October 18, 2012 
Vancouver Island School of Art Newsletter

Dear Friends of VISA,
I tend to be wary about artist biographies, fictional or other, because the emphasis is usually on their idiosyncratic personalities, as opposed to the art.  I was pleasantly surprised by Red which I saw last Sunday at the Belfy (in case you missed it, here is short excerpt from the New York production of the play: Red). I really appreciated the intense passion the Rothko character had towards his artmaking practice. I also liked the emphasis on the necessity of spending time looking at work. I often think about Picasso saying that it would take him 100 hours to make a painting: one hour to do the painting, 99 hours to look at it. I think some people are surprised at the level of engagement that is necessary to produce good work. As an instructor, I often witness new students experiencing a surprise when they discover that art is not in fact a 'fun pastime' as many people outside of the art world believe; but rather it is a hard and intense struggle to produce good work. Of course there are many moments of joy in the process, but art is a serious pursuit, and the same amount of dedication is needed to become a good artist as in becoming a good scientist, a good doctor or a good lawyer. But also art appreciation needs to be taken with a certain amount of seriousness. People often quickly walk by paintings, including paintings by Rothko, but these are works that need time. I have had the fortunate experience of seeing many of his works in the flesh. One of my fascinations with Rothko's work is not so much his use of colour but rather how he focussed on dissolution of form. As a viewer this is quite captivating; as you stare at these paintings, your eyes focus on the nebulous space where the edges get lost in the surface and on the layers of pigment that seem to hover above the surface. Rothko seemed to work with, and yet against the rectangular constraints of the canvas. This approach is quite in contrast with the work Frank Stella; Stella chose to emphasize the form of the rectangle by mimicking the form of the canvas with a repetition of clearly delineated rectangles. Rothko worked with rectangles inside of the rectilinear frame but he almost seems to be denying the rectangle by letting the edges dissolve into the form. As the form disappears into itself, the viewer finds themselves also disappearing into the surface of Rothko's work in a state of suspended reverie. For me the engagement with the work has always been from experiencing the form/non-form that seems to vibrate just over the surface of the canvas. A dream of mine is to visit the Rothko Chapel. I love the idea that the chapel is designed for one to spend time with the work. This would be the antithesis of how we often experience work these days, an image on a computer, iPad or iPhone. Here at the chapel they have a bench for each work. I love to imagine spending a quiet afternoon amongst these marvelous works. There is something minutely comforting about the state of humanity that such a place exists in Texas.

Wendy
DRAWING WORKSHOP: MAP AS BIOGRAPHY
Saturday, October 27, 10am-5pm 

The first maps were drawn by artists and now in the 21st century more and more artists are turning to maps as a source for their art practice. In this map workshop students will explore the idea of mind-mapping as well as other sorts of 'mapping' to create expressive abstract drawings. One of the best ways to make good art is to focus on what is unique about you as an individual and make that part of your work. This workshop will include elements of this self-discovery process as well as some very focusing on some exciting design and composition possibilities. Workshop includes drawing, painting and collage.
Instructor: Wendy Welch
Tuition: $100.00 (6 hrs)
Material Fee: $25 (all materials included)
All materials are provided in the material fee. You just need to show up. 
PAINTING JUMPSTART: Weekend Intensive
Saturday & Sunday, November 3 and 4, 10am-5pm 

Are you feeling stuck and in need of some fresh insight to push your painting forward? Do you really want to paint again but feeling a little rusty? This hands-on painting intensive will cover strategies to inject new energy into your process. If you have been painting alone, the group dynamic of a class creates a sense of camaraderie through an exchange of ideas. Warm-up exercises at the beginning of each day will shift your attention in a different and new way. Students can bring on-going projects to class or start new ones in the workshop. The instructor will cover issues such as paint handling, palette and composition choices as well as historical and contemporary painting references. Oil and acrylic painters welcome.
$175.00 for 12 hours of instruction
Instructor: Val Nelson
Supply List
Val's Website

Chine Collé Printmaking Workshop
Saturday & Sunday, November 3 and 4, 10am-5pm 


Chine collé is traditionally known as a method of printing an image onto a thin delicate paper while simultaneously adhering it to a heavier paper through a traditional printing press. This hands-on workshop introduces students to the traditional method of chine collé as well as several other options such as applying small segments of chine collé onto a larger work; preparing and combining chine collé with monotype prints and relief prints, and using various ink application. Whether your interest is the print, creating elements for a handmade book, or the application of chine collé to mixed media work, this workshop offers many avenues for exploration.
Tuition: $175.00 for 12 hours of instruction
Material Fee: $25 (all materials included)

Image right: Cerese Vaden

Quake of the Cans 2 at the Fifty Fifty Arts Collective
Saturday, October 20 at 8pm

Quake of the Cans II is an annual street art event in Victoria and is a celebration of individual artists coming together to create amazing, collaborative, large scale works.

This will be the second annual Quake of the Cans. Artists from Victoria and across Canada will be selected to produce large scale murals throughout the city utilizing primarily latex and aerosol paint. These are the same artists who did the fantastic mural that is on the back of VISA.

Fifty-Fifty is located at 2516 Douglas St.



University of Victoria: Artist Lecture Series
BARRY SCHWABSKY
November 7, 2012 at 8pm, Room 162 Visual Arts Building

The London-based Schwabsky is the art critic for The Nation and has been writing about art for the magazine since 2005; his essays have appeared in many other publications, including Flash Art (Milan), Artforum, the London Review of Books and Art in America. His books include The Widening Circle: Con­sequences of Modernism in Contemporary Art, Vitamin P: New Perspectives in Painting and several volumes of poetry. Schwabsky has contributed to books and catalogs on artists such as Henri Matisse, Alighiero Boetti, Jessica Stockholder and Gillian Wearing, and has taught at the School of Visual Arts, Pratt Institute, New York University, Goldsmiths College (University of London) and Yale University. .

SLIDE ROOM GALLERY: Call for Curatorial Proposals 

The Slide Room Gallery is looking for Curatorial Proposals for the 2013-2014 schedule.

Your proposal should contain the following:
* list of at least 3 artists to be included in the exhibition (could be more)
* brief biography of each artist
* one image of each artist's work
* a curatorial statement describing the premise or theme for the exhibition which would include your reasons for your particular selection of artists.
Please email material to: Slide Room Gallery

Deadline for submissions: February 1, 2013.
REMINDER TO ALL STUDENTS


Next week is reading break (Monday to Friday, October 22-26). There will be no classes unless one of your instructors has made arrangements to hold classes during the break. The school will be open if you want to come into work.
For more information about our courses or events contact
Linda or Jen at the office: 250-380-3500 or info@vancouverislandschoolart.com
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