Works in Progress: Part 1

While I always write about art for this blog, I rarely write about my own creations. That said, here are a few shots – and a brief description – of my latest project. More to come.

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Over the course of the last year, I have been shooting buildings, clouds and trees – on everything from a camera to a phone.

While many of these images will be used for my largest, and most ambitious body of work yet, I recently decided to take a break from planning to produce a few small pieces.

Above, are some shots of my work to date. I will post more as the project progresses.

A Few of My Favorite Artists

From the purely realistic, to the thoroughly abstract, when it comes to art, I love it all. While a list of my favorite artists would go on forever, here are some of my current fav’s.

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ABOVE: Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2012, mixed media, approx. 140 x 42 x 33 inches

For the purposes of this blog, I have decided to keep this list short…and contemporary. Without further ado, here it is:

Vim Delvoye

Who builds a shit making machine? Vim Delvoye, that’s who. If that alone weren’t enough to make this list, his website is awesome too.

Nick Cave

Nick Cave makes beautiful, technicolor costumes (aka: soundsuits) that perfectly blend dance and music with the visual arts. It doesn’t get more fun than this.

Molly Crabapple

A talented drafts person, Wikipedia describes Crabapple’s art as pop/surrealism. Of all the artists on this list, she is by far the most political – at least overtly.

Olafer Eiliasson

A truly immersive artist, Eiliasson’s sculptures and installations are all about the experience. The Weather Project is a perfect example of this.

Cai Guo-Qiang

Everyone loves firecrackers; Guo-Qiang brings them into the realm of ‘fine’ art. His large-scale installations aren’t half bad either.

Michelangelo: Quest for Genius

While most of his works never travel, some of Michelangelo’s sketches have squeaked through customs, and into Toronto. For serious viewers only.

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ABOVE: Michelangelo, Studies for the Head of Leda, around 1530, red chalk on paper, 14 x 10.6 inches, Casa Buonarroti, Florence

This past weekend, I visited the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) to see Michelangelo: Quest for Genius.

Before I go any further, I feel I should manage expectations: There are no big-time pieces, or even finished drawings here – only preparatory sketches.

If you’re an art lover, and somewhat familiar with the works of Michelangelo, this isn’t a big deal. If you’re a casual observer, you may leave feeling underwhelmed, and if you bring a child, they may leave feeling bored.

As an art lover, I really enjoyed this subtle (and small) show. It isn’t flashy, but it is well thought out and informative.

Put simply, this is a thinking persons exhibition that offers an inside glimpse into the mind of one of histories greatest artists.

If this little review hasn’t turned you off, I highly recommend you go.

Michelangelo: Quest for Genius is at the AGO until January 11, 2015.

Art & Education

The three R’s (reading, writing and arithmetic) are important, but they aren’t the be all and end all of education; aRt is important too.

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Owing to budgetary constraints, arts education has been steadily decreasing in our schools, while math and reading have slowly taken over the curriculum.

This is a worrisome trend given that the arts have been linked to academic achievement and social/emotional development.

Standardized testing has, to a degree, necessitated this shift, but what administrators fail to realize, is that involvement in the arts can actually lead to gains in math and reading – as well as cognitive ability and critical thinking.

For the disengaged, art can be a refuge. For the bored, it can be fun. Speaking from experience, my schooling would have sucked without it.

Math and reading are certainly  important, but so too are the arts.