I was struck by a review of Wade Guyton's art that described his work as being "profoundly uninteresting at first glance." Anything that is described as being 'profoundly uninteresting', is of immediate interest to me. I am reminded of the the John Cage quote I am forever repeating to students: "if something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all." 

One of the intriguing aspects of Guyton's works is that it isn't what it seems; these are 'paintings' made with Epson computer printing ink on linen. The work in his recent exhibition at the Petzel Gallery is installed as if it is part of the wall, hence the reviewer describing them as "a sort of wallpaper." These wall works seem to transcend categories as they can be viewed as paintings, prints or as part of the wall, which in turn makes them profoundly interesting.

Scott Indrisek also wrote in reference to the Guyton's work: 'they're nothing revolutionary'. I was curious about the writer's impetus to define work as being revolutionary or not (as in Guyton's case). It made me wonder what kind of art today would we describe as being revolutionary, and if this is a word that we even need to be use when we talk about art. Sometimes I hear artists talk about their work almost apologetically, saying that their work isn't going to change the world, or that they know art isn't going to make any difference in the grand scheme of things. I think to attempt to make authentic and personal art is in itself a revolutionary act, and as artists I don't think it is necessary to think about making art that is going to change the world. Art, however subtle, changes the individual person who makes the art, and often changes the people who view the art, and those changes in turn do change the world in small, and often incremental ways. 

I think the beauty of art is that it is a rich language that can express all kinds of things, from the most subtle nuances to the most explicit gestures. As artists we find our place in this continuum. Perhaps we need to rethink John Baldessari's work called I Will Not Make Anymore Boring Art; maybe we need more boring and profoundly uninteresting art so we can take the time to realize that it is neither boring nor uninteresting. I think we need to focus on authenticity of expression and leave the revolution aside while we make our work.

* ability to do outreach into the community (through personal or professional connections)

* experience or interest in event planning

* experience with media and promotion

* experience with fundraising and/or attracting potential funders

Next year is our 10th Anniversary and we have lots of fun events and activities planned so this would be a great time to join the Vancouver Island School of Art Board of Directors.

If you are interested please contact me and we can set-up an appointment to meet with myself and our President, Tricia Hodgins.