlight was the Black and White Gallery. The gallery has a great courtyard which had a very nice photo installed on the back wall (see right photo).
Another interesting show was at Dam Stuhltrager. Ryan Wolfe’s computerised grass blowing in the wind was simple and beautiful. It did, however, remind me a lot of sculpture done by the artist Doug Buis. Novelty is over-rated anyhow. (see left photo)
similar, but blue
2005-09-12
another small study (actual size) from my sketchbook.
green study
2005-09-09
actual size. small painting from my sketchbook.
guest blogging (julie)
2005-09-09
untitled, mixed media, 4 x 6 feet, 2004
this is a really great painting. it is much more interesting in the flesh – it is very textured. it hangs behind her desk and someday i am going to sneak into her office and steal it. multitalented.
plant drawings 1
2005-09-08
these digital drawings are studies for a series of paintings i have been thinking of doing. the colours are very preliminary.
loops again
2005-08-26
loops 2, 23 x 30 cm, 2004, acrylic on paper, (click image for larger view) $75.
title party #2 (winner)
2005-08-24
sorry for the long wait for the results of the last title contest. j has chosen “my bike route” by ahab. i will be emailing him soon to get his mailing address so i can send it off to him. i have one more title party planned and will post it soon. thanks to everyone who participated!
Loops
2005-08-09
loops (blue), acrylic and pen on paper, 23 x 30 cm, 2004, $75 (purchase) (click image for larger view).
back from vacation and back to the city. my mind is still next to the ocean. flipflops on my feet.
title party number 2
2005-07-20
untitled, acrylic and pen on paper, 12 x 10.5 cm, 2004.
like the last game, if you come up with the winning title for this little drawing, i will mail it to you. for this competition, j will choose the winning title (it is out of my hands). i will be away for two weeks and will announce the winner on my return.
please include your email (it will not show up on the site) in the comment form.
another yellow drawing
2005-07-18
30 x 23 cm, 2004, $150.
Drawing and the Art World
2005-07-15
Here is an interesting article from the CBC site that I found via Zeke’s.
Doodle Dandies : The art world’s newfound appreciation for drawing
By Sascha Hastings
buffer
2005-07-15
buffer, acrylic and pen on paper, 24 x 23 cm, 2004
old drawing : maps
2005-07-14
untitled, charcoal on paper, 60 x 65 cm, 1995
click here to see where the reference for this drawing.
i have received quite a few submissions for this little contest and will be deciding soon. you still have time to suggest a title!
red plants
2005-07-12
red plants 1, acrylic on paper, 28 x 22 cm, 2004, $100.
you title it you win it (won)
2005-07-08
untitled, acrylic on paper, 9 x 7 cm.
i am soliciting titles for this small painting on paper. if you suggest the winning title then i will send you the drawing. simple as that. to participate leave a comment with your title. you may remain anonymous but you must leave your email (so i can contact you – your email will not be displayed on the page).
the winner is :
i had a lot of trouble deciding between ‘En Tournée’ and ‘Mooring Hitch’ so i decided to pick between them randomly. ‘En Tournée’ won! I will be sending it to peter as soon as he sends me his postal address.
my bike route
2005-07-08
i just came accross this interesting little tool that uses google maps as a virtual pedometer. cool stuff.
draw together
2005-07-05
Eric Deis, an artist from Vancouver and has a interesting live online drawing tool on his site. You can draw along with others in real time. Check it out. I browsed through his projects and found lots of great stuff.
pools (landscape)
2005-07-05
pools, acrylic on paper, 25 x 20 cm, 2003
2005-07-04
river (blue), acrylic on paper, 25 x 20 cm.
Darfur
2005-07-04
I don’t often write about politics here much anymore but this story makes me angry. We are sitting by and watching this happen with such detached ‘concern’.
Justin Laku founder of Canadian Friends of Sudan recently paid a four-day visit to three refugee camps outside of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
“In comparison, the condition of a Canadian zoo is 10 times better,” Ottawa resident Laku said of the camps. “There is no water, no sanitation, no toilets, nothing whatsoever.”
www.thestar.com
The Bush administration still shares intelligence with the Sudan government even after it has stated that they have been commiting genocide. Their reasoning is that is neccessary in the ‘war on terror’. What else are they going to justify with this so called war?
The Bush administration described the Darfur atrocities as genocide in order to please the Christian right ahead of the American presidential elections, according to a senior US official.
www.sudantribune.com
up
2005-06-29
up, acrylic on paper, 40 x 30 cm, $150 (unframed).
landscape series (meander 2)
2005-06-27
meander 2, acrylic and oil on canvas, 76 x 60 cm, $600.
dual
2005-06-22
dual, oil on canvas, 10 x 9 inches, $250.
i normally do not mention that the paintings i post here are for sale but with this one i will. if you are interested please contact me.
click the image to view a larger version.
grouping
2005-06-21
small drawing in sketchbook (actual size).
bay (landscape series)
2005-06-19
bay, 77 x 60 cm, oil on canvas, 2003
another in the landscape series. click here to view an image with a better resolution.
bend (landscape series)
2005-06-16
bend, acrylic and oil on canvas, 76 x 60 cm, 2003
click here to view a larger version.
referendums are stupid
2005-06-16
A friend forwarded me an email to vote online for the “The National Marriage Referendum : Should Parliament pass Bill C-38 to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada?“.
After visiting the site and seeing the Yes votes out voted by the No votes my immedaite reaction was to vote Yes and forward the site link to as many like minded people I know. But I am undecided if I am going to vote as I believe that questions of such matter should not be decided with a referendum. The rights of a minority should never be decided by the majority. Even more, if a right is protected by The Charter, then it is guaranteed, no matter what the out come of a referendum.
The logic of a referendum is such that the majority can deny or take away the rights of a minority. I hope the Liberals do not bow to the Conservatives pressure to delay the vote on gay marriage. Have a back bone and stand up for what you believe in.
I am undecided. I want to see the Yes votes increase but I do not agree with the principle of a referendum.
Note : the site that is organising this online referendum is “the Defend Marriage Project of United Families Canada.”
lac echo
2005-06-11
Click here to view the original photo (here to view the drawing again).
it is hot and muggy here in montreal today. it makes me want to be back at lac echo (where we went last weekend).
lines in space
2005-06-11
untitled, 26 x 20 inches, charcoal on paper.
they hid their faces
2005-06-10
small drawing in sketchbook (pen and marker).
Sustaining Abstract Painting
2005-06-10
I like these few sentences from Donald Kuspit’s review of Wlodzimierz Ksiazek’s abstract paintings. I was unfamiliar with Ksiazek’s work and am now intrigued by the physicality of his paintings. I have always thought that one of painting’s great capacities is its ability to both illustrate and at the same time be a very physical medium. I like this duality and play with it in my paintings.
I am suggesting that from the start Ksiazek realized that two-dimensionality and three-dimensionality are inseparable — one always implies the other — and that the priority that modernist painting gave to flat painting, by reason of its “critical” relationship to the flatness of the canvas, is a reductive premise and falsifying limitation of painting, that is, an inhibiting and peculiarly naive “formalism.”
From Sustaining Abstract Painting by Donald Kuspit
i am a painter so here is a painting
2005-06-06
untitled, 115 x 90 cm, oil on canvas, 2003
a painting that is posted on my portfolio web site. you can view a better quality image of this painting here.
with nothing but infinitely mirrored irony to hold its hand
2005-06-03
A text that I have always like :
The reason that art in the postmodern, existential world has reached something of a culdesac is not that art itself is exhausted, but that the existential worldview is. Just as rational modernity previously exhausted its forms and gave way to aperspectival postmodernity, so now the postmodern itself is on a morbid death watch, with nothing but infinitely mirrored irony to hold its hand, casting flowers where they will not be missed. The skull of postmodernity grins on the near horizon, and in the meantime, we are between two worldviews, one slowly dying, one not yet born.
Ken Wilber, from To See A World–Art and the I of the Beholder
insert your own title
2005-06-03
pile 7 (where i end and you begin)
2005-06-02
all in good time
2005-06-01
untitled, acrylic on paper, 30 x 25 cm.
in anyone is interested in purchasing this work on paper or any others, please contact me.
(un)confined
2005-05-31
small drawing from sketchbook.
calvin and art theory
2005-05-31
a great calvin and hobbes comic strip – click here to view it over at modern kicks.
Calvin : A painting of a comic strip panel. Sophisticated irony. Philosophically challenging. High art.
go check it out – it is worth it.
tightrope walker
2005-05-27
red orange
2005-05-25
untitled, acrylic on paper (framed), 40 x 30 cm, 2003
little did they know the blimp was without a pilot
2005-05-24
another painting from the archives
2005-05-20
untitled, oil on canvas, 110 x 120 cm, 1999, private collection.
another painting from the archives. the reproduction is not that great but i think that this painting was the best of its series. this painting was a part of my mfa thesis show.
Beauty Questionnaire
2005-05-19
Jennifer over at simpleposie (art blog from Toronto) has posted a questionnaire that I sent her. Go and answer.
Beauty – Mark Dixon’s Questionnaire (MDBQ)
When simpleposie entered the word Beauty in the title above, the computer automatically remembered the words of philosopher George Santayana, “Beauty is pleasure regarded as the quality of a thing.” This is a funny yet fitting coincidence as the subject of the following ten question questionnaire, courtesy of artist , art blogger and most thoughtul individual Mark Dixon of Montreal is, as it happens, Beauty. Please answer with all your gusto.
ART@*^<>WORK
2005-05-19
I came across this project while visiting Chris Ashley’s web site. Chris also posts some photos of Tom Moody who is taking part in the project.
ART!@*<>WORK, an art exhibition that explores the tension between the art of work and the work of art. The cubicles of a midtown Manhattan office space provide the backdrop for fifteen New York artists’ pieces.
Each artist has been allocated a cubicle to transform and exhibit projects inspired by work and work environments. Visitors will be invited to explore and interact with the space during “office hours.” Cubicles will also be designated throughout the space for visitors to come and do their own work or eat their lunches.
touch
2005-05-19
small drawing (actual size).
pile 5
2005-05-17
colour is creeping in.
pile 4 (a gathering)
2005-05-16
what do people think of these? i have a few others done that i will be posting as well as have more ideas for new ones. i have done some that incorporate colour that i will post soon.
untitled (couple)
2005-05-13
from the archives, untitled, 20 x 30 cm, acrylic on paper, 2003.
pile 3
2005-05-11
the stare (artblog.net)
2005-05-10
If this quote interests you, check the entire post over at artblog.net.
Of course, most of us probably didn’t recognize that we were latecomers to the grad-school pyramid scheme. Theory with a capital T grew up with the expansion of graduate programs and the adjunctification of higer education during the last 30 years. It was a ticket to success for a charmed circle of insiders: a few people at elite institutions with the connections and advance knowledge to get in and out of the game before the general rush. The language of theory – carefully deployed in the world of academic hiring and publication – still functions in ways that suggest the sub rosa communications of Ivy League clubmen in the world of investment banking.
from artblog.net
pile 2 (missing you)
2005-05-09
small drawing.
pile
2005-05-06
small drawing done while on hold on the phone.
yellow painting
2005-05-05
we were over at my friend’s place for dinner last night and i saw this painting after a long time not seeing it. i like having distance from my own work – in a way it is like seeing it from an objective point of view. it is like seeing something you have writen or drawn when you were a kid.
other paintings like this one can be seen on my portfolio web site.
2 figures
2005-05-04
a drawing from the archives. untitled, acrylic on paper, 30 x 20 cm, 2003, unframed.
january blog
2005-05-03
Here is another plug for a site that I have put in the art blogs menu to the left. January Blog has some good writing about art exhibitions. I can’t tell too much about the blog (there is not an About section) but I think they are in the NYC area. There are three contributors. Today they have a review of a show at The Canada Gallery in NYC.
pink background (in progress)
2005-05-02
a drawing started on paper that i plan to continue working on with the computer. i’ll post the results (or the progression) soon.
ok, here it is. i am not crazy about the colours but i am posting it anyhow …
the pink glow
2005-04-30
3 and 2
2005-04-28
not sure what i think of this one but i thought i would post it anyhow.
together again
2005-04-27
(green added digitally).
a satire on the emptiness of prizes and the idiocy of art
2005-04-27
I just came across this article in The Guardian Unlimited.
Beck’s Futures, I have come to realise, is a satire on the emptiness of prizes and the idiocy of art.
Christina Mackie has won the Beck’s Futures Art Award (London). I am writing about this for a few reasons. One is the amount of money it comes with – $63 275.00 (in Canadian dollars), which is fairly substantial. The Canada Council reserves this type of support to senior artists. Another is that it seems she grew up in Canada (for some reason most of the articles mention this). And there is this scathing article thatnot only slams her art work but also the premise of the prize.
Mackie’s work would not make you look twice in a mediocre group show.
It seems that the sillier art becomes, the more money gets thrown into its void. You know, some people actually do create works of art that are engaging, complex, and multi-layered.
I cannot remember the general tone of Jonathan Jones’ previous reviews and/or articles but it makes me want to pay attention to his further writings. Not because he is somewhat vicious but because it seeme that he is not afraid to express ideas that could be interpreted as anti-intellectual or anti-avant-garde.
give and take
2005-04-26
another hybrid drawing
2005-04-25
i will probably post another version of this drawing. for now i thought i would upload an in-progress version.
hybrid drawing
2005-04-21
another hybrid drawing (started on paper and then edited on the computer). i would like to start some drawings on the computer and then re-work them on paper. perhaps even continue back into the original medium (i.e. from paper to computer and back to paper). this will entail a fairly good quality print though, especially if it is re-worked and re-scanned again. i wonder how many ‘generations’ i can take it…
tide
2005-04-20
tide
this idea for a landscape painting was stolen from N (he is six years old). i was amazed when he drew a swath of darker colour to show the wet sand. i have several ideas for a new landscape series and am eager to get them started.
mount jo
2005-04-18
j and i went to the adirondack mountains this weekend. it was fabulous. the weather was great and the camping and hiking area even better. the above photo was taken from the top of mount jo. i didn’t bring a camera and found the photo on the web here after doing a google search. we spent a long time lying in the sun and looking at this view. i searched for a picture of the view from our campsite on heart lake (the lake in the lower part of the picture) but have not found one yet. interesting that there are certain places in the world that have been captured in pictures by many people. of course the view was quite different yesterday but the picture is surprisingly similar (there were no leaves on the trees and a bit of snow at higher elevations). the sky was different though and there was a bit of ice still on the northern edge of the lake. i prefer my mental image.
cartoon abstraction
2005-04-15
digital manipulation (i.e. tweeked in photoshop) of a part of this drawing.
green on pink
2005-04-14
for J.
doctor anweil makes a discovery
2005-04-13
featured blog : bloggy
2005-04-11
i thought i would go through my blogroll and highlight a few of the blogs there over the next few weeks. bloggy is a good nyc based weblog. he writes about art exhibitions in and around the city. most of the artist he mentions art emerging artists and often he will post an image of the work. he also maintains artcal.net, a directory of nyc exhibitions.
orange space
2005-04-11
digby, nova scotia : a study
2005-04-09
study for new landscape painting.
has anyone seen this vista?
some kind of horizon
2005-04-08
some kind of horizon or whatever, page from sketchbook.
tied up
2005-04-07
Hirst’s Sad New Show
2005-04-07
i have never been a fan of damien hirst so it was a nice surprise to come across this negative review of his most recent show in nyc.
The 31 paintings in Damien Hirst’s sad new show at Gagosian are not paintings at all; or rather, they’re generic-to-bad photo-realist efforts. Any semi-adept student or average commercial artist could have made them. Many do. But this isn’t what makes Hirst’s paintings sad; it only makes them ordinary and academic.
from The Emperor’s New Paintings by Jerry Saltz
it is not the avant garde aspect of his work that annoys me but the simplistic shock reaction that he seems to searh for. it is easy to shock and it is a one-liner. what is even worse is the art world’s taking of his work hook, line and sinker. not only is his work praised in many art theory books but his work sells very well. the works in this show go for between a quarter million and two million. not bad work if you can get it. why don’t these art collectors (speculators) look a bit more at less blue chip artist? spread the interest and wealth a bit.
Seeing Hirst rehash his old subjects in such pale ways is like listening to Paul McCartney sing Beatles songs in Wings.
one and two
2005-04-06
one and two, page from sketchbook.
Cy Twombly, Doodler?
2005-04-06
I do not read Slate very often but for some reason I passed by it’s front page today. There is an interesting article on the work (and the person) of Cy Twombly. I have never really had a decisive viewpoint on what I think of his work but I have always been intrigued by it. I think more and more. His gestural marks (that some people call doodles) are very immediate and casual. At the same time they are quite serious and create a situation of pause and reflection. Randomness has interested me for quite some time. I do not refer to randomness in the sense of putting down whatever but more of a state where the discursive mind is less present. Perhaps openness is a better term. My work usually swings from randomness (gestural) to more contrived editing.
Nobody, however, could erect a theory on Twombly’s images. They are not just products of the imagination; they do not exist as correlatives to ideas, let alone to things. Done in pencil and crayon, Twombly’s trademark images capture the transient, universal sign of distraction: the doodle.
Cy Twombly : The man who made an art out of doodles.
From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Function: noun
an aimless or casual scribble, design, or sketch; also : a minor work
we float together
2005-04-05
a grouping of forms where 2 get better than the others.
page from small sketchbook, 14 x 20 cm.
red landscape
2005-04-04
red landscape #5, acrylic on board, 15 x 16 cm, 2002
i did a series of small and large red landscapes a few years ago. you can see more at my portfolio web site. all of these have sold and i am thinking of new approaches for a landscape series. in the past these somewhat abstract landscapes have been quite small, but i am thinking of making several large ones. i want to make the textured ground large and seductive – inviting to fall in to.
slight breeze
2005-04-01
blue pink
2005-03-31
i deliberated if i should post this drawing. i am not sure what i think of it – whether is good or what it suggests. the reason for this blog however, is to post things from my sketchbook and not to edit too much. many of the things i put down on paper are not very interesting (ideas or drawings) but it is helpful to put them down. often i find it cathartic to get rid of the forms that i think of in my head. if i don’t draw them they remain there and take up space and sometimes cause stress. so here it is, an unedited look.
julie’s drawing
2005-03-30
this is a drawing julie did in my sketchbook. hopefully she will do more and i can post them as well.
the top
2005-03-29
i am somewhat embarassed to say that the inspiration for this drawing was a soft drink advertisement. guess which.
Labyrinth of Theory
2005-03-29
Art has been lost in a labyrinth of theory. If this sounds anti-intellectual, let me clarify. There is no good work of art that cannot be described in intelligible English, however long it might take, however much patience is required. And yet this book begins with four theoretical essays explaining the post-structuralist concepts the authors believe we need before we can meaningfully discuss a single work of art.
I came across this article (Lost in a labyrinth of theory) via another art blog (Modern Art Notes). It is true that I am often annoyed with the extent or importance that is put on theory in the art world. Often it seems as if the theory is not there to describe or investigate the art but that the art is there to elucidate the theory. At the same time a certain amount of specialized language is required.
joined #2
2005-03-24
another page from sketchbook. continuing on a theme. what do you think?
Covert Art Placement
2005-03-24
I found this via bloggy. Quote is from the Wooster Collective.
Dressed as a British pensioner, over the last few days Banksy entered each of the galleries and attached one of his own works, complete with authorative name plaque and explanation.
The galleries mentioned above are all in New York City (The Brooklyn Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Natural History).
Auction Project #3
2005-03-24
fog, 40 x 30 cm, acrylic on paper, 2003
i have been planning on continuing with my landscape series in the near future. this drawing, or painting on paper, was done quite a while ago but i do like the fog effect. most of the landscapes that i have made are either fictional places (made up from my imagination) or conjured up from my memory. often the landscapes of the ocean are places that i have been and miss. i have started thinking of several new paintings along these lines and may post some of the sketches soon.
SOLD
joined at the ‘hip’
2005-03-23
page from sketchbook.
blue blobs
2005-03-23
blue blobs, 45 x 40 cm, oil on paper, 2002.
a not so successful painting from a series that never went anywhere. here are a few others :
blue blob 3
blue blob 5
blue blob 1
loosened mind
2005-03-22
walking in old montreal this morning, the sun was warm and the sidewalks wet with small rivers of melting snow. i tried to loosen the control of my thoughts. i wanted to see the images that would appear in my mind. unfettered.
i saw billowing sails against a deep blue sky.
Canada crawls with terrorists
2005-03-22
Came across this National Review article via Disinfo.
But American officials better eye the northern frontier, too. Canadians seem rather relaxed about some who inhabit the land nestled between Alaska and the Lower 48. While most Canadians are as friendly as Labrador retrievers, that attitude is not universal.
And how is this for instilling fear of Canada among Americans :
Canada crawls with terrorists, suspected violent extremists, and folks worthy of 24-hour surveillance.
party on brown
2005-03-22
flock, acrylic on paper, 30 x 24 cm, 2003.
David Bierk
2005-03-22
I came across this article by Donald Kuspit today. I didn’t realize that David Bierk had died.
To say that Bierk is simply quoting two Old Master works of art — a painting and a sculpture, the former by way of his own hand, the latter by way of a photograph — in an ironic postmodern manner is to miss the tension generated by their juxtaposition.
shadow (16:42)
2005-03-19
the shadow that inches its way across the wall behind me at work.
beautiful pink background
2005-03-17
this is the first image posted from my new sketchbook and happens to be the first post made on my new blog site. i have switched from Blosxom to WordPress (and switched web servers as well). you may have noticed the blog title change from ‘to leave a mark’ to ‘(re)mark’. the first title was meant to be temporary but i never got around to changing it. thanks j, for help with the new title 😉
(in)congruent
2005-03-14
grid, 30 x 30 cm, acrylic on paper
my work is mostly thematic but this small painting on paper is quite different than a the work i normally do. i often work in series so there is a progression that develops. it is however, good to try incongruent things. it is often in doing so (as with chance or mistakes) a way to discover new and interesting avenues or ways of working.
Auction Project # 2
2005-03-13
Duo, oil on board, 14.5 x 16 cm, 2003
AUCTION ENDED
The Thought Project
2005-03-09
I came across this link here. It is a very nice (simple) project. The photographer takes close up photos of people he meets in the street. He askes them what they were thinking just before he met them and includes this with their photo.
loops
2005-03-08
Digital image.
eBay Project No. 1
2005-03-02
untitled, oil on board, 14.5 x 16 cm, 2003
This small painting is the first that I am posting as a part of my eBay project. I will be posting small paintings from a series on this blog with links to the page on eBay where they will be auctioned.
SOLD
Blue Blur
2005-02-28
Digital image.
my affair with pink continues
2005-02-25
Digital image.
what i look at while waiting for the bus in the morning
2005-02-24
i will teach you how to grow
2005-02-24
droopintertwined
2005-02-23
a small drawing from nowhere.
digital images – physical marks
2005-02-22
Digital image
it is not very often that i create images digitally but this is an example. at times i work through various possibilities digitally but usually i do so in the studio or in my sketchbook. but as this blog has become somewhat of a working sketchbook, i think there are ways to experiment with imagery, colour, etc. using the computer. even if i come up with interesting ideas in this way i feel that the true test is how it will look when made into a ‘real’ painting. it is hard to ignore, especially for me, paint’s physical quality. i have wrote these thoughts before and perhaps it is me making excuses for spending time on these digital, or web-based, images. this being said, i think that this ‘sketch’ (there are the quotation marks again) could make for an interesting avenue to explore on canvas.
Bilingual
2005-02-21
Altered Drawing
2005-02-21
Stomach-ing Pomo
2005-02-15
From artnet.com
:
So, what is left to find in painting? Quite frankly, in the context of Postmodernism,
rather too much. While the constant refinement of Modernist abstraction is
now an old story, the pluralism that so happily succeeded it seems increasingly
unmoored. The freedom of Postmodern painters is in the advocacy of their caprices.
In other words, they get to paint whatever they want however the hell they
want, and don’t mind us, we’ll find a way to stomach it somehow.
I was surprised and glad to read this review of a show on ArtNet.com. Has the
‘freedom of Postmodern painters’ caused them to become more unmoored than Modernist
painters at the turn of the century supposedly did? I am not sure. The pluralism of so called
Postmodern painters obviously irks this reviewer. It makes me wonder if he would
express similar sentiments if he were reviewing a show of ‘Modernist’ painting
as painters diverged from figurative work.
Spreading Bad News About Wal-Mart
2005-02-15
From Harpers :
Wal-Mart closed a store in Canada to prevent the store’s workers from unionizing;[The Street] in a separate case, the company agreed to pay $135,540 in fines for breaking child-labor laws.[ABC News]
Christos’ Gates
2005-02-14
a friend went to see the christo installation in new york this weekend and sent these photos (thanks mo!).
i am not sure what i think of it. i think that it has to be experienced to make a judgement. the drawings (christo made many to finance the 20 million dollar project) are very nice. it is surprising, given that the project was completely paid for by the artists (no grants were given), that there has been quite a bit of protest over it. is it going to disturb that many dog walkers in the park?
Chris Ashley’s HTML Paintings
2005-02-13
I recently came accross Chris Ashley’s blog via a series of links on other blogs. I was thinking of what it means to view images of art work posted on web sites in lieu of experiencing them in person. On Chris Ashley’s site he has an article someone wrote about his ‘paintings’ that I found interesting.
Chris Ashley is a painter. That’s the first thing I want to say, and as it may turn out, the most radical, because he creates his color images without paint. Ashley uses HTML (hypertext markup language), the original and rudimentary instructional software of the internet, and delivers the results to his audience via the web. No brushes to clean. No walls to leave nail holes in. His studio/gallery is, in the parlance, a Blog, an online journal he maintains on a day to day basis.
George Lawson: Chris Ashley’s HTML Drawings
I have always found that the physical aspect of my paintings to be very important (as most or all paintings). At the same time my paintings have been experienced only by seeing images on a screen. In fact I have sold paintings based on people viewing images on my web site. Perhaps the ‘flattening’ of painting on the web happens with many other areas as well (journalism, literature, etc.).
There are philosophical implications to the virtual reality, the non-physical aspect of these HTML images. Rather than painting, one might call them coding, and one could ask angel-on-a-pinhead questions like, “What direction is the light coming from?” and, “How big are they?” They don’t conform to painting’s standard vocabulary, deriving their color as they do neither from mass tone nor undertone.
someone always feels your gravity
2005-02-11
coagulate at the seams
2005-02-10
Israel and Palestine : The Problem of Democracy
2005-02-09
I read this article in last month’s Harpers and found it to be quite revealing. The author, Bernard Avishai, who went to McGill University, elucidates several views on the Israel/Palestine problem. These viewpoints are not usually seen in mainstream media, or in media that requires any great depth or history.
Worse, there is an obvious way to safeguard a “Jewish majority” that hardly comes up in conversations, though the way most Israelis now grasp their history should give us pause. I mean ha’transfer, reducing by forced expulsion or economic pressure the numbers of Arabs living where Jews do. The fact is, it is impossible to get the “clean” separation Goldberg speaks of without extensive ethnic cleansing. And Israelis know this.
Harpers article
a gathering
2005-02-09
9 x 11 inches, acrylic on paper, 2004.
old timer
2005-02-08
80 x 60 cm, drawing on paper, 1995.
many of the drawings posted on this blog, and my art web site are for sale. if interested contact me.
reach
2005-02-07
one day they will be big
2005-02-04
approx. 11 x 11 inches.
this is a study from a series of small works on paper that i originally planned to do in large format. the large paintings have not yet taken shape, but i continue to make the drawings/small paintings.
after a long pause
2005-02-03
11 x 8.5 inches.
it has been quite some time since i last posted. my domain name was not renewed (this is why the site was not working). anyhow here is another drawing from a sketchbook. i hope to have some new material ready to post soon. stand by.
another one from the archives
2005-01-20
untitled, charcoal on paper, 80 x 60 cm, 1995
droop
2005-01-17
a page from my sketchbook.
i am getting quite a bit behind in the studio lately. ideas have been piling up in my head for new paintings and i have not been to the studio to get them down in a more concrete form. this creates the dilemma of whether to make time to get there (the studio) or get those slides and other information off to the gallery. time seems like a delicious commodity lately.
3 figures
2005-01-11
untitled, acrylic on paper, 20 x 30 cm, 2003
i have been busy with lot’s of things lately. so here is a small painting on paper (you can see more here – click on Works on Paper). i hope to get some recent work digitized soon.
another drawing from the archives
2005-01-10
untitled, charcoal on paper, 75 x 60 cm, 1995
nice sky
2005-01-05
16:08
just got back from the ‘deep south road trip’ last night. it was a lot of fun. interesting. bizarre. cool. bad coffee. fried food. lots of miles. good weather. super duper nye – cool bars and hotels in new orleans. saw crocodiles. ate crocodile meat. white beaches. cabin on the bayou. waffle houses. juke joint. 4 states. more later.
wireless is the new black
2004-12-25
so here i am at the halifax airport on my way to YFC. left YUL way too early and have a 3 hour wait here. it is cool that there is free wireless in the terminal – it makes the new laptop uber handy. so here i sit drinking coffee, chatting with my bro in fredericton (who is sick) and friend in nyc (who is also sick) – hope they get well soon, and checking email. i am off for a speedy trip to see the family and then back to YUL to go to JAN for a week long road trip in the deep south.
last drawing
2004-12-23
this will probably be the last image of my sketchbook that i post this year. more to come next year…
Top 10 Music : 2004
2004-12-23
Here is a list of my top ten music artists of 2004. Most of them released an album this year – others I discovered this year. There is lots of good stuff there. Great Lake Swimmers are really great – haunting, melodic, folky.
- Great Lake Swimmers
- I am Kloot
- The Arcade Fire
- Franz Ferdinand
- Smog
- Clem Snide
- John Vanderslice
- Elliott Smith
- TV on the Radio
- Interpol
Close but not the top ten : Les Cowboys Fringants, Scissor Sisters, Wilco, Jean Leloup.
spine drawing
2004-12-22
a drawing from last night
2004-12-21
Sensationalist US Media
2004-12-21
From the web site MediaMatters.org
Coulter: Canada is “lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent”; Carlson: “Without the U.S., Canada is essentially Honduras”
View article
Watch video clip:
Quicktime
Windows Media
a -40 (Celcius) blue
2004-12-20
The End of Suburbia (I wish)
2004-12-20
I came accross a link to this documentary on another blog (I can’t remember which). It looks very interesting. It investigates the problematics of suburbia – a topic that I have had an interest for some time. I think that this type of (sub)urban planning creates dead communities. Vast areas of asphalt and manicured lawns where everyone drives around in cars. Have you ever walked through a suburb? You seem very out of place as a pedestrian – chances are, you are the only one walking.
THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream
But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary.
i remember you too
2004-12-14
90 x 60 cm, 1995
another one.
i remember you
2004-12-13
90 x 60 cm, 1995
i took this drawing out to show someone at the studio the other week. it is interesting to look at your work from a distance of many years. it is almost as if it has been made by someone else. at the same time i can see marks and remember making them – or remember what i was doing (that day, week) when i made it. for this drawing, i can picture what time of day i made it and bright sunny light in my studio.
Keeping Art Dangerous
2004-12-13
If you spend any time walking around the Mile-End or Plateau region of Montreal you have surely seen some of Roadworth’s stencil art. Apparently he was busted and charged with 85 counts of public mischief.
Zeke, of Zeke’s Gallery has started a (email) campaign to have his interventions considered art and not common vandalism. It is an interesting debate – when does something become art and when is it graffiti? At the same time, part of what makes his art works interesting is that they are illegal and have to be made in a very covert way. The illegality of the work removes it from the institution of art (i.e. galleries or sanctioned art venue). I do not want him to get punished too harshly but at the same time I feel that having the city or the police sanction his interventions as Art will, for me, lessen the work. A large part of the impact is that it is rebellious, unsanctioned and clandestine.
I really like his stencils and find that they are often very clever. It is nice when art interjects itself into common, pedestrian venues. There is an especially clever stencil on Fairmount, just east of St Laurent – a vine wraps around the shadow of a lampost (cast from a street light).
As mentioned in the Montreal Mirror:
The zipper on Parc above the interchange, the light switch on St-Laurent and St-Viateur, the vines at St-Urbain and St-Joseph; these are some of the unique signature pieces by Montreal stencil artist sensation Roadsworth. While widely praised for bringing some life onto Montreal’s otherwise drab and potholed Plateau streets, Roadsworth’s popularity didn’t save him from being arrested last week by Montreal police.
travelling in diagonals
2004-12-09
since the theft of my bike i have been riding the metro. it has gotten me down a bit. the crowded underground spaces leave a lot to be desired. buses are not much better. since i stopped riding my bike i have started thinking of the city in terms of bus routes and metro lines. how do i get from one place to another? does this bus line stop at this metro line? and since i do not have a transit pass but have been getting packets of 6 tickets, i am even more careful of the trajectory of my travels. perhaps this is all quite mundane but it actually affects ones way of living.
i long to travel the city in nice swooping diagonals again.
painting set to music
2004-12-04
a friend of mine has been experimenting with making music on his computer. he recently made (or re-mixed) a track and set it to one of my paintings. he mentioned that he would be doing this so i was curious to see which one he chose. i like the track, the favourite of his from what i have heard so far. thanks man.
you can view/listen to it here.
10 AM Moon
2004-12-02
for some reason i always find a day moon intriguing.
an opening
2004-12-01
Big Fluffy Snowflakes
2004-12-01
A view from my desk this morning (from Old Montreal towards downtown). Big fluffy flakes that fall and half melt on your jacket and hat.
after a long pause, a drawing
2004-11-30
there are times when i feel so amorphous. not only in the sense of uncohesive thoughts but also in an almost physical sense. the skin at times seems like such an undelineated barrier. what mine is yours and yours is mine. i remain open.
Open Letter to a Bike Thief
2004-11-24
Ok, this is not an open letter to just any bike thief. It is, rather, an open letter to the bike thief who stole my bike this morning. The bike thief that stole my bike a little over a year ago may also consider this addressed to him or her (although I suspect it is a him).
First of all, fuck you. I used that bike for my main mode of transportation. It was not a luxurious toy. When I saw my crumpled bike lock where my bike used to be this morning, I was on my way to work. Thanks to you I was late.
I think there are levels of thieves and you my friend are near the bottom. You remind me of horse thieves and how they were considered to exist on the lowest level of thief-dom. You should be punished not only for the value in dollars that you steal but for the fact that you are stealing someones mode of transportation. Car thieves get their own category don’t they? Why not you as well? Perhaps you should have to work in a bike shop for free. Or volunteer for an alternative transportation group like Critical Mass.
So tell me, how much did you get for it? Was it worth it? Did you buy crack? A 40 ouncer? It would make me feel better if you bought some new shoes for your kid but somehow I think that your motive was less noble.
P.S. – fuck you.
Green Fiction 2
2004-11-22
Three Fictions in a Green Space
2004-11-19
I was showing old drawings to someone last night and came accross this one. It dates from around 1997. It is approximately 30 x 25 cm and oil on paper.
Democracy Painting Update
2004-11-16
I have decided to stop the voting later this week. If you have not voted and still would like to – do it fast! There are some people who have not been clear in their choice. Unfortunately their votes will not be counted. You can only choose 1, 2, or 3 (not “humm, I choose 2 but 1 is nice”, “the current version” or “1 or 3”). Democracy has to have its rules to keep order!
Thank you to everyone who has voted.
The Democracy Paintings (Beta)
2004-11-07
A few months ago I wrote about my idea for The Democracy Paintings here. I am not sure I have completely resolved how to approach it but I have done a test. Click here to take part in The Democracy Paintings Beta version. It is actually quite simple – you just look at the studies I have made for th progression of the painting and send me an email with the number.
unfinished small painting
2004-11-01
still in progress. untitled, 30 x 30 cm, oil and acrylic on canvas.
Voter Suppression, Observers and so called Democracy
2004-11-01
I was listening to NPR this morning and the discussion was on the problem of voter suppression or intimidation at the US polls. It is suprising that this type of swaying is allowed on the day of election. Shouldn’t there be a free and unhindered atmosphere at the polling stations?
From Truth Out :
With political analysts agreeing that voter turnout, especially of minority and youth voters, will likely determine the outcome of next Tuesday’s presidential election, civil and human rights groups are pressing the Republican National Committee (RNC) to call off plans aimed at discouraging people from casting ballots.
Perhaps the US version of democracy should be fixed before it is spread around the world. From The Washington Post :
Precincts in Virginia and Maryland will allow international observers to monitor the election process tomorrow, despite concerns from local voters who say such a presence undermines U.S. sovereignty.
Michael Moore is asking people to document cases of election fraud with their video cameras. This article was also published in The Guardian :
The filmmaker Michael Moore has announced a large-scale effort to combat dirty tricks during tomorrow’s US election by stationing hundreds of people with video cameras outside polling stations.
At any rate, it should be an intersting few days for everyone south of the border – and to others observing.
open ended
2004-10-29
a small drawing quick drawing done while at work. actual size. i wonder, do visual artists ever doodle?
100 000 Dead in Iraq
2004-10-29
From The International Herald Tribune :
More than 100,000 civilians have probably died as direct or indirect consequences of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, according to a study by a research team at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
Eminem’s Mosh
2004-10-27
Eminem has released a new song and video that is a scathing indictment of the Bush Administration. You can view the video here (Guerrilla News Network). Visually it is a strange video due to the type of animation it uses. It has a video game feel to it in some ways.
the ostrich liberation front
2004-10-26
for those of you in montreal and who have frequented the bar bily kun, you will find this stunt rather funny. here is an exerpt from the site created for the stunt www.ostrichliberationfront.com.
Hi, a very happy Bily Kun here. Stan our OSTRICH HEAD is back in perfect shape and in a very good mood indeed! We’d like to thank the gentlemen thieves for taking Stan on a SIGHTSEEING TOUR and above all for bringing him back. We love you for it! In fact, we’d like to become friends with you. Sans Racune! Absinthe—One, maybe two, but definitely not three—on the house. This one goes to show that the Rant Line works. Thank you all very much. There’s still hope for this world of ours.
four columns
2004-10-25
untitled, 50 x 50 cm, oil on canvas, 2004.
over-complication
2004-10-24
this is the state of this painting that i have been working on for some time now. i am not very happy with the progression that it has taken and thus probably shouldn’t be posting it here. but in respect to this blog’s stated purpose (to show things from my skecthbook [i.e. method of working] and works in progress) i will show it. i think it has become over-complicated visually.
Happiness : rich/poor, urban/rural
2004-10-22
I found this static interesting (emphasis mine):
And the final twist is that Atlantic Canada is not “poor.” That, too, is relative. The word only comes up because others are filthy rich. If we look at it in world terms, we are in fact mostly filthy rich ourselves. Figures from the World Bank indicate this: If you make $25,000 a year, you’re in the top 10 per cent of wage earners on the face of the Earth.
It is taken from an article that features the result of a study on the happiness of Canadians. Turns out that the happiest people are in the supposed poor areas of the country and the least happy in the richest. I wonder, though, if it is not due to the poor/rich dichotomy but rather rural/urban.
About Me
2004-10-21
I am a painter and have lived in Montreal, Quebec, Canada since 1998. Before Montreal I lived in Halifax, Carrabassett Valley, Bouler and Providence. I grew up in New Brunswick, Canada.
The idea for this blog started as a place to post images from my sketchbook. While it has remained this to a large extent, it expanded in scope as well. I also have been posting images of works in progress from time to time. From this I have developed a method of working where I work on images of unfinished paintings in Photoshop before continuing with them in the studio. Furthermore, I am also posting a fair amount of material in the Politics and Ideas section. These are mostly articles that I come accross in my reading of numerous web sites. And lastly I also post things from my trips or general life in the Day to Day section.
You may also view examples of my art work on my portfolio site here – www.markdixon.ca.
If you are interested in buying drawings shown on my blog (or paintings from my portfolio web site, please contact me by clicking the Contact link in the left hand column.
I also work as a web designer for a non-profit foundation.
close to the origin of pink
2004-10-21
i had finished this painting a few months ago but this weekend i thought that it may not be finished. i may try my new method of working (studies) possibilities out using photoshop. it may need a strong graphic element in the foreground to break things up a bit. until then, it remains as it is above. not title as of yet (big surprise), about 50 x 50 cm, oil on canvas.
sunday afternoon drawing
2004-10-20
sometimes i just draw what pops into my head.
the ocean renews me
2004-10-19
on a recent trip to new brunswick we went to this beach for an afternoon. click here to see exactly where it is (just right of the red star).
between the background and you
2004-10-19
small painting (oil and acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 cm, May-October 2004).
Bush and the NY Times
2004-10-19
Here is an informative article that was printed in the NY Times a few days ago. The newspaper has openly declared their supprot for Kerry in the upcoming election (John Kerry for President). To view these articles you will need to sign up (for free). This is an anecdote from the first mentioned story:
There is one story about Bush’s particular brand of certainty I am able to piece together and tell for the record.
In the Oval Office in December 2002, the president met with a few ranking senators and members of the House, both Republicans and Democrats. In those days, there were high hopes that the United States-sponsored ”road map” for the Israelis and Palestinians would be a pathway to peace, and the discussion that wintry day was, in part, about countries providing peacekeeping forces in the region. The problem, everyone agreed, was that a number of European countries, like France and Germany, had armies that were not trusted by either the Israelis or Palestinians. One congressman — the Hungarian-born Tom Lantos, a Democrat from California and the only Holocaust survivor in Congress — mentioned that the Scandinavian countries were viewed more positively. Lantos went on to describe for the president how the Swedish Army might be an ideal candidate to anchor a small peacekeeping force on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Sweden has a well-trained force of about 25,000. The president looked at him appraisingly, several people in the room recall.
”I don’t know why you’re talking about Sweden,” Bush said. ”They’re the neutral one. They don’t have an army.”
Lantos paused, a little shocked, and offered a gentlemanly reply: ”Mr. President, you may have thought that I said Switzerland. They’re the ones that are historically neutral, without an army.” Then Lantos mentioned, in a gracious aside, that the Swiss do have a tough national guard to protect the country in the event of invasion.
Bush held to his view. ”No, no, it’s Sweden that has no army.”
The room went silent, until someone changed the subject.
A few weeks later, members of Congress and their spouses gathered with administration officials and other dignitaries for the White House Christmas party. The president saw Lantos and grabbed him by the shoulder. ”You were right,” he said, with bonhomie. ”Sweden does have an army.”
another pink affair
2004-10-18
this painting was finished (i think) this past weekend. click the image to see a detail. it is oil on canvas and about 60 x 40 cm.
the return of pink
2004-10-17
i finally finished this painting this afternoon. i struggled a bit with the colour of the dots but i have decided to stick with this hue of pink. here is a previous post where i was working with the colour using photoshop. the slight yelloe hue added to the pink makes the pink contrast with the blue-grey of the ‘background’ a bit better. i withheld from making this painting overly complicated as i feel that it’s simplicity makes its stronger. there is another painting in this series (that i may post later) that i completely over-worked and am now trying to salvage. although it may be at the point of no return so i will over-work it to death in hopes of something interesting happening in doing so.
i drift from the micro to the macro
2004-10-15
i seem to drift between the micro and the macro and not rest in between. what i remember most about visiting places are the close ups of streets, rock, sand, skin. i am still able to see the texture of the streets of madrid, the colour of the rock while climbing in welsford, the cracked plaster over the bed in my old apartment. i can picture the constellation on your back. or the far-reaching vistas, horizon line, mountain contours, cloud formations. the in between views fade away more quickly as if stored in a temporary place to be replaced rugularily.
a painting that never happened
2004-10-13
orbit.
a study for a painting along the same lines as this one.
Baker’s Conflict of Interest
2004-10-13
James Baker is lobbying for countries to forgive Iraq’s debt as he tries to get $27 billion for The Carlyle Group. Conflict of interest? There is even more surprises as shown in Naomi Klein’s article.
Baker is on two sides of this transaction: He is supposed to be representing the interests of the United States, but he is also a senior counselor at Carlyle, and Carlyle wants to get paid to help Kuwait recover its debts from Iraq.
Read the Alternet article
What Barry Says
2004-10-07
An interesting short animation film that critiques the US’ foreign policy quite heavily. It was shown in The Brooklyn Film Festival in 2004.
An un-apologetic criticism of US foreign policy and The Project for the New American Century.
three fictions hanging out
2004-10-06
Julie by the Lake
2004-10-06
where i spent my sunday afternoon
2004-10-05
i have been taking short close-up videos of water the past few times i have gone to ‘the country’. they are not like the photo above. when i have time i am going to experiment with how best to present them. they are very simple and meditative and i would like to keep them that way. so perhaps photos from my ‘day to day’ section may eventually make it over to the ‘sketchbook’ section. more later …
Work in Progress
2004-10-01
the pink dots are now actually blue and more subtle. here is a possible hue of pink that i may use.
Post Debate Headlines
2004-10-01
CNN; Poll: Kerry tops Bush in debate
BBC; Kerry, Bush clash over Iraq war
Fox News; Bush, Kerry Battle Over the War
Globe and Mail; Bin Laden free because of Iraq war, Kerry charges
Le monde; John Kerry franchit le premier obstacle
la press; Une colossale erreur de jugement
Le devoir; Kerry attaque, bush tient bon
National Post; Kerry takes offensive in TV debate
NY Times; In Debate, Kerry and Bush Stand Firm for 90 Minutes
Scotland on Sunday; Poll Boost for Kerry after Bush Debate
Washington Post; Bush and Kerry Rush Back to the Trail
my beautiful aleoli
2004-09-30
i dig lists
2004-09-30
Here are a few funny lists from McSweeney’s site.
Songs That Wouldn’t Have Been Hits If They’d Been Grammatically Correct. (Lie, Lady, Lie) >> more
E-mail Addresses It Would Be Really Annoying to Give Out Over the Phone. (One1TheFirstJustTheNumberTheSecondSpelledOut@hotmail.com) >> more
solitary floating fiction
2004-09-29
watch what i am listening
2004-09-28
so i installed a little itunes plugin that keeps track of the songs that i am listening to and then updates my profile of the audioscrobbbler website. at the same time i put the ten recent songs on the left hand menu of this blog. at first i thought it pretty cool, but now i am not so sure. now whatever i listen to is known by whoever reads this. so if i want to listen to the same track over and over it is ‘published’. not only that but everyone has those songs that they like to listen to but are embarrassed to admit and in this situation it becomes known! does this reveal too much about the trivial and mundane aspects of our life? what next? a program that keeps track (and then updates a web site for all to see) of the tv programs we watch? the web sites we visit? yeah well, i still think this audioscobbler thing is cool though.
Red Theme
2004-09-27
This is the only image I have of this painting. It was sold before I had a chance to properly document it. Lush.
bottom of the sea
2004-09-24
today i woke up at the bottom of the sea. that in itself is not that unusual as it happens from time to time. but usually i drift up and reach the surface – with a sudden break i hear and see with a sharp clarity. today, however i floated midway. between. looking up i saw everything through an undulating and reflecting image. my ears felt a weight . the noises above were muffled and faraway feeling. this all seems rather unpleasant but was actually quite enjoyable. when you float you don’t have to kick.
Recent Harper’s
2004-09-24
Naomi Klein’s article in the recent Harper’s magazine is now online. The issue is quite good with an article on Iraq by Klein and a long feature by Lampham about how the Right in the U.S. effectively bought their power and influence.
Klein’s article :
Every policy that liberates multinational corporations to pursue their quest for profit would be put into place: a shrunken state, a flexible workforce, open borders, minimal taxes, no tariffs, no ownership restrictions. The people of Iraq would, of course, have to endure some short-term pain: assets, previously owned by the state, would have to be given up to create new opportunities for growth and investment.
Read
Red
2004-09-24
I may have painted over this small painting (on board) – I can’t remember.
Three Somewhat Related Fools
2004-09-23
Last Night
2004-09-22
Squiggles
2004-09-21
Sometimes it takes a while to figure out the perfect squiggle.
Election Observers Arrive in U.S.
2004-09-21
I am curious to know how much coverage this is getting in the U.S. media.
A team of 20 independent democracy experts from 15 countries and five continents has arrived in the United States in order to observe this year’s presidential election campaign.rabble.ca article
Pomo
2004-09-21
From a NY Times Article:
Many say that no real avant-garde – which I’ll define as a combative group of free-thinking artists – can exist anymore. The media’s reach is too vast. New artists and movements get snatched up too quickly. If they are popular they get overexposed and stale. If they are not popular they disappear, and the marketeers decide they had better play it safe next time.
I wonder how this media effect works on the idea of artist becoming successful in their life time. Is the idea that an artist is more likely to become known after they are dead, dead? Perhaps the spread of media has caused our cultural history memory to be shortened – we remember less but are aware of current art more.
Universities are filled with arts programs. The training raises the level of craft and sophistication. It does not necessarily raise the courage quotient – the likelihood that artists will go their own way despite the rules dictated by the vanguard. … Postmodernism has the same effect. It drives artists to mine the past constantly – and flagrantly.
Links
2004-09-21
The Art List Monthly e-Newsletter and searchable database listing upcoming Art Contests, Art Competitions, and Opportunites for visual artists and photographers.
rabble.ca
rabble.ca is a new kind of publication, one built on the efforts of progressive journalists, writers, artists and activists across the country.
alternet.org
AlterNet is a highly acclaimed Internet information source that provides readers with crucial facts and passionate opinions they can’t find anywhere else.
znet
A community of people committed to social change. (Think Chomsky.)
ThisMagazine
Praised for integrating commentary and investigative reporting with in-depth arts coverage, This Magazine has been instrumental in trumpeting the new works of young Canadian writers and artists.
disinfo.com
Launched on September 13, 1996, Disinformation was designed to be the search service of choice for individuals looking for information on current affairs, politics, new science and the “hidden information” that seldom seems to slip through the cracks of the corporate-owned media conglomerates.
FairVoteCanada.org
Fair Vote Canada (FVC) is a multi-partisan citizens� campaign for voting system reform.
critical-mass.org
The “.org” domain notwithstanding, Critical Mass is not an organization, it’s an unorganized coincidence. It’s a movement … of bicycles, in the streets.
MoveOn.org
MoveOn is a catalyst for a new kind of grassroots involvement, supporting busy but concerned citizens in finding their political voice.
Times of Tibet
Timesoftibet.com is a non-profit online news service providing latest developments on anything related to Tibet. (blogs).
Here are a few good sites to discover and read about new music:
PitchFork Media
epitonic
New Music Canada
Agora-Gallery
Established 1984, Agora Gallery is a fine art gallery dedicated to the promotion of national and international artists… (NYC).
Poll : World / U.S. Election
2004-09-20
Here are some of the results of a world survey on who citizens of other countries would vote for in the U.S. election:
France: Bush 5%, Kerry 64%
UK: Bush 16%, Kerry 47%
Poland: Bush 31%, Kerry 26%
Canada: Bush 16%, Kerry 61%
Mexico: Bush 18%, Kerry 38%
Source: University of Maryland, July-August 2004.
Looks like Canadians favour Kerry by a long shot – almost as much as the French.
The Democracy Paintings
2004-09-17
I have been thinking about a new project called The Democracy Project or The Democracy Paintings. It will be a way to truly combine internet media and painting. I am not sure that my painting would benefit from this ‘merger’ but anyhow, here is the idea.
There are times that I post works in progress on my art web site (portfolio) even though it is not as regular as I had intitially anticipated or wanted. My idea is to continue with this in a more regular manner. I will start a series of paintings and then photograph them. For each painting I will work out several (maybe 3) different avenues using PhotoShop. Readers (i.e. people like you) will then vote on which avenue they want the painting to continue in. This will be repeated until the ‘voters’ decide that the painting is finished. I did something like this here.
There is something I really like about taking aesthetic judgement away from myself and letting it rest with the majority. It is true that it will not rest entirely with the voters as they will be presented with limited choices but it could be an interesting exercise. One problem I can foresee (besides no one voting) is that besides this painting, I have never really worked out a painting using digital means.
Stay tuned.
Windmills in NYC
2004-09-16
I am not sure what I think of the design of the new towers but the fact that it is going to be a green(er) building is interesting.
The Freedom Tower will have a major impact on the New York skyline while minimizing its impact on the environment. Designers say the world’s tallest building will include a wind farm, solar panels and advanced, energy-efficient technology, and will become an icon of environmentally friendly architecture.
Wired.com
Same Same
2004-09-14
Slice
2004-09-13
A blurred background peeking out from a flat area of colour.
Recycling in Nova Scotia
2004-09-13
There is an interesting article on Wired.com about the cost benefits of recycling in Nova Scotia. Nice to see that it is working so well and getting noticed.
While recycling programs cost more than dumping trash into a big hole, a new study finds that the sparsely populated Canadian province is actually saving money by reducing its waste.
View article
Flat Lines Over a Textured Background
2004-09-09
It seems that green has been the theme of this blog lately (drawings, design, text). I actually even painted my bathroom lime green. Perhaps I am obsessed.
This is a quick study for a large painting (that was never started). I think I like the idea but think that it would work only on a large scale. Am I going too much towards the ‘diagrammatic’ with this?
Wednesday’s Links
2004-09-08
Another article I came accross while drinking my coffee :
…to make a meaningful difference in the Middle East, John Kerry would have to reduce the gap between words and deeds, and actually pursue democracy. Such a policy might limit U.S. hegemony in the short term, but in the long run will make the world a better and safer place and in this way strengthen the U.S. itself.
Znet Article
Texans for Truth has produced this ad with a veteran who was in Bush’s supposed unit during the Vietnam War.
Cheney is a Moron
2004-09-08
“If we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we’ll get hit again,” Mr Cheney told in a rally in Iowa.
BBC
Can you believe that Cheney warns that the US would be less likely to be attacked under a Bush administration? The Bush administration has given Al Quaeda and other extremists just what they want – a war between the Muslim world and the US. I find it amazing that the notion that the US’s war on terrorism is making the world safer is believed.
Green Forms
2004-09-07
Study for random organic forms to float over an abstract background.
Song and Dance
2004-09-02
Klein and Singh Write About the RNC
2004-09-02
There are a few good articles on rabble.ca about the Republican Convention in NYC this week.
Naomi Klein writes :
It’s true that war is at the centre of the election campaign — just not the one in Iraq. The talk is all of what happened on Swift boats 35 years ago, not what is being dropped out of U.S. AC-130 gunships this week.
Article
Jaggi Singh writes :
As some of you might know, there has been a series of scare-mongering articles in New York City and beyond — targeting mainly anarchists and other left-wing political organizers — in anticipation of the mobilization against the Republican National Convention (RNC) this weekend and next week. Some of these articles mention me by name (although I was never contacted beforehand for comment by any of the reporters, and I’m not even attending the anti-RNC protests).
Article
New Title Coming Soon
2004-09-02
When I started this project I used the title ‘Online Sketchbook’ or ‘Sketchbook’ as a working title. I never really liked it and am trying to figure out a new one. It is very boring and unimaginative – don’t worry, a new and improved one is coming.
Another Study for a Painting
2004-09-01
This is one of the studies for this painting. The form in the lower part of the canvas started out as a linear form but ended up as a flat area of colour (applied thicky using tape to block out the shapre).
Toss the Art
2004-08-31
A bag of rubbish that was part of a Tate Britain work of art has been accidentally thrown away by a cleaner.
BBC
Le Globe and Mail, Ayoye
2004-08-30
Here is a conversation that took place this weekend early morning at a camp-ground cafeteria type place at Baie St Paul. I was reading the paper at breakfast on a picnic table.
Homme : C’est Le Soleil? (Soleil is a Quebec City newspaper).
Me : Non, c’est le Globe and Mail.
Homme : Le quoi?
Me : Le Globe and Mail.
Homme : (pause) Ayoye.
Baie St Paul
2004-08-30
Took this picture on a beach just up river from Baie Saint-Paul this weekend. (Just realised that the photo’s composition is similar to the one I took in New River Beach (below)). It is a beautiful area. The trip made me want to spend more time in the Charlevoix region. We stayed at a great place in a little cabin.
Morning News Items
2004-08-30
Here are some links from my morning news reading. They are actually not only ‘new’ items, but interesting ideas pieces :
Linda McQuaig writes on rabble.ca
It’s downright strange that the U.S. presidential election campaign — easily the most important in decades — has come to focus on what happened in a faraway boat during the course of a few minutes more than 30 years ago.
Rick Salutin (who also writes for The Globe and Mail) writes about losing, the Olympics and the nature of communities. Also on rabble.ca
Many countries have unifying elements like ethnicity, religion or language. When these are lacking or sparse, as in Canada, that need to belong is so strong that people find a way to identify anyhow, with what have been called “imagined communities,” which also makes sense to me. I’d add that nations are not just communities (like churches, unions, clubs etc.) but have a political nature.
Michael Moore on alternet.org
Dear Mr. Bush: It takes real courage to desert your post and then attack a wounded vet.
Growth Metaphor
2004-08-27
It occured to me that the size of these drawings may be a bit of a mystery. Most are around 8.5 x 11 (like this one) – the size of a page from a medium sized sketchbook. Others are cropped (like yesterday’s), and thus are smaller.
I have a feeling that this Fall is going to be a very productive time in the studio. For now I am struggling to get anything done (with life and summer monopolising my time).
Surfacing
2004-08-26
An example of a drawing done in my sketchbook that does not usually see the light of day. Often I draw these type of fictions and they never develop into paintings or larger drawings. Perhaps I am too attached to the idea of working in series and should make more diverent (thematically) work.
Kerry and Canada
2004-08-26
With an estimated 600,000 American expatriates living north of the 49th, Canada has a higher population of Americans living within its borders than either the District of Columbia or Wyoming. Which explains why John Kerry’s younger sister has been making the rounds addressing hundreds of Democratic supporters in Calgary and Vancouver this week to try and drum up support for her brother’s run for presidency.
The Tyee
Last Year’s Sketchbook 3
2004-08-25
Hotel Art
2004-08-24
It is always nice to see interesting, current art exhibited outside of galleries and museums. There are times that these attempts do not work very well but mostly, I think, it is a good tendency. Several hotels have been showing contemporary artists in their lobbies and rooms. The is an article in The Globe and Mail about this. How nice that we are spared looking at the typical cheesy reproductions at these hotels.
Hotel art, once the mainstay of washed-out reproduced masterpieces and the butt of bad jokes, has recently acquired a bold new lease on life. Forget the Frette linens, celebrity chefs and Aveda bath products. To stay on top of the game, luxury high-end chains and boutique hotels must now provide their guests with cultural stimulation too, which is why a growing number of hoteliers in Canada and around the world are investing in serious modern-art collections to spice up their designer lobbies.
Orange
2004-08-24
This drawing is reminiscient of this painting I did quite a while ago. The drawing was done after the painting.
Archives 2
2004-08-23
Another page from the older book. Click on the image for a larger version.
Scrap Paper
2004-08-21
Sometimes doodles on scrap pieces of paper are the most interesting. This form ended up in a painting but I cannot remember which.
From an Older Sketchbook
2004-08-20
I have scanned a few pages from my previous sketchbook and will post a few here. These drawings were done in the last year or so. It is interesting to go back after a good length of time and look at things one has done. After a certain point the work almost seems like it has been made by someone else. Although I am surprised at how much I remember about the making of a painting. The other week I was moving a few large paintings (that I made around 1994!)that are in storage at my father’s place. I actually remembered working on certain areas of the painting, choosing colours, etc.
Distance (time) allows one to edit a bit more accurately. This is why I do not like showing work that has only recently been finished. Although it always seems to happen that I am vigourously trying to finish a few paintings before the show starts …
Witold Riedel
2004-08-19
I came accross Witold Riedel’s (NYC) blog recently. From there I went to his art web site and was impressed by his line drawings. There are similarities in his and my work – check it out, they are very good. To view his drawings go to his site and click Catalogue.
Unravelling
2004-08-19
These forms in my sketchbook are starting to seem like characters to me. They do not appear together but seperate on the page. Perhaps some of them should be put together (pastiche) in the the composition.
Float
2004-08-18
My sketchbook has not seen a lot of action lately and thus my choices as to what I post has been limited. Here is a a quick drawing of a form that I pictured recently.
From Chads to Worse
2004-08-16
The US, the champion of democracy, will get election observers for the coming election.
An effort by more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers to bring international observers to monitor the November elections has paid off with an invitation by the State Department to the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). One World United States
In another related article on rabble.ca, Linda MaQuaig writes about the potential for more election problems in Florida. The plan to use electronic voting machines will make it impossible to do recounts. Given that the the results could be so close this requirement is a true possibility.
Of course, no country likes to admit that its elections need U.N. supervision. But the allegations of black disenfranchisement are so serious and the election so potentially close that the involvement of a neutral body, unconnected to the Bush family, might be useful.
If the Florida voting is as close as expected, recounts will be inevitable — but impossible. View article
Towards the Sun
2004-08-13
Oil : Canada and US
2004-08-12
Alberta sits atop the biggest petroleum deposit outside the Arabian peninsula
– as many as 300 billion recoverable barrels and another trillion-plus barrels
that could one day be within reach using new retrieval methods.
Wired.com
The above fact has not gone unnoticed in Bush’s Whitehouse to the south. As the
U.S. consumes more and more oil it must look for more reserves. Relying on imports
of oil
from the Middle East has obvious problems (Iraq). There is no doubt that the
U.S.’s foreign policy is influenced by its oil policy. Given this, what would
this mean to Canada to be supplying a great quantity of oil to our southern neighbours?
Light Breeze #2
2004-08-11
Sometimes it is difficult to know when to stop. Over-working something can ruin its freshness. The whiteness of the paper can become luminescent, positive instead of negative.
Artists and Money
2004-08-10
Visual artists of all ilk have a thing with money. Most don’t have enough of it, at least not enough to live on while they produce their art. And many more don’t know how to get it, short of working a day job that comes nowhere close to holding their hearts like the sound of a paintbrush as it dances across a canvas or the satisfying slice of a knife making its way through a fresh hunk of clay. In short, most artists go blank, get nervous, or give up when it comes to dealing with filthy lucre.
View article
Bay of Fundy
2004-08-09
This is where I was last week. It was hard to come into work this morning after spending a week by the lake and ocean. This picture is from a short hike I did with my nephews at New River Beach in NB. It was a great day – beautiful weather.
New Place, Many Boxes
2004-07-29
Well I have finally got around to moving to my new place. Things are looking good there even though there is a plethora of boxes filing the place (I guess that is what you get when you move into a smaller place). Am now at a internet cafe around the corner as I have not yet got access at home. Perhaps I will wait and see and not get it – although my roomate would not be impressed. What a bunch of useless rambling. I am actually using up my free 20 minutes of internet time I got with my latte purchase.
Bono, Africa and US Election
2004-07-28
Bono is writing for alternet.org and has posted an article about the US election. It seems he is going to both parties’ conventions and pushing the topic of Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa.
I know this doesn’t look good; I’m a rich Irish rock star, not even a rich American rock star. It makes people wince, including myself. But there’s a real opportunity for America to lead an adventure, and the adventure is this: We are the first generation that really can do something about the kind of “stupid” poverty that sees children dying of hunger in a world of plenty or mothers dying for lack of a 20-cent drug that we take for granted. We have the science, we have the resources, what we don’t seem to have is the will.
View article
The Orange and Blue I saw on My Way Home
2004-07-23
The colour combination of this drawing came to me as I was walking home one day. Perhaps something I saw sparked the idea. I remember seeing vividly how it would look. I was not that happy with the result of this drawing. Perhaps it would work better as a large painting – with the orange ‘background’ being somewhat translucent and textured. The above drawing is done with coloured pastels and is about 30 x 26 inches.
A Page from March
2004-07-23
Ok, so it is not the most recent drawing (it was done last March). I haven’t been scanning many pages from my sketchbook lately but I plan to do so soon. I have been busy with many of life’s distractions lately.
Divergent Ideas
2004-07-22
There is not that much that is special about this drawing but I feel like putting up the bad with the good with this project. Often I have the problem of too many diverging ideas for paintings and not enough time (and materials) to start them.
Save the Waves
2004-07-22
I went to see Jean-Pierre Aubé’s Save the Waves exhibit at La Fondarie Darling today. It is a sculptural installation that ‘captures’ and then plays electrical waves. Here is a better and more detailed description :
Summer long, the huge transformer of Hydro Québec, next to the Fonderie Darling, will be under close monitoring. The transformer generates a 60 cycle per second humm, the offical wavelength of the american power grid. This is the sound of electricity, the contemporary soundtrack of our domestic life. It will be captured by 8 VLF antennas implanted in the old Fonderie.
www.kloud.org
Even though the installation is comprised of large speakers, I found it to be a interesting sculpture to look at. The speakers are made of wood and have an organic feel to them. The main aspect of the work however is the sound element. The space (large and empty) is filled with the humming and droning of the waves the contraption is ‘catching’. At first it seems as though the sound of the waves’ are regular but closer observation reveals that there are slight fluctuations. What I enjoyed most was the harmonics that are created with the overlapping of the deep bass tones (waves) with higher pitched ones. It reminded me of Tibetan throat singing. It was a nice thing to do during my lunch break. I think I should stop by La Fondarie more often, especially given that I work next door.
Canada Abstains from UN Resolution
2004-07-21
Despite the UN voting overwhelmingly for Israel to comply with the World Court’s ruling that Israel’s wall is illegal, Canada abstains.
Voting against the measure were Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Palau and the United States. The countries that abstained were Cameroon, Canada, El Salvador, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Uganda, Uruguay and Vanuatu.
UN News
This Magazine’s New Blog
2004-07-20
It is nice to see that This Magazine has revamped their web site. Before it was rather amateurish and difficult to navigate. As you can see I have linked to their Blog section in my “Other Blogs” links.
Here is an interesting entry about Quebec and the seperatist question.
Separatism is parochial mob rule of the worst kind. In supporting the Bloc Quebecois, leftists expose themselves as unmatched political cynics, betraying not only their country, but the “progressive” ideals they pretend to support.
View the entry (and post a comment)
Idea for Painting #243
2004-07-20
It is an intriguing form no?
Anti-Nike Sneakers
2004-07-19
I have yet to see these shoes around but I am sure it is only a matter of time. When I first saw the web site I was critical for some reason. Then I thought, shit, at least they are doing something proactive. Kudos.
After 10 years of whining about the world, Adbusters changed tactics and broke out of the lefty mold. Now, we’re making change happen. We decided to build a shoe to defeat the king of logo culture and the biggest turbo-capitalist shoe company at their own game. Phil Knight’s Nike is an empire in decline, hurt by years of “brand damage” from activists and culture jammers resisting sweatshop labor and corporate mindfucks. They were begging for a beating.
www.blackspotsneaker.org
Sound Bytes Yer Arse
2004-07-17
I am a bit surprised that this got national news coverage but I saw it on the CBC site this morning. It is nice to see my old school getting attention.
The exhibit, entitled Sound Bytes Yer Arse, opened at NSCAD University’s Anna Leonowens Gallery this week. It features a selection of work ranging from an audio “picture” of a city landscape to an interesting kitchen “duet.”
View story
Found Images
2004-07-16
Often I am intrigued by scientific images that I come accross. It is not very often, however, that these images make their way into the paintings or drawings directly. At times parts of the image or diagram does, however, make it into a painting or inspire it in some way. Sometimes it is a combination of colours other times a forms shape. In this blue image (on the right) I am interested in the space it creates and the possibility it could serve as background or starting point for a new painting. Perhaps someday I will reproduce an image I have found.
endless river
2004-07-15
Farenheit 9/11
2004-07-13
Last week I went to see Michael Moore’s latest movie. It was interesting to see it after all the news and controversy about it. I enjoyed watching it even though there was not a lot of things that I learned in it. It helps as well that I agree roughly with his politics.
There were times, however, that I found it a bit annoying. It definitely is not a documentary but a commentary piece. His methods are not very sophisticated and he often relies on emotional justaposition of elements to stir his audience. For example he cuts from one series of shots (Bush giving his invasion of Iraq) to another (kids playing in Bagdad). He also uses music in an emotive (and humerous) way as well. I found it a bit surprising that when he was making fun of the supposed “Coalition of the Willing” that he fails to mention Britain and Australia. It ends up discrediting the film.
It is worth seeing and I wonder what impact it will have in the Fall election
Possible Directions
2004-07-12
On the left is the current state of this painting. On the right is the possible direction I will be taking it. This is a test to see how I can use the computer to test options digitally. On the one hand it allows for quick tests of compostions and colour. On the other it is very distanced from the material of painting. I will see how it works when I return to the studio and work on the painting again.
Occupation
2004-07-09
It is quite surprising to see the extent of Israeli occupation of the West Bank. It becomes quite clear when we see it graphically as with this map. Today The Internation Court rules on the legality of Israel’s barrier.
The Edible Ballot Society
2004-07-08
Being guilt-tripped into voting for the least offensive politician isn’t synonymous with genuine democracy. Our electoral process is shallow – we don’t have any real power to make decisions, just the illusion of democracy. Unless we press for real change, we will continue to jump from election to election, gradually becoming bored into submission.
The Edible Ballot Society
My Daily Ride
2004-07-08
Here is a photo montage of the bike ride from Old Montreal (where I work) to my place.
Light Breeze
2004-07-07
Up and Down
2004-07-06
A small drawing (10 x 12 inches), that I think would be nice to make into a large painting.
Fox at Breakfast
2004-07-05
This past weekend I went to Le Reserve Matawin just north of Parc Mont-Tremblant. It was a nice escape from the city. Not only were there plenty of flies (the big biting deer flies), but this fox came up to our campsite while we were eating breakfast.
Floating in Space
2004-07-05
pencil on paper, 30 x 20 cm
Charcoal Drawing
2004-07-02
Back to Drawing
2004-07-01
This is from a series of drawings I did last month. It is roughly 30 x 20 inches and in charcoal.
Another View on Proportinal Voting
2004-06-30
If seats had been awarded to parties on the basis of the votes they received, the Liberals, Bloc and Conservatives would have had fewer seats and the NDP and Green Party more seats. For example, rather than 135 seats, the Liberals would have received about 113. The NDP, rather than 19 seats would have had about 48. The Greens, rather than no seats, would have had about 12 seats.
View article
Loopy Drawing
2004-06-30
A drawing from last night. I am not sure where these loopynoodle drawings are coming from but you will probably see more in the days to come.
Proportional Voting?
2004-06-29
Here are the results of the election. As you can see the percentage of seats
won compared with the percentage of the actual vote varies considerably. Most
hurt are the NDP. I am usure if I support full proportional representation
but it is clear that the voting system has to better reflect the popular vote.
Liberal — 36.7% of vote — 43.8% of seats
Conservatives — 29.6% of vote — 32.1% of seats
Bloc — 12.4% of vote — 17.5% of seats
NDP — 15.7% of vote — 6.16% of seats
Mini Drawing
2004-06-28
A small drawing done a few months ago.
Camel’s Hump
2004-06-28
Yesterday I hiked Camel’s Hump in Vermont. It is a short drive from Montreal (about and hour and a half) and just south of Burlington. It was a beautiful day for hiking – clear skies and a cool breeze. We got rained on just before reaching the car though. That was ok, as it made the food and beer had in Burlington taste that much better. It is a great little town. I think, that if I were to live anywhere in the US it would be Vermont.
Finally …
2004-06-28
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that the Bush administration’s policy of detaining foreign nationals without legal process at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station is illegal. The Court determined that the prisoners cannot be held in a prison beyond the law, and are entitled to basic legal rights.
I am not American
2004-06-23
Naomi Klein writes in rabble.ca :
It is a privilege not to be hated for your nationality, and we should not relinquish it lightly. George Bush has denied that privilege to his own people, and Stephen Harper would cavalierly strip it from Canadians by erasing what few small but important differences remain between Canadian and U.S. foreign policy. The danger posed by this act is not just about whether Canadians are safe when we travel to the Middle East. The hatred that Bush is manufacturing there, for the United States and its coalition partners, is already following the soldiers home.
No More Dirty Fingers?
2004-06-18
This is the first study that i used for a painting that was done on the computer. I have thought about doing it for some time but hadn’t found an appropriate subject. Creating the studies this way for the abstract landscapes seems to work. The ‘sketch’ above was the study for this painting.
Rodeohead
2004-06-18
I came accross this link in another site. Have you ever wondered what Radiohead would sound like if they started playing Bluegrass? Find out here.
ok, so i am not the most regular ‘poster’
2004-06-07
I have not been posting in quite some time now. Actually this scan of my sketchbook
is rather old. I was not sure, when setting up this sketchbook blog thing,
if I would be a regular poster. It seems that I am not that commited to it
and sometimes do not see the point. So why do I continue to do it even if it
is only the occaisional post? Perhaps it is because I am looking for a diversion
at work – perhaps because I think it will become more of a habit. I was thinking
that it would make me become more diligent about putting my ideas into my sketchbook.
I have a few more ideas for new paintings and perhaps they will show up soon
here. I feel, however, that I should focus on contacting galleries to get a
show. This is work that I really do not like doing but have to do – soon.
Bush and Buddha
2004-05-20
Alternet has published an article about how a buddhist should respond to Bush.
The consistent unskillfulness of the Bush government makes it tempting to confuse evil and ignorance. Buddhism observes that people are not inherently evil – even if their behavior has that appearance.
View story
Art Provokes
2004-05-17
Art’s job is to provoke thought in ways that are difficult to resolve and uncomfortable; it’s a relatively neutral place to experience the unresolvable issues that dominate real life, to practise a kind of abstract flexibility that might move us toward resolution in real life.
View article
Naomi Klein and the Iraq “Quagmire”
2004-05-04
Here is an article writen by Naomi Klein on the situation in Iraq. It is quite revealing and mentions a good number of specifics to back up her argument.
Can we please stop calling it a quagmire? The United States isn’t mired in a bog in Iraq, or a marsh; it is free-falling off a cliff. The only question now is: who will follow the Bush clan off this precipice, and who will refuse to jump?
View rabble.ca article
Thom Yorke, Howard Zinn Talk Art and Politics
2004-04-29
I get several daily newsletters and found a link to this article in one this morning. It is an interview with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Howard Zinn. It is title ‘Art and Politics’ – not an original title, but an interesting read. It it posted on the Zmag.org site.
This goes back to what should be causing extreme alarm. If there are political programs on TV, yet it takes an artist to actually energize political debate, that tells you something really quite frightening about the level of the political debate happening on mainstream channels-right-wing-biased mothers. One of the interesting things here is that the people who should be shaping the future are politicians. But the political framework itself is so dead and closed that people look to other sources, like artists, because art and music allow people a certain freedom. (Thom Yorke)
View article
Pentagon Tries to Ban Photos
2004-04-26
The Pentagon yesterday sought to ban the release of photographs of American coffins arriving home from Iraq after hundreds of images were published on American websites and picked up by media outlets.
View Guardian article
A Drawing Like the Other
2004-04-20
Bush and God
2004-04-20
From an alternet.org article :
So, it was a holy war, a new crusade. No wonder George W. Bush could lie to Congress and the American public with such impunity while keeping the key members of his Cabinet in the dark. He was serving a higher power, according to Bob Woodward, who interviewed the president for a new book on the months leading up to the Iraq invasion.
View article
Wars = History?
2004-04-19
An article from alternet.org
Over the years, Canadians might have coalesced around a shared sense of history but for the fact that they have so little of it they consider worth remembering. The country never fought a revolution or a civil war, pioneered no great social or political movement, produced no great world leader and committed no memorable atrocities – as one writer put it, Canada has no Lincolns, no Gettysburgs and no Gettysburg addresses.
View Article.
Another Weekend at the Studio …
2004-04-19
I still seem somewhat undecided as to the direction my new work will take. In the mean time I am drawing ideas in my sketchbook and making a few small paintings.
Another Page …
2004-04-17
Americans Leaving for Canada?
2004-04-05
An Alternet article today writes of the trend (or perceived trend) of Americans leaving the U.S. for more progressive countries. Canada is one of the countries mentioned. The article mentions Canada’s liberal stance on such things as medical marijuana and gay marriage. It mentions that Canada is a popular country for Americans to ‘escape to’ as it is close and that Canadians speak English. I guess the writer forgot to mention that the second largest province is French speaking. It is a good read – check it out here:
If Americans are leaving the United States, Canada is certainly one of the most convenient places to go. It may be a little chilly at times, but it’s right across the border and most Canadians speak English. Many of the major issues that divide people and political parties in the U.S. seem resolved in Canada. They have a lower crime rate, universal health care, and reportedly better education. Their medical doctors can dispense marijuana and last year they decided to officially recognize same-sex marriages. And, on top of all that, the rest of the world isn’t mad at them.
View article
Bush, Esso and Iraq
2004-04-05
A church group in Winnipeg recently protested in front of an Esso gas station. The Christian Peacemaker Teams has highlighted the U.S.’s human rights offences concerning the holding of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.
The Winnipeg group chose the Esso location because of the almost incestuous links between oil interests and Bush’s foreign policy. Esso’s parent company ExxonMobil — the second biggest corporation on the globe — is a heavy financial backer of Bush, as well as of several Washington think tanks that pushed for the Iraq war.
View story on rabble.ca
Two Directions
2004-03-31
I have started a small painting like this and have a few ideas how to finish it. They are subtle but I think that, as it is quite simple, it will be important how I proceed.
Killing Yassin : by Robert Fisk
2004-03-30
Here is an article writen by Robert Fisk (who doesn’t pull his punches) on the zmag.org web site.
It doesn’t take an awful lot of courage to murder a paraplegic in a wheelchair. But it takes only a few moments to absorb the implications of the assassination of Sheikh Yassin. Yes, he endorsed suicide bombings – including the murder of Israeli children. Yes, if you live by the sword, you die by the sword, in a wheelchair or not. But something went wrong with the narrative of the news story yesterday – and something infinitely more dangerous, another sinister precedent – was set for our brave new world.
View story
Bush Statements on Iraq Database
2004-03-30
An interesting site where you can search through various (false) statements made by the Bush Administration regarding Iraq. It is searchable using Cheney, Powell, Rumsfeld, Rice or Bush.
Prepared at the direction of Rep. Henry A. Waxman, the Iraq on the Record Database is a searchable collection of 237 specific misleading statements about the threat posed by Iraq made by the five Administration officials most responsible for providing public information and shaping public opinion on Iraq …
View Web Site
A Few New Ideas
2004-03-29
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2004-03-29
I went to see Eternal Sunshine of tth Spotless Mind this weekend. It is a very good and enjoyable film. On Saturday night a few friends and I jumped into the car I had rented. We drove out to the suburbs and saw the movie in a huge movie complex. It sounds quite unappealing but it was actually quite fun. The movie was well worth the trip. It is nice to see that it is possible for Hollywood to make good films once in a while.
The plot is inventive and the actors do a good job playing the roles of the various goofy characters. I was especially impressed with Jim Carey. He does not play the wacky, over the top character he normally does. Even though there are funny points in the film, he is actually quite serious and does a good job playing Joel, a shy, and soulful person.
Anyhow it gets two thumbs up.
Art Award, Blood and Controversy
2004-03-28
These three items often seem to go together no?
Well there seems to be another small art funding controversy in Canada. The news coverage of the Governor General’s Awards in several newspapers cites the controversial nature of one of this year’s winners. He is Istvan Kantor, you know, the guy who paints Xs on the walls of galleries and museums. I am not surprised by the media expressing surprise that an artist such as Kantor would win this 15 000 dollar award but at how superficial their coverage is. They make very little effort to see the work for what it is (to contextualize it). Here is a link to the CBC article (one of the more tame ones I came accross.
A performance artist who once lay naked in a shallow grave with a vial of his own blood dribbling out of his anus is among seven winners of one of Canada’s most prestigious visual arts awards this year.
http://cbc.ca/stories/2004/03/03/art_awards040303
Serra and Richter Films at FIFA
2004-03-28
This past Friday I went to see two films at FIFA. One was on Richard Serra and the other on Gerhard Richter. They were both quite refreshing as both of them featured the artists talking about their work.
The Serra film included showed the installation and subsequent planning of a huge peice that he installed on a farm in New Zealand. It is an impressive sculpture (from what I could tell from the film). Not only was the finished sculpture impressive but the planning that was required was very interesting to see. Serra often talks about his peices being a reaction to the landscape. While I do see this point I do think that his peices are a definite imposition on the same space. Not that an imposition is bad.
The film on Richter included interviews with him and other art historians and critics. Mostly, the critic and historians were quite annoying. Richter. however, talks about his work in a very simple and humble way. He mentions that he still does not know what his abstract paintings mean. Often artists seem to overwhelm their work with too many words to try and attempt to explain it. I think it is ok to not know what your own work means and at the same time see value in it and continue to make it.
rabble.ca
2004-03-28
I have just come accross this web site and find it quite intresting. There are several good columnists, including Naomi Klein and Rick Salutin.
rabble.ca is a new kind of publication, one built on the efforts of progressive journalists, writers, artists and activists across the country. We launched rabble on April 18, 2001, just before the protests against the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, and leapt onto the Net with the kind of coverage you could only get from the point of view of the rabble. We have covered events and issues in ways you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else ever since.
the left takes back spain
2004-03-28
here is a link to an interesting analysis of the recent attacks in spain and its relationship to the national election.
The reasons Aznar’s government wanted to see the attacks connected to ETA instead of al Qaeda were found in the streets of Spain by the thousands on the Saturday after the bombs went off.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18122
Aznar, Franco and Bush
2004-03-28
Here is a link to an interesting story about right wing politics in Spain and its relationship between Aznar, Franco and Bush.
The Spanish fascist dictatorship led by General Franco was one of the most repressive regimes to have existed in Western Europe in the 20th Century. For every political assassination that took place under the Mussolini regime, Franco assassinated 10,000. The Franco dictatorship was established by the Armed Forces, the Church, the banking community, the large employers, the oligarchic land owners, and sectors of the middle class after a military coup took place in 1936 against a democratically elected government who had enacted major reforms that had injured the pro-Franco groups’ interests.
view article
Yassin Assasination : Two Headlines
2004-03-28
Looking at both the Aljezeera and CNN web sites one notices subtle differences in the way their headlines are writen. Aljezeera calls it an assassination and CNN refers to it as a killing (there is no mention of murder either).
Annan Condemns Yassin Assassination : Aljezeera
Thousands mourn Hamas founder : CNN
Hamas vows ‘open war’ over Yassin’s death : CBC
Condemnation of Sheik Ahmed Yassin’s assassination poured in from across the Arab world, and calls for revenge filled the air at Palestinian protests in Gaza.
US vetoes Another UN Resolution Condemning Israel
2004-03-28
The US voted against a new UN resolution that condemns Israel’s killing of Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas.
The vetoed resolution condemned Yassin’s death and called for a “complete cessation of extrajudicial executions.” It also condemned “all terrorist attacks against any civilians as well as all acts of violence and destruction.”
http://sf.indymedia.org
Here is a link to U.S. Vetoes of UN Resolutions Critical of Israel from 1972 to 1992.
http://www.independent-media.tv
Neil Young the Innovator
2004-03-28
every day at work i get the wired newsletter. often there are interesting articles, ranging from tech topics to pop culture. today there was an interesting interview with neil young. i remember listening to him in high school and in fact he is probably the only artist that i have continued to listen to over that amount of time.
here is a link to the item:
The Reinvention of Neil Young, Part 6
The folk-country-grunge dinosaur is reborn (again) as an
Internet-friendly, biodiesel-driven, multimedia machine.
A New Series?
2004-03-28
I have been making a lot of new drawings while working at the studio lately. Soon, I think, I will start making large paintings. Yesterday I made a few smallish paintings based on the sketch above. I am still unsure about them. Are they dynamic enough? Too graphic in a design sense? I am happy, however, that I have started to work fast again. There are times when I get overly finicky with the works and would be better off getting things done faster – just getting them out.
New Book
2004-03-24
Despite having plans to post drawings from my sketchbook at regular intervals, I have actually been fairly lazy. Yesterday, however, I went out and bought a new sketchbook. It is smaller than my other ones which means that I am more apt to carry it around with me – and more likely to have it at work where I do my scanning. I remember seeing a friend’s sketchbook and being impressed by it – both by his commitement to it and how nice it looked.
I think that doing a lot of drawings over the next while is a good idea (not that it is ever a bad idea). It often helps when I am undecided what to start next in the studio, especially with larger paintings.
More to come
from my sketchbook
2004-03-15
often i go through periods when i do not use my sketchbook very often. lately i have been trying to be more vigilant. when i work at the studio i often make small drawings and paintings on paper which bypasses the need for working out ideas in the sketchbook. i really should carry it around with me more often.
drawing of the day
2004-03-07
i have been toying with the idea of posting a drawing a day. it will be a way of showing what i am working on at the studio. it will also keep me diligent about making drawings on a regular basis. there are times when i make a lot of drawings and other times barely any. my process of working alternates from making many drawings and then, from there, making larger paintings on canvas. at times i begin directly on large canvases and ‘work out’ the painting that way. as of late i have been making a lot of drawings as i seem to be in a in between period with my work. a few weeks ago i was worried that this signaled a bit of a painting block. the past few weeks, after making quite a few drawings, or small paintings on paper, i have found that there are many new ideas for larger works that are developing.