YUKON SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS student exhibition catalogue 09

YUKON
school of
visual arts
student
exhibition
catalogue
09/10
The Yukon School of Visual Arts (SOVA) offers a progressive, holistic and integrated
Foundation Year Bachelor of Fine Arts program set in the vibrant and culturally
diverse community of Dawson City, Yukon.
The SOVA program is truly becoming one of Canada’s premier colleges for
foundation studies in the visual arts. Every year, adventure-seeking individuals
make the trek from all over Canada to our remote northern town in pursuit of a
profound educational journey combined with an irreplaceable personal experience.
At SOVA, students immerse themselves into the program and all that it has to
offer: a dedicated curriculum, inspiring faculty members, international visiting
artist programs, state-of-the-art facility, current technologies and equipment,
opportunities for art exhibitions, and the support of small-town neighbours. By year
end, we look forward to and anticipate the celebration of vast accomplishments,
renewed personal spirits, and the pride of knowing that we had a small part in
providing these individuals with an experience that they might look back upon as
the adventure of a lifetime!
The SOVA staff, faculty and Governance Council takes great pleasure in presenting
you with a selection of artwork representing the personal and professional
achievements of the graduates of the 2009-10 School of Visual Arts Foundation
Year program.
The Yukon School of Visual Arts is operated under a partnership between the
Dawson City Arts Society, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and Yukon College and gratefully
acknowledges Yukon Government for its financial support.
1
Congratulations to you, the 2010 KIAC SOVA
graduates! It has been an immense pleasure to
share in your passion and to witness, first hand,
your many successes. You have certainly made
great contributions to our magical town.
It is my sincere hope that no matter where your
art takes you to, you’ll be compelled to share your
unique Dawson City experiences and brag about
our program. You and your art are now our finest
ambassadors.
All the best in your future endeavors, we know you will do us proud.
Become who you have always wanted to be. Go and create.
Rachel Wiegers
President Dawson City Arts Society
2
The School of Visual Arts (SOVA) and its students
have established Dawson City as a centre for
Canadian art education.
The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in are proud to play a role in
this program, and we’re honoured that so many
talented, young artists have chosen Dawson City for
their foundation-year studies.
On behalf of my Council and all Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in
citizens, I’d like to extend our congratulations to the
SOVA students and staff who have contributed to the program’s success.
Chief Ed Taylor
Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation
3
Congratulations Yukon School of Visual Arts grads!
You’ve completed a rigorous and unique program
of study at Yukon SOVA. What an auspicious start
to your future as a visual artist. We hope you’ll
eventually return to share your craft with Yukoners.
Your art reflects your passion and conviction for
visual expression. You’re making an enormous
contribution to the world through your chosen
medium.
You will be able to draw upon your success at Yukon School of Visual Arts
throughout your career. We are pleased to have been a part of your lives.
As Yukon College alumni, please stay in touch through the Yukon College
Facebook page.
Again, congratulations and best wishes for the future!
Terry Weninger
President, Yukon College
4
I would like to congratulate the School of Visual
Arts’ 2010 class on successfully completing their
foundation year. You have gained a wealth of new
skills and knowledge through your studies of both
traditional and contemporary visual art.
You
have
benefitted
from
learner-centered
philosophies that have helped develop your unique
talents, and you deserve credit for rising to the
challenges of a demanding post-secondary course
of study.
Through the completion of your foundation year, you have reached a
significant milestone in your life. You have also opened doors to career
options that may also include further studies in the artistic realm.
The value of art in society is immense. As an artist, you will have great
potential to play an important and unique role in your community. Art
stimulates and gives us cause to reflect on ideas and issues. Art opens up
dialogue, enriches culture and develops our minds.
Wherever the future takes you, your experiences at SOVA, including your
interactions with the exceptional staff, will help you reach your goals.
On behalf of the Government of Yukon, I congratulate you and wish you
every success in your future endeavours.
Sincerely,
Patrick Rouble
Minister of Education
5
Introduction
This year’s enthusiastic and independent group of 12 graduating SOVA students, hailing
from disparate locations across Canada, successfully navigated a challenging year of
transitions and flux, resulting in the diverse and high-calibre work presented in our third
annual SOVA Exhibition Catalogue.
The work featured in the 2009-2010 year-end exhibition spans the spectrum of visual
art, including sculpture, installation, new media, painting, drawing, and printmaking,
representing projects from 2D, 3D, 4D and English courses. The 2009-2010 SOVA
year-end show occupied two gallery spaces as well as a mapped network of off-site
installations, highlighting the comprehensive scope of the program, its projects, and
students. The students also gained valuable experience choosing work for and installing
a group exhibition. In addition to collaboration with the staff and faculty of SOVA in the
exhibition planning and execution, students also worked with the staff of the Klondike
Institute of Art & Culture (KIAC) and the ODD Gallery, where the majority of the work for
the Over-the-Wire project with Lawrence Weiner was displayed. The ODD Gallery typically
houses shows by practicing Canadian and International artists and enabled SOVA
students to experience exhibiting in a professional gallery.
SOVA’s own gallery housed the 2D and 3D pieces, and map projects for the English
course were installed in various off-site locations in conjunction with Parks Canada and
The Westminster Hotel.
The year would not have been possible without strong and diverse support. Thank you to
SOVA staff and students, everyone at KIAC and the ODD Gallery, Parks Canada, Gammie
Trucking, The Westminster Hotel and last but not least, our partner institutions Yukon
College, The Dawson City Art Society, and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in.
6
Rosie butler graham everitt
sophie fuldauer
TESS GRieBEL
Martin Kennedy
Sydney Larsen
Rian Lougheed-Smith
France Richards
Gabriel St-Denis
Robyn Touchie Jessica Viens Kirsty Wells THE LAST MAP IS THE HEART OVER THE WIRE GraDUATING CLASS 8–11
12–15
16–19
20–23
24–27
28–31
32–35
36–39
40–43
44–47
48–51
52–55
56–61
62–65
66
SOVA Instructors
Jen Laliberte, Charles Stankievech, and Veronica Verkley
7
Rosie Butler
8
“THE ANTIs”
textiles, staged photographs
Rosie Butler
The Antis
The Bulé Museum of Medical History
presents
The Antis
The Antis were a pharmaceutical advancement following the mass
distribution of Anti depressants in the late 1990’s and throughout
the 2000’s. As people built up tolerance to these drugs yet still
were plagued with extreme and overwhelming emotions, Pfizer
developed ANTI-PHEELIN.
ANTI-PHEELINS were cloned and genetically modified living
organisms that were implanted into the human body where
they latched onto various internal organs. Antis fed off of them,
consuming chemicals and proteins that create a number of different
sensations, thereby suppressing feelings (then known as mental
conditions) in the human. Some of the emotions and behaviors
targeted that were considered harmful or simply undesirable
included, anxiety, sadness, guilt, heartache, bitchiness, primal
urges, and extreme happiness, amongst many others. Side effects
commonly experienced, besides the obvious crowding of the
human interior, were loss of personality, loss of creativity, loss of
individuality, increased levels of boringness, inability to recognize
happiness, destruction of human relationships and inability to form
new ones, occasional consumption of entire organ by Anti, weight
gain, fatigue, and increased risk of suicide in people under the age
of 18.
9
10
Rosie Butler
THE MARKET CRASH
ink print on typar
Rosie Butler
The Market Crash
The Market Crash is a print done with various colours of oil-based
ink on Typar using a steamrolled shopping cart. Many thanks to
Gammie Trucking for the generous help they gave our class for the
‘Extreme Printmaking’ project.
This piece is a ridiculously literal interpretation of my opinion on our
society as consumer culture. It is about feeling like a little kid in the
seat of a shopping cart when my big brother has gotten a hold of it
and is running down the aisle, away from Mom, with every intention
of letting go.
11
12
Graham Everitt
LEGEND OF MOOSEHIDE SLIDE
woodburned images on pighide (cover),Moosehide (pages)
Graham Everitt
Story Of Moosehide Slide
Stories and legends help us to understand the world around us
a long time ago. These stories were preserved from generation
to generation and passed down vocally. The First Nations stories
also help us to recognize landmarks so, when the generations
matured to travel with families of their own, they would know
where they were. Such stories are beautiful and yet sometimes
horrendous with an outcome of tranquility. They should live on
forever and not be forgotten. I have chosen to illustrate the story
of the Moosehide Slide from my own recollection. The cover made
on pig’s hide, and the pages and content of the story on moose
hide, help to illustrate a modern time infused with traditional values.
The hides were acquired on trade, as was the means of acquisition
historically here. The images were burned into the hide rather than
with traditional mark making means. This, I feel, gives authenticity
to a rich and diverse culture of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in — my people.
This slide can be seen by anyone living in Dawson or by any visitor
to Dawson, and that was the story I wanted to convey to everyone
that looks into this book.
13
Graham Everitt
CRIPPLING FLIGHT
sculpy, bike tire, inner tube, wood, hinges, glue
14
Graham Everitt
Crippled Flight
The confines we give ourselves to be in a social society that is
the machine called the world, my dragon wings spread only to go
nowhere. At first, it worked slightly but the construct of the of the
machine confines it’s true potential. Therein, I must leave this place
to actualize my true potential. Within Dawson, I have built my own
confines of habitual relations to the community and, to truly break
away, I must leave my migratory paths of this community. Look
into the darkness that is the dragon and the tightly built machine
that binds it. Look into yourself and see, perhaps, that everyone
has their own confines. Day to day rituals, day in and day out
jobs, happy to see pay checks that reaffirm our own reality that we
weave for ourselves. Money the crutch of the world in which we
live today. The dragon needs no money. The dragon only needs its
wisdom and strength to be at its full potential.
What are you doing with your life?
15
16
Sophie Fuldauer
PORTRAITS
oil on wood
Sophie Fuldauer
Portraits
These are portraits of me and members of my family: my uncle, my
mum and my cousin. I was inspired by Lucian Freud. The painting
of my mum was done by candlelight, so it was difficult to distinguish
the colours I was using, which made for an interesting effect.
17
Sophie Fuldauer
18
THE FUNGI-SLOTH
wire, plasticine, wood
Sophie Fuldauer
The Fungi-Sloth
This is a sloth becoming one with some mushrooms. It’s as if it
stayed still for too long and got overwhelmed by fungi. It’s sculpted
from plasticine with a wire frame.
19
20
Tess Griebel
CARCASS IN THE DARK
acrylic paint on board
Tess Griebel
A Carcass In The Dark
You may look at this painting and say, “Ah yes, I see. It is a chicken.”
Just hold that thought. This is not just any ordinary chicken.
This chicken has a story to tell, like every one of us. He was raised on a ranch,
grazing upon prairie grasses and insects. He fattened up nicely upon this green diet,
and Farmer Richard decided that his plump physique would do well in his freezer. So
one fall day came the demise of our dear friend Mister Chicken. After he was bled
out, plucked, and viserated, he lay in a freezer for a few months, amongst his other
chicken companions who met the same bloody end as himself. Anyways, his time
was up lying in the freezer amongst all the other frozen carcasses and he was placed
in a Styrofoam cooler. He then was placed on a bus and travelled up to northern
Canada, reaching as far as Dawson City, Yukon.
Just when he thought he had gone through enough, he was soon to find that not just
strange things are done in the midnight sun, but seriously screwed up. A young art
student decided to be clever and use him for one of her painting projects. He was
stuck into a pan where he sat for hours posing for her as she painted his frozen body
in the dark. In the end, all he got for thanks was to be shoved into a roaster in the
oven and to be eaten right down to the bone.
Moral of the Story: Nothing good ever comes out of being a chicken. You become
soup, sandwiches, and let’s not forget, artwork.
I would like to take this time to make a salute to Mister Chicken, for not only giving
his life for the sake for me to eat, but to be a contributor to the wonderful world of art.
21
22
Tess Griebel
IT SAVED HER FROM OSTEOPOROSIS
wire, latex rubber, leather
Tess Griebel
It Saved Her From Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis (weakening of the bones) is common in my family. I
look at my ninety-year old great aunt and she is now in the shape
of an L. I thought, if I were to create this prosthetic spine, perhaps
it could save me from bending right in half as I age. Not only did I
make this spine for its physical reference but many people use the
term ‘you really need to grow a backbone.’ So this spine can also
be an aid for those who find it difficult to be in public situations or
have trouble with social interaction. This prosthetic spine facilitates
keeping posture straight, with eyes up to the world, providing
confidence and assurance.
I have created this prosthetic out of latex and wire to create a
strong yet flexible spine. I wanted it to be, not only for one person,
but to serve a purpose for many people. One day you may find
that your own spine is enough and, yet another day, you may feel
like you could use some extra support – literally and figuratively.
The leather straps provide comforting support and are so strong
that, no matter what your daily activities are, they will never break.
The spine is a critical structure in our body that provides us with
the ability to stand straight and engage with the world around us.
“Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone
ought to be.” Clementine Paddleford.
23
24
Martin Kennedy
WHO’S STORIES ARE THESE?
lace, fabric, leather, plastic bags, stuffing,
hot glue, wire, plastic tubing
Martin Kennedy
Whose Stories Are These?
I do what I do because I enjoy it. I enjoy taking things that already
exist and transforming them into other things. It’s hard to say if a
piece is going well. I never really feel finished with a piece, even if I
stop working on it. I’ll work on a piece until I’m happy with where
I’m at and then I’ll stop. Sometimes I come back to them later;
sometimes I don’t. When I think a piece has turned out well, what
I really mean is that, I’m happy with where I’ve ended up.
My favourite tool is the sewing machine because, for quite a while,
I had to do all my sewing by hand. Having a sewing machine really
speeds things up, which is nice. I get a lot more work done.
Lately, my work has a sort of rough feel to it. It’s not particularly
organized in design. I really just slap a bunch of pieces of fabric
together somewhere on my body and then sew them together to
make clothes. I tend to use white thread on every colour of fabric
but that’s more due to the fact that, I have no other colours of
thread to use.
I usually start my textile projects by going to thrift stores and finding
clothes that have a colour or pattern on them that I like. These
clothes pile up quite a lot. I then mix and match these articles of
clothing, most of which are ripped or torn already, and I piece
together something new out of them. For example, I would take
the arm from one shirt and attach it to the torso part of a different
shirt, and so on.
25
Martin Kennedy
DEEP IN THAT
OVERSIZED BRAIN
OF YOURS
oil based ink, water
based ink, paper,
muffler
26
Martin Kennedy
Deep In That Oversized Brain Of Yours
Tumescent was the night. In those eyes, clear and burning, I saw
all that remained of a powerful personality. In their shadowy depths,
I saw the last glowing embers of the vital fire gathered, carefully
nursed and tended; kept alive by a will that was clinging, with
almost superhuman tenacity, to a definite purpose.
27
Sydney Larsen
A HAND TO HOLD (while you cross the street)
latex, leather, rubber cement, wood, glue, sinew, foam rubber, metal, rubber
28
Sydney Larsen
A Hand To Hold (While You Cross The Street)
A Hand To Hold (While You Cross The Street) is a multi-medium
sculpture created in the image of my own hand with a molded
leather cuff meant to secure to the inside of a small forearm. The
main components are leather, antler, wood and latex – all materials
which require patience and time to sculpt. Growing up the eldest
of three siblings, patience and learning how to take time, were
lessons I learned at a very young age. Straightforward tasks such
as walking a five year old to school can be testing at 50 below when
you are already running late for your morning classes. I created this
piece as a sort of homage to the days when I would rush ahead to
the end of the boardwalk, stop, and stick my hand out behind me
waiting for five little fingers to grab hold so that we could continue
on across the street. When I get a touch of homesickness, more
than anything, I long to be with my brothers and sister – holding
hands as we cross the street.
29
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Sydney Larsen
PORTRAIT OF SELF
acrylic and spray paint on wood
Sydney Larsen
A Portrait Of Self
I equate the feeling of displaying a self-portrait with standing naked
in front of a large crowd. So, when approaching this project,
I decided to make an effort to overcome that discomfort by,
not only eliminating the use of a mirror (I painted my face from
memory), but also by using a larger than life painting surface with
a nonconventional colour palette. The result is A Portrait of Self,
a large scale self portrait composed of spray paint and acrylic on
wood. By eliminating the use of a mirror, and having to paint from
memory, I am giving the viewer a primary view of how I see my
physical self in my minds eye. The nonconventional colour palette
and organic blending of colour on the painting surface reflects the
fluid and ever-evolving perspective I have of Self.
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32
Rian Lougheed Smith
WHAT OWLS ARE MADE OF
wood, clay, wire (owl calls)
Rian Lougheed-Smith
What Owls Are Made Of
An owl call is hard to catch and hold in your mind. You know what
it is when you hear it, but just as quickly it floats away. In trying to
call back, there is an instance of uncertainty, “what is the call, and
how can pull it out of my throat?”
Using your hands helps to coax it out.
33
Rian Lougheed Smith
34
MARSH WIND
linocut print
Rian Lougheed-Smith
Marsh Wind
The Tantramar Marshes are made of moving things. Tides meet
rivers, mud and silt clamor over each other to court a legion of
grasses, and the wind is a constant presence. In this dynamic
environment, the shortwave radio towers stand as tall and
permanent sticks in the mud. Ironically, this communication
technology communicates nothing of the movement and change
constantly writhing all around it. Sails seem a logical prosthetic to
give the towers a means to test and react visually to their habitat.
35
France Richards
36
LOUISE
canvas, 30 pounds of nails, chain
France Richards
Louise
Drawing has never been an easy thing for me. Of all the artistic
mediums I have experienced, it demands the most of my time
and my patience. Subsequently, my sketchbook has suffered the
loss of countless pages, verbal abuse and biased resentment. I
decided to name my sketchbook Louise after a woman I met once
who caused me to feel equal amounts of frustration.
Louise is a work that speaks strongly of my relationship with my
sketchbook and drawing in general. The object of the piece was
to create a sense of irony. The act, of hammering countless nails
through sheets of canvas to form my face, represents the repetitive
and calculated marks my pencil usually makes on paper. While the
head of the nail creates a neat image, they simultaneously create a
chaotic image of my face on the opposing side.
The message thus becomes that, regardless of the efforts made to
be technically accurate, my true artistic personality will eventually
resurface with the intended disorder that a pencil has always failed
to hide; despite its greatest efforts.
37
France Richards
DRAWING WITH LIGHT
photos made with lighter, flashlight, LED’s, bulb setting on SLR camera.
38
France Richards
Drawing With Light
One of the many things I’ve explored this year is the concept of
negative spaces. Whether it’s been exploring the negative space of
a drawing – the white/empty spaces left on the page – or tracing
the movement of an object not typically observed (such as light);
it is a concept that has truly interested me and has subsequently
surfaced in a lot of my work. Drawing with Light is a perfect example
of this exploration.
These photographs capture the movement and path of various light
sources within a dark room. Typically, photography would try to
capture what is in that room by providing sufficient light to see the
people or objects inside it. However, my goal was to use different
light sources such as lighters, LED lights, or flashlights, to help the
viewer focus more on the progressive movements and history of
the light source, rather than on one exact moment in time.
39
40
Gabriel St Denis
FIRE HAZARD
ribbed cardboard, glue
Gabriel St-Denis
Fire Hazard
Fire Hazard
41
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Gabriel St Denis
FRAGMENTED SELF
torn magazine on wood
Gabriel St-Denis
Fragmented Self
Do not be confused. The titling of this piece, as well as the piece
itself, is in no way meant to communicate any trauma or mental
instability that I may, or may not, be experiencing as a result of the
woes and stresses of the young adult life. It is simply –and how! –
devoid of all pretense.
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Robyn Touchie
WILL SOMEONE TEACH ME TO PLAY THE SPOONS?
leather, sinew, wood, shoe polish, glue
Robyn Touchie
Will Someone Teach Me To Play The Spoons?
This was my first attempt at working with leather. The challenge
was to create a prosthetic of any sort that could be attached to a
person. I already have a familiarity with hands and felt it was a strong
subject to work from. I also am strangely interested with playing
the spoons. The spoons are the simplest instrument. However, I
feel that talent, skill and technique are still involved. Leather was
extremely difficult to work with at first. Having said that, it became a
lot easier and more pliable to use over time. Although my main style
is 2D based, I feel now that I may try to explore the world of 3D.
45
Robyn Touchie
46
PRAXINOSCOPE
paper, mirror, wood, felt tip pen, markers
Robyn Touchie
Praxinoscope
I really loved creating this piece, from the researching of different
animation techniques, to the actual mathematical construction
of the piece. It really forced me to think differently, how to create
something moving on paper, and what details to alter to create
that effect. I feel that it was a success in the end. However, there
is always room for improvement and I shall continue to work with
the idea of the praxinoscope until I feel I can't improve anymore.
I chose the image of the woman with the long red hair since I
have a love for hair and its movement. The image of the sycamore
seeds were chosen because it reminded me of being a kid in New
Brunswick – picking them up off the ground, letting them go, and
watching them spin like a helicopter all the way down to the ground
again, and repeat.
47
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Jessica Viens
THE IMPORTANCE OF ART SCHOOL
paper, ink, paint
Jessica Viens
On The Importance Of School
This piece was created specifically for the year-end show. The paper figures, representing
the first three numerical values –1, 2 ,3 – stand for the three rankings of a competitive
event – gold, silver and bronze. The sides with these descriptions also feature a collage
of snippets of grading sheets from both this and last semester. On the side facing the
outdoors there is paint and nonsensical ink figures over the collage of marks.
The whole thing is a big raging commentary on the subjective nature of art, and it seeks
to question the legitimacy of grading something in constant motion. There are few statics
in aesthetics, and yet art school attempts to teach students a near formula for success in
this visceral trade. I have struggled this entire year with a quest for pure expression, versus
a quest for a good or decent grade. Often, the two objectives proved to be conflicting,
and I found it difficult to decide whether to go with an idea because of how it settles in my
bones or selecting an idea I knew would pass over with the jury.
The gallery facing side of the figures represents the institution and is quite bland to
represent the inevitable conformity of creation in a group, and in an institution. The exterior
side is meant to represent the world outside of the institution, where art may or may not
be more creative, but at least has the possibility to exist without standard. Certainly, in
the world, and especially the art world, there is little but standards, investors, taste and
competition. But there is also the possibility to hole up in a hovel and create, produce,
and exorcise artistic demons without the overshadowing of anyone’s ideas but your own.
Nobody is saying ‘down with education’. I’m just acknowledging that, while instruction
and discipline are certainly things I craved at the entrance, upon the exit, I yearn for
nothing more than the freedom to create without observation.
God bless the souls that had the courage to drop out; this piece is in homage to free three.
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Kirsty Wells
INTESTINE EXTENSION
latex, cotton, thread, projection
Kirsty Wells
Twenty-Meter Intestine Extension
This installation was made out of latex and cotton thread, for our prosthetics unit in
2010. A person could never guess just by looking at it but this piece is about twenty
meters long – over double the length of an average human male’s intestines. Though
it is stuffed with insulation from winter jackets and children’s toys, my original goal
was to have it stuffed with lard or animal fat. I believed this would give the piece a
more realistic and repelling feeling. There were complications trying to find the sheer
amount of lard on an art student’s budget and thus, that idea fell through.
As part of the assignment, we were supposed to be able to apply the prosthetic to
ourselves. Seeing as mine was an internal prosthetic, this became a complication for
my piece. The best solution I could think of was to create a video of a male’s torso and
to either project it on, or behind, the intestines, which would be suspended from the
ceiling. I wanted to create a video, rather than just a photograph, to incorporate the
breathing and natural movement in the body and help the project feel more realistic.
For the next part of the piece, I needed to figure out the presentation. Because I was
hoping to gain a lifelike feeling around the intestines, soft white sheets were used to
surround the piece and the soft illumination from the projection gives them a colour
similar to a human skin tone. As a final touch, I covered the latex intestines with oil
to give them a wet sheen, as if they were inside a body. Once I installed the piece, I
felt satisfied with it.
The meaning of the piece itself remains unknown to me, and I am unsure as to whether
or not I even want to figure it out. I think that this makes it more interesting because
it involves the viewer in the work and leaves the meaning up to their interpretation; if
there is one.
51
Kirsty Wells
“ME NE SHALTO ”
linoblock print, acrylic & oil
52
Kirsty Wells
“Me Ne Shalto”
The Jedi Mind Tricks song “Me Ne Shalto”, a ghetto-Latina hip-hop
track from their album Legacy of Blood, inspired this piece. My
goal was to capture the aggressive hardcore feeling of the song by
balancing detail and bold lines with cultural context. This print has
several experimental editions with varying colours and medium,
as well as different processes of creation including, the use of a
printing press and rubbing. The press worked most effectively
for distributing an even layer of ink on the paper. It also captured
the tiny carved details and the graininess throughout the piece.
This was essential to me because it tied the elements of the piece
together into one cohesive unit. When it came to colour selection,
black worked well to create boldness. I tested the piece with many
other colours. The combination of red and black, or red and green
were also very effective and seemed to make certain parts of the
piece stand out. In the gallery, I have these three options displayed
together, which is interesting because you can see the different
feelings that each one has on its own, as well as the overall feeling
they demonstrate as a composition.
Ultimately, I think the piece is loud and confrontational; like the
track it was inspired by.
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Photo: Lesle Piercy
The Last Map is the Heart
Maps can tell us where we are, where we’ve been, or where we’d
like to go, but they can answer less expected questions about who
and what we are, will be, or want to become.
A map can direct, but it can also connect.
The final mapping project for the SOVA English class this semester
asked students to think about these connections—to places,
to homes, to geographies, and to ideas, and manifest them in
annotated visual representations. The students used varying
concepts and media to evoke place and space, and to challenge
the traditional manifestations of geography. The winding journey of
locations allows viewers to encounter the maps in an actualized
geographical journey, providing an opportunity to connect with
the place these maps were created while experiencing the diverse
worlds they depict.
—Jen Laliberte, SOVA English Instructor
Without the support and assistance of the following people, I never
would’ve found my way:
Leslie Piercy, Paula Hassard, and all the staff of Parks Canada
Chris Levett, Kathryn Foran, Duncan Spriggs, and all the staff of
the Westminster Hotel, Glenda Bolt and all the citizens and staff
of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, CFYT Radio board and staff, Everyone at
SOVA, KIAC and the ODD Gallery
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France Richards
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Graham Everitt
Gabriel St. Denis
Kirsty Wells
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Martin Kennedy
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Rian Lougheed Smith
Jessica Viens
Sophie Fuldauer
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Robyn Touchie
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Rosie Butler
Tess Griebel
Sydney Larsen
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ODD Gallery Installation (Photo: Charles Stankievech)
Lawrence Wiener + KIAC School of Visual Arts
A TRANSLATION
FROM ONE LANGUAGE TO ANOTHER
April 22 to May 7th, 2010
ODDGallery
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A TRANSLATION FROM ONE LANGUAGE TO ANOTHER is the title of the
exhibition designed by NYC artist LAWRENCE WEINER in partnership with
the KIAC School of Visual Arts (SOVA) at the ODD Gallery in Dawson City,
Yukon running from April 22 to May 7th, 2010.
As the fifth installment of the OVER THE WIRE series created by instructor
Charles Stankievech, the exhibition presents the outcome of a project
conceived by Weiner and interpreted by SOVA students.
A TRANSLATION FROM ONE LANGUAGE TO ANOTHER is also the title
of a seminal work conceived by Weiner in 1969 — the same year that
he travelled to Northern Canada with Lucy Lippard and NE Thing Co.
Weiner’s particular selection of the translation work resonates in multiple
dimensions. First, the text is an artwork in itself simply as a statement of
an idea just as revalent today it was when he first conceived it. Second,
the phrase could be seen as the quintessential Weiner work as it distills his
entire studio practice into a terse phrase. In a recent conversation with the
SOVA students Lawrence took this idea further and stated “That’s basically
what all artists do: translate something into something.“ Traditionally, his
infamous statement “1. The artist may make the work 2. The work maybe
fabricated 3. The work need not be made” is the example representing a
radical gesture first initiated by Weiner extending the conceptual drive of
Minimalist Art. While it might express the more extreme spectrum of his
work, A TRANSLATION OF ONE LANGUAGE TO ANOTHER is really the
mechanics behind his long running practice. Revisiting this piece again
for a permanent installation in 1995/6, Weiner created a short prosaic
text that expanded his understanding of translation to cover all forms
of communication. So while he built sculptures with this phrase on it in
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LAWRENCE WEINER
A Translation From One Language to Another. (1969/96)
Het Spui, Amsterdam, 1996.
Courtesy of the Moved Pictures Archive
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several languages to be installed in a public square in Antwerp (see photo
to the left), he suggests all of communication is a translation of intention.
In an expanded version of the work specifically created for this OVER THE
WIRE exhibition, Weiner further clarifies that translation is not just about
verbal action, but also about the basic mechanics of objects. Returning
as he usually does to the basic objectness of a “stone,” with this caveat
(or what he calls cigarette box warning) Weiner comes full circle to his
roots. Since Weiner considers his work in the tradition of sculpture, he sees
nouns as objects, and thus his work is laden with words such as “STONE”,
“WOOD”, “GRAPHITE” and other very tangible and sensual materials. His
switch from pushing a chunk of stone from the Brooklyn Bridge around on
a table to pushing the idea of stone around on a wall, and furthermore into
the mind of the reader, is a direct form of translation itself: to translate the
materiality of stone into the materiality of language using the word “stone.”
At a time when Roland Barthes was writing the “Death of the Author,”
Weiner’s ideas transferred authority from author to the reader, or translated
the meaning of a text as defined by the artist to the creation of meaning by
the reader.
Finally, A TRANSLATION FROM ONE LANGUAGE TO ANOTHER. continues
the energy from the master artist to the students. SOVA students were
challenged to find a way to translate his ideas and influential practice into
a project that they themselves authored. In other words, they needed to
wrestle with tradition, and find a way to translate tradition into something
new and unique. How to be a reader and a writer. How to be a student and
an artist. Fortunately, Weiner’s generousity and careful phrasing resists the
imperative and instead poses a process, a process that poses questions.
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Deborah McIntosh, Peabody’s Photo Parlour.
Published on the occasion of the
KIAC School of Visual Arts 2009–2010 Graduating Student Exhibition
SOVA Gallery and ODD Gallery April–May 2010
Published by
Yukon School of Visual Arts
distribution
Yukon School of Visual Arts
P.O. Box 569
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada
Y0B 1G0
1-867-993-6390
info@yukonsova.ca
CATALOGUE DESIGN
Chera Hunchuk, Birds Eye Design
layout
Dan Sokolowski
COVER
Tess Griebel
IT SAVED HER FROM OSTEOPOROSIS
ART PHOTOGRAPHY
Evan Rensch
MAP Photography
Jen Laliberte
© 2010 Yukon School of Visual Arts
Note: T he KIAC School of Visual Arts program officially changed its name to the
Yukon School of Visual Arts (Yukon SOVA) in September 2010.
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www.yukonsova.ca