July 8, 2014
Vancouver Island School of Art Newsletter

The support is the subject

Supports/Surfaces is the name of an exhibition at Canada, a gallery in New York's lower east side. This work brings to light an interesting movement that originated in France in the 1970's. Artists in the Supports/Surfaces group questioned the support on which paintings were made, as well as the dilemma of how that supporting structure could be deconstructed, disassembled, or 'de-rectangularized', and still remain a painting.

An excellent historical overview of the Supports/Surfaces movement can be found on the ArtCritical blog: The Painting Undone; this writing by Raphael Rubenstein was done on the occasion of a 2004 exhibition in France of the Supports/Surfaces artists. A 2011 exhibition in Paris, as well a description of the movement, is written about here: Supports/Surfaces: The Last Avant Garde. Mike Finch also offers a write-up that includes a review of a 1998 exhibition. He includes a brief commentary about contemporary artists such as Jessica Stockholder and Polly Apfelbaum who address the idea of painting moving off the wall and into the room and floor. And if you aren't familiar with Sharon Butler's blog, Two Coats of Paint, this a good time to check it out as she has written a piece about the current Supports/Surfaces exhibition at Canada Gallery. The Cherry and Martin Gallery in Los Angeles also hosted an exhibition focusing on Support/Surfaces artists earlier this year: Supports/Surfaces is Alive and Well. All these exhibitions and writings are evidence that ideas around this 1970's French movement are definitely in the current zeitgeist. 

While painting practice informed by installation seems to be a relatively recent consideration, as seen in the work of Katharina Grosse, or Victoria-based artist Robert Youds; an investigation into the relationship between painting and its supports began many decades ago with aritsts such Lucia Fontana from Italy and his sliced canvases (1959), and Richard Tuttle from the U.S with his octagonal canvases (1967). These are both artists who challenged the conventional use of canvas in painting as solely a support. While all works on a stretched canvas or linen start off as three-dimensional form by the very nature of the support, most painters choose to ignore this fact and focus mainly on the flatness of the surface as it appears right in front of them. The Supports/Surfaces artists used the idea of the support (or lack thereof) to inform the meaning and subject of their work.


7PM TONIGHT AT POLYCHROME: 
Opening Reception for VISA Instructor, Kate Scoones
EXPLORING CREATIVITY WITH WATERCOLOUR, PATTERN & DESIGN
July 12 & 13, Saturday & Sunday, 10am-5pm

This workshop will include a variety of fun projects using watercolour as a medium, with a focus on pattern and design as the subject. You will use sources such as still life objects, photographs, reproductions of patterns, as well as your imagination.

Whether you are new to watercolour, or if you are more experienced in the media, you will get creative inspiration from this workshop. Drawing, collage and paper cutting will also be included as components of the workshop projects.

Instructor: Wendy Welch
Cost: $235 (all materials included)
Related images
To register on-line
PAINTING THE EVERYDAY WITH GOUACHE
July 22-25, Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm

This four-day workshop will introduce you to gouache (pronounced 'gwash'), an opaque water-based paint, with a focus on 'the everyday' as the on-going subject matter. While having characteristics similar to watercolour, gouache has its own unique qualities in that the surface dries to a smooth velvety finish, and because it is opaque, you can layer light over dark, or you can work on tinted or dark papers. The workshop begins with basic exercises in paint mixing and colour theory; from there you paint singular and arrangements of everyday still life objects. 
 
Projects include working from natural and found objects and photographs. Issues surrounding composition development and design will be addressed with each project. You will also learn how to combine gouache with mixed media (such as pastel and ink), as well as experiment with 'found' painting tools such as dried plants and twigs. You will complete several small gouache studies and one or two larger works by the end of the four days; all projects will be based on subject matter that is readily at hand and that is part of their everyday lives. Suitable for complete beginners.

Instructor: Kate Scoones
 
Do you want to take an art course but don't know where to begin?

Whether you are a beginner or you have taken a few art courses in the past, perhaps you'd like to take some time to assess where you are in terms of your potential development as an artist. Maybe you've never taken an art course before and can't figure out where to start, or you've taken a range of course and workshops and are looking to settle on one way of working so that you can develop your own style. 

I would be happy to meet with you to discuss the next step.

If you would like to set up an appointment for a free 1/2 hour consultation with me please contact the office at info@vancouverislandschoolart.

You can bring work or just your ideas of what you are interested in and together we can find the right course or workshop for you.

To set up and appointment: VISA Office


The Saturday Afternoon Art Club

We are starting a Saturday Afternoon Art Club at VISA! 

Once a month people who want to work on projects within a group of like-minded people can meet to do art. This would be a great opportunity to complete half-finished projects or to work out new ideas. There is no instruction for this sessions but a facilitator will be on-site.

The first Saturday Afternoon Art Club will be on August 8 from noon-5pm. Everybody welcome.

$15 drop-in fee or purchase a Saturday Afternoon Art Club Card: 5 sessions for $50.

Participants are really enjoying their studio space at VISA. Lots of private alone time combined with interactions with other people working on their art.
Sign up today for a terrific creative experience.


 
To reserve your space now contact the office.
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Or want to refer back to an essay from a few weeks ago, a few months ago? Please note that all the essays posted each week in the newsletter can be found here: 
For more information contact Linda or Laura in the office
Links
Certificate of Visual Art = 1st year of a BFA at Emily Carr VISA's Certificate of Visual Art = 1st year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Media Arts or Bachelor of Design degree at the EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN
Diploma of Fine Arts at VISA transferable to University of Gloucestershire, UK Diploma of Fine Arts + 8 months at the University of Gloucestershire = BA in Fine Art.
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Vancouver Island School of Art
2549 Quadra Street
Victoria, V8T 4E1

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