July 16, 2014
Vancouver Island School of Art Newsletter

Small idea is a big idea

Part of my attraction to Franklin Evans' work (right) is that it looks like what you might see in an art school. I see art school as a place for experimentation, exuberance, confusion, and for discovering and understanding the multi-layered and possible meanings of material, process and content. Evans' work characterizes these elements quite well and it also addresses the idea of studio practice. Often what we see on a gallery's wall is a far cry from the way the work looked in the studio. Evans' installations offer us a private viewing of the artistic process that only goes on behind the closed doors of the studio.

For those of you who aren't familiar with art writer Blake Gopnik's Daily Pic site, here is an example: Franklin Evans Shows Us Painting Today. And here is a short video that reveals the autobiographical nature of Evans' monumental installations: Franklin Evans: Paint and Process. To hear the artist give an in-depth overview of his work, a recent artist talk is posted here: Franklin Evans at the School of Visual Arts. In this talk, Evans generously reveals his influences and his transition from painting to painting as installation. A recurring theme in Evans' work is the idea of making working from work, and taking one small idea and repeating it over and over again so that is continually appears to be new. The repeated forms and gestures bring the separate works together as a whole in the installations, and they also make the content of Evans' art about working out an idea; the repetition stands in for thought processes. 
 
The artist talk in the link above provides an interesting overview of the work leading up to Evans' major installations. His early work can also be be seen on the Jeff Bailey Gallery's website. The earlier paintings are very dense and appear to almost burst out of the picture plane, perhaps even foreshadowing the development of Evans' installation practice. For further insight into Evans' work, a 2009 review in Art in America can be found here: Franklin Evans and a recent (Dec 2013) interview in the Brooklyn Rail: In Conversation. There is a good essay in the Hyperallergic blog which contextualizes Franklin Evans in terms of Yve-Alain Bois' 1993 book Painting as Model.

Most of Evans' paintings are done in watercolour (as seen in the image below), a medium not always associated with contemporary art practice. We often think of watercolours as being used for small paintings or studies, so this becomes another example of how Evans takes a small idea and makes it big.


TAKE SOME TIME OFF THIS SUMMER TO PAINT.
SEVERAL GREAT PAINTING WORKSHOPS THIS SUMMER AT VISA:

July 22-25  Kate Scoones
 
August 5-9  Wendy DeGros
 
August 5-9  Neil McClelland
 
August 12-15  Barrie Szekely
 
August 19-22  Jeremy Herndl
 
All workshops are Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm

Cost: $365 (24 hours of instruction) 
Remember to mention the 10% discount if you are registering TEN days before the start of the workshop.
 
Supply lists are on-line under course descriptions. Don't worry if you don't have all the supplies on the list as we have lots of extras at school (paint, brushes, medium, gesso, paper, etc.)
 
 
PAINTING THE EVERYDAY WITH GOUACHE
July 22-25, Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm

This four-day workshop will introduce you to gouache , 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. Suitable for 
complete beginners.

Instructor: Kate Scoones
 
The Saturday Afternoon Art Club

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 9 from noon-5pm. Everybody welcome.

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

If you are interested in participating in the inaugural Saturday Afternoon Art Club on August 9, please let the office know in advance. The event is contingent on people making a commitment prior to August 9: Saturday Afternoon Art Club
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.
For more information contact Linda or Melissa 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 | | [email protected] | http://vancouverislandschoolart.com
Vancouver Island School of Art
2549 Quadra Street
Victoria, V8T 4E1

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