Under a Cloud: David Janzen's Chronicle

Thursday, July 18, 2013

David Shkolny: Pastel Master: Link

http://davidshkolny.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=17464&AKey=67FHPS2F

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Ghost Pool

This little 'ruin porn' photo exploration examines what I call The Ghost Pool. According to Theron Lund - the art teacher who let me photodocument this sealed off part of Victoria School - : 17 or 18 years ago, the pool custodian turned off the re-circ pumps (or something) and left for the weekend. The pool overfilled, water got underneath the cement basin, froze and cracked the bottom of the pool, rendering it 'pooched' for further use. In the past few years Victoria School has undergone a demolition of part of the old school and construction of a new part. It was a 28 million dollar project (started as a 63M$ reno, but it got pared back). The school is actually smaller than it used to be, but much more efficient, space and energy use wise. One thing that had to remain was the fantastic, original auditorium. The high school theatre is top notch. Production values are OTW*. The superstructure that holds up the auditorium's stage and seating is......the pool. Hence no demolition of the pool area underneath the theatre. Authorized access only. Eerie to say the least. Must be something that the old pool can be used for. Skate-park? Performances? Art studios? Recording? There are safety/liability issues, of course. It was built to last! Here is the pool, the girls' pink shower area, the boys' terrazzo shower stalls and various other dusty corners. LOLDONGS!

*OTW Outta This World

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Victoria School of the Arts: Fine Arts Master Class Guest Artist Residency 2013

Gilt Trip

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_School_of_Performing_and_Visual_Arts

During the final two weeks of May 2013, I had the honour of being Victoria School's guest artist in residence. A 'master class' of outstanding visual art students joined me in a couple of easy to understand projects: A crash course on painting with oils on old LPs - the 15 or so teens took to it like ducks to water - as well as a more intense exploration of covering 'heritage' objects' with metal leaf. A variety of things were 'gilded': Old stage lamps, satellite dishes, an antique desk, a music stand, telephones, doorknobs and a rack of moose antlers. The projects were very successful. The students were happily engaged in the collective activity. The teachers that I had the privilege of working with were resourceful and fun!~

I always wanted to return to high school. I hope that I'm called back in 2014.

Below are some examples; photos taken 'in progress' of a few of the items 'leafed'. Selected pieces will be installed throughout the school, in suitable sites, as 'wayfinders'. The project was dubbed "Gilt Trip".

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Memory Logos: New Work by Jack Niven

http://www.martinechaissongallery.com/

Saturday, August 4, 2012

McLean Fahnestock: All 135 shuttle launches viewed simultaneously

I had the pleasure of attending McLean Fahnestock's 'artist talk' at the opening of her exhibition Space Agency at Harcourt House, August 2, 2012. This powerful video mosaic, Grand Finale, fills the viewer with wonder, dread and awe: http://vimeo.com/27505192

Also on display are altered photographs of rocket lift-offs with the spacecraft seamlessly removed, a darkly humorous and enigmatic visual spin on archetypal, iconic imagery.