May 9, 2013 
Vancouver Island School of Art Newsletter UPDATE

I apologize for resending this email but I forgot to include an important piece of content which explains the title of the email 'Lights and Bullets' The 'lights' refer to the Chris Burden piece and the 'bullets' refer to an installation I saw by Debbie Long at the Mark Moore Gallery. Long casts bullet casings in glass. Both artists use the idea of subtlety and quantity to create impact.
Dear Students and Friends of VISA (again!),

I thought I would share a few more of my favourite art experiences in Los Angeles. One of the most memorable things I saw was not inside a gallery but outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Chris Burden's Urban Light (see below). This is a collection of street lights that Burden donated to the museum. I later discovered that this has the distinguished label of being the most photographed artwork in Los Angeles. I can see why. For some strange reason this conglomeration of street lights takes your breath away on first glance. Why I wonder? In part when something ordinary, whatever it might be, is seen in multiples it takes it out of the ordinary into the spectacular. Another fascinating feature of these lights is that they light up in the evening and are run on solar power. The things humans can do when they put their minds to it!

Another artist using the idea of many to create impact is Debbie Long whose work I saw at the Mark Moore Gallery. Long recasts litter such as rearview mirrors, truck hood ornaments, and bullet casings into glass. Her work was in the same exhibition as an artist I mentioned last week called Vernon Fisher and here is a video of both of them in conversation: Vernon Fisher and Debbie Long at Mark Moore. It is interesting to think about how both Burden and Long are making use of found objects, glass and light but towards completely different end results. I do think there is a connection between the works with ideas surrounding the repetition, light, glass and the everyday.

My favourite gallery space was Samuel Freeman Gallery. This gallery is in a beautiful re-styled Corbusier-like building that has an open atrium as soon as you walk in. Fresh coffee, cold water and fruit were available for the weary gallery-goer. The work in the gallery highlighted the architecture of the space. I thought the curatorial choice of the three artists together was really effective and seemed to truly allow the boundaries of painting and sculpture to be blurred. Circular paintings on the wall read as sculptures and patterned sculptures on the floor read as paintings. One of the perennial challenges of contemporary sculpture is display. Gone is the 19th and early 20th solution of simply placing a sculpture on a white plinth. Today's artists understand that any stand or display reads as being part of the sculpture. I found Alice Konitz's solution of having sculptures on off-kiltered tables quite interesting; I especially enjoyed when the sculpture actually went through the table and could be seen protruding through the underside. 

My LA trip was off to good a start as i had a mini tour of some of the brewpubs on my way from the airport to my destination. The first place was a somewhat off the beaten track place called the Golden Road Brewery. Nice outdoor patio with a special section for patrons with dogs. Another great thing about this brewery is it was founded by a young woman.  I had an excellent Pale Ale. A perfect thing to do after flying in from Victoria to Los Angeles (via Vancouver). A short trip, but all air flying these days is quite arduous these days (I had to show my passport seven times and that was before I even left the ground in Vancouver).

Los Angeles can be overwhelming for the uninitiated but for those daring enough to look beyond the stereotypes of Hollywood and botox, there are some wonderful things to be experienced my favourites being art, architecture and a good brew pub. The only down side of LA is the on-going love affair with the automobile.


when you register for a Spring Six Week Course

Every Spring at VISA we like to offer our dedicated students and newcomers a special deal on courses or workshops.

This year you will receive a $25 discount on any spring/summer workshop for every six-week course you register for.

To receive the $25 discount for the spring/summer workshops you need to mention that you have registered for a Spring course and you would like the discount when you call or email to register for a workshop.


Courses start next Tuesday, May 14 so check out our offerings today:

MAP AS BIOGRAPHY (THERE ARE STILL SOME SPACES LEFT!)
Saturday  May 11, 10am-5pm

Artists drew the first maps. Explorers would return from their travels and describe the places they have been and artists would create maps based on these descriptions. In the 21st century more and more artists are turning to maps for a source for their art practice. 

 

In this workshop students 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 includes elements of this self-discovery process as well as some very exciting design and composition revelations. 

 

Workshop activities include working with drawing materials, watercolour paints and collage elements. All materials are provided for in the material fee so you just need to show up and unleash that creativity that we all have within us. No previous drawing or watercolor experience necessary.  

 

Instructor: Wendy Welch
Tuition: $125 (includes material fee)
Images
To register 

PLEIN AIR PAINTING
Thursdays 9am-12pm, May 16-June 20

Plein air painting, or painting outdoors from life, is a sensorial immersion in space where what we see is influenced by changing light, scents and sounds of the space. These physical attributes are also informed by our own physical condition, the quality of our attention and the history of the space. The exercises are designed to be intense investigations of space and training in the skill of looking. The course consists of field trips, hands-on painting as well as technical instruction and individual guidance.  

 

 

This course is a great way to experience nature and art at the same time! And what a fantastic way to enjoy these glorious spring summer days. 

 

Plein air is a tradition that started in the 19th century with artists such as van Gogh and Monet and today many contemporary artists are revisiting this way of painting. Another contemporary artist that uses this method of painting is Chinese artist: Liu Xiaodong. Xiaodong has quite a fascinating website and is definitely an artist worth checking out.   

 

Instructor: Jeremy Herndl
Tuition: $225 (18 hours)
Images of instructor's work
To register 

PAINTING SPACE
Wednesdays, 10am-2pm, May 15-June 19

For centuries, the fundamental question of space has been at the very heart of painting. What are the essential elements needed to successfully construct the illusion of space within the confines of the picture plane? With this dilemma in mind, Painting Space examines the concept of spatial illusion and the necessary elements that work to create it.

Deceptively simple exercises are used to develop an understanding of how colour and compositional elements come together to create a sense of very real physical space. Students paint from life as well as from materials gathered from other sources. Students can work in acrylics or oils. Some painting experience is recommended.

 

Instructor: Todd Lambeth
Tuition: $225 (18 hours)

Images
To register  

Image: Franz Ackermann, Zooropa 2001

COLLAGE: TECHNIQUES AND PROCESSES
Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm, May 15-June 19

From the political collage compositions of Hannah Hoch to the surreal arrangements of Max Ernst, to Robert Rauschenberg's mixed media collages and Paul Butler's contemporary collage parties, Collage: Techniques and Processes will give students an in-depth look at the trajectory of collage over the 20th century. Course delivery includes a combination of hands-on studio work, presentations of work by historical and contemporary collage artists, discussion and critique.

Students will learn about structure and form in collage, including repetition, grids, minimalist and abstract compositions. Materials, technical considerations and image sourcing will be explored. Large scale vs. small scale collage, and mixed media approaches will also be covered. In addition, the class will make a moving collage using stop frame animation.

 

Instructor:  Valerie Salez
Tuition: $225 (18 hours)
Images
To register  

Image: Valerie Salez, Sink Bale 

NOTAN: THE DARK-LIGHT PRINCIPLE OF DESIGN
Wednesdays, 2pm-5pm, May 15-June 19

This is a great introductory course for anybody wondering how to understand the basics of design. No previous drawing or painting experience is necessary. Notan is the Japanese word for the interaction between dark and light (positive and negative or object and ground).

Notan's practical applications will be presented in six progressive problems that will fascinate artists and designers. Participants focus on how these powerful design principles exist in drawing and painting and learn how Notan can become an integral part of planning and developing a work of art.

On a recent field trip to Vancouver, we discovered a contemporary artist at the Winsor Gallery who uses the principle of Notan as a dynamic feature of his work: Charles Rea

 

Instructor: Xane St Phillip
Tuition: $225 (18 hours)
Images
To register 

Image: Charles Rea, Open Ended Process Looks To Engage A Subliminal Response 2012

 

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
Fridays, 10am-1pm, May 15-June 19

Taking a formal course in Landscape Photography is a wonderful way to make yourself stop and pay attention to what you are looking at and how you can make the best possible photograph from what you see. The course includes review of camera operation, followed by further study of depth of field, long exposure, flash and tripod use, simple lighting set-ups and the basics of post production. With several classes held 'on location' students will learn first hand how to shoot under diverse light conditions, amongst challenging terrain and in varied weather conditions. Composition and image sequencing are also covered. Students will complete this course with a finished portfolio of work and will be confident to use their camera to produce dynamic and interesting photographs of local territories and land formations.

Tara Nicholson is a wonderful photographer and great instructor. Don't miss this great opportunity to brighten up your spring...

 

Instructor: Tara Nicholson
Tuition: $225 (18 hrs)
Images
To register 

Image: Tara Nicholson, Prospect Cabin 2011
SURREALIST VIDEO WORKSHOP
Saturday & Sunday, May 25 & 26, 10am-5pm

Surrealism is a 20th-century literary and artistic movement that attempts to express the workings of the subconscious mind and capture dream states. It utilizes fantastic imagery and the juxtaposition of unusual subject matter. In this workshop, students will make their own surrealist video, learning to film and edit a short work using cameras, lights and effects programs. This fun and creative workshop is a chance to explore and let your imagination run free. Saturday includes an introduction to Surrealist video, and overview of cameras and equipment, discussion of story structure and shooting of the individual works. On Sunday there is an introduction to effects and the editing of projects. There will be an in-class screening of completed projects at the end of the workshop. This workshop includes creative instruction by Catlin Lewis and technical assistance by Kirk Schwartz. No previous experience necessary.
 

Instructor: Catlin Lewis 
Tuition: $175.00 (12 hrs) 
MediaNet fee: $30 (for use of video equipment, computers and editing software) 
Surrealist video techniques 

 

VICTORIA ART FINALE
Opening reception, Slide Room Gallery Friday, May 17 at 7:30 pm
Congratulations to the following Grade 12 students who were selected for the Art Finale Exhibition: Eric Albert, Anya Alldritt, Sophie Victoria Baines, Meghan Zook-Brown, Emma Cawsey, Muhwa Dorward-Seitcher, Marnie Gallop, Ali Greene, Emily Hardy, Jessica Hawco,  Kiara Hurley, Matt Hykaway, Levi Lefebvre, Kesley Moore, Carina Pogoler, Sara Riehmer, Colton Richards, Heather Faye Seckinger, Emilie Sefton, Drew Smith, Emma Tennant, Albert Trelawny,
Rachael West.

We were very excited to see such high calibre of artwork coming from our local Vancouver Island secondary schools.   

Come join us for the inaugural opening of Art Finale, ouver Island and the Gulf Islands. If you have young people interested in the arts or if you are curious about what kind of art teens are making, please come and check out.

Grand prize and other prizes will be announced at 8pm. Tea, lemonade and other refreshments will be served.

The Slide Room Gallery is located at 2549 Quadra Street


 
TODD LAMBETH Oh! You Pretty Things 
DELUGE, Opening reception May 17 at 7 pm                            

VISA instructor, Todd Lambeth showcases new work at Deluge Contemporary Art.

What interests me most is the cat's status in the home. This series of 15 paintings -- culled from photographs collected after a request for pictures on Facebook -- focuses on house cats in domestic interiors. These small scale, representational works are meditations of space, time, colour and form and are a deliberate attempt at destabilizing the icons of modernism. Repeatedly deploying arrangements of fabric, furniture and architecture, this series is ultimately concerned with modes of inhabiting space and suggests a compressed urban environment. These are not paintings of urban hustle; rather they are oases of meditative calm and reflection. The banal subject of the ubiquitous family cat is transformed into images that celebrate the humility and comfort of our private lives. Todd Lambeth, 2013

Exhibition continues to June 15, 2013
Deluge is at 636 Yates Street
WENDY HOUGH Wall Drawing
Open Space, Opening reception May 17 at 7:30 pm                            

Large-scale wall drawings explore the possibilities of the contemporary practice, performance, and the idea of drawing. Over the next two months, Wendy Hough (Vancouver, BC) is creating a wall drawing on-site at Open Space. Hough will be on site developing the work for presentation at a public reception on Friday, May 17, 7:30. The drawing will remain on display until June 11, when the artist will return to Victoria to wash away the drawing as part of the overall process. 

. Drop by Open Space during regular gallery hours, Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 5:00 p.m., to experience the ever-changing transformation of the space by the artist's unique process.  

 

Exhibition continues to June 11, 2013
Open Space is at 510 Fort St.
TONY HUNT JR  AT VISA                             

Tony Hunt Jr. is carving a totem pole in the lower level of VISA. He will be working at the school through to the end of June.

If you'd like to see totem pole carving in process or to have a chat with Tony drop in during the school hours.

Image: cedar log arrives at VISA

Do you like to plan ahead?                              

VISA Fall/Winter Schedule is now on-line



If you are interesting in applying to one of our programs: Certificate of Visual Arts, Diploma of Fine Arts or Independent Studio program please feel free to set up an appointment for more information: email office
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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