JUNE 2010 ISSUE 1 $4
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Guts Left to right: Sarah Michelle, Lady Gaga, 2009; Melissa Larkin, musician; Don Maynard, Tidal Mass, 2007 Cover art by Carl Wiens cmy-fly, 2010
46 4 SQUARE2 NOTES 6 CMYK interview with Carl Wiens by Chrissy Poitras 14 DON’T BE AFRAID by Graham Davies 22 SARAH MICHELLE by Becky Lane 24 THE UNICORN & THE SHRINK by Melissa Larkin photography by Michael Grills 26 RON. A MAN prose poem by Andrew McLuhan
28 A NIGHT AT THE REGENT poem by Brandy Gale photography by Michael Grills 40 I BEAST YOU by Becky Lane 46 FRANKEN FOREST the artwork of Don Maynard by Chrissy Poitras 54 TRAVELLING: Performing in Virtual Space by Pam Patterson 69 NEXT ISSUE
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Square2 square2magazine.ca June 2010; Issue 1 2M-206 Main Street, Picton Ontario K0K 2T0 613.476.0337 info@square2magazine.ca DIRECTORS / RenĂŠ Dick, Chrissy Poitras, Kyle Topping DESIGN CONSULTANTS / Vivy Naso, Craig Smith COPY EDITORS / Becky Lane, Betsy Matthews, Laura Todd Square2 is published quarterly in March, June, September, December. Published by Spark Box Studio and Scout Design. For advertising inquires contact info@square2magazine.ca www.sparkboxstudio.com www.scoutdesign.ca Printed in Canada by JB Printing. photograph by Michael Grills
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ebster’s dictionary describes the word culture as “the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a place or time.” To the art world, culture is a source for both inspiration and critique; a group of ideals to be challenged, analyzed, discussed and presented to the public in a new way. Culture can transform art and shift its direction. Likewise, art can transform culture and be a catalyst for change. Square2 is Prince Edward County’s newest arts and culture publication showcasing some of the community’s best cultural thinkers. Published quarterly, Square 2 engages the contemporary arts scene through interviews, essays, profiles and visuals, spanning the everchanging gamut of artistic practice, and maybe raising a few eyebrows along the way. Square2 strives to present work representative of the creative diversity, here, in our own community, as well as in Canadian arts culture at large. We hope the work shown in this issue reflects “culture” in its broadest sense, while illustrating the diversity that becomes apparent whenever we undertake the work of interpreting culture though the arts. 5
CMYK
interview with Carl Wiens by Chrissy Poitras
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fly with the innards of a machine, an off-registered tricycle and a fresh look at human evolution are the beginnings of a new body of work for artist Carl Wiens. After working for over 20 years as a freelance illustrator, Wiens has taken on the challenge of re-inventing himself as a fine artist. Wiens’ recent work in print media is informed by his strength as an illustrator and reflects his interests in diagrams, machinery, science and the 1950s.
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Square 2: Having built a successful career as a full-time illustrator, do you find it challenging to create a body of personal work? Carl Wiens: Everything I do carries its own set of challenges. With every assignment I take on as an illustrator, I hope to learn something, to try something new. My recent series began as an exploration, an admiration of diagrams and scientific objects. I wanted to explore new directions. These new directions have now become a part of my illustrative work. I make it a priority to let personal work drive my professional work. It has been very rewarding to do that, and I think it has been successful. And fun. S2: Describe your process in creating a new piece. CW: I start with a concept, or thumbnail if something specific comes to mind. I have a collection of images that I have built up over time, images that come from old encyclopaedias, textbooks and catalogues. I combine images on the computer at random, and then I take a look at what they suggest to me. 8
I start by adding other images and overlapping them to see what else emerges. Sometimes an idea works, sometimes it doesn’t. Usually, I let something sit for a few days and then take a look and see if I can add something to it or simplify it, if need be. The pieces need to grow and evolve and be pushed for them to work. S2: Why does printmaking, specifically silkscreen, fit so well with your imagery? CW: My work has always been very graphic and linear. I try to reduce things down to a basic level and throw away unnecessary details. I really like the idea of working with two or three colours — you have to balance everything carefully while still maintaining a sense of spontaneity. Good design is like that. I always admire the work of artists who can combine simple shapes and colours to create something that stands out. S2: If you had to explain your work to a stranger, how would you describe it? CW: Object permanence. Just because you can’t see something any longer doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. It’s a psychological concept. I want to take
Previous: Bird Flew, 2010 screenprint 15" x 20" Left: Evolution, 2010 screenprint 15" x 20"
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objects and reinvent or rearrange them so that what you see stays in your mind. I could also say that my studio is a laboratory and I am like a mad scientist, working feverishly late at night to create new life forms, on paper. S2: Your imagery is based on found elements of times past. Why is it important for you to use this type of imagery? CW: I like the aesthetic of engravings and the idea of bringing elements of the past to convey contemporary ideas. I don’t want this work to be nostalgic, but I feel it does provoke a response in 10
the viewer. The linework is bold, graphic and powerful, something that I value. S2: Many of your works use collage. What is it about this method that appeals to you? CW: Collage is evocative. Simple shapes can be very suggestive; our mind’s eye fills in so many blanks. It is something I have dabbled in before, but now I am making a more conscientious effort to utilize it and make it work. The screen prints are digital collages, but I am also printing on top of paper collages. Apophenia is the experience of finding patterns and significance in random images. It can be a
Left: Electric Pyjamas, 2010 screenprint 9" x 18" Above: Red Robot, 2010 screenprint on collage 9" x 10" 11
Left: Kingbee, 2010 screenprint 15” x 20” Right: Tricycle, 2010 screenprint on collage 15" x 20" 12
psychosis but it is also something that our minds gravitate towards. It is that element that appeals to me. S2: Your work often plays with the theme of transition from organic life to robotic life. Could you speak about that concept? CW: We live in a time when we can see inside an atom and look at the farthest reaches of the universe. I’m just trying to make sense of what I see. When you can unlock the building blocks of living organisms and start rearranging things, it provokes a response. These prints speak to that. S2: Why did you limit yourself to CMYK? CW: I have made the choice to work with CMYK colours – cyan, magenta, yellow and black. These are transparent and create additional colours as one is printed atop another. It’s the basis of most of the prints you pick up today. I like the technical aspect of choosing the right combinations and the richness and depth of colour that you get. It’s all about balance.
CW: I think that the division between the two art worlds is blurring and narrowing. People are connecting with the work of illustrators and galleries selling pieces by Ryden or Taxali or Biskup are doing very well. So many venues are opening up for illustrative artwork. Galleries are not the only venue to exhibit artwork either. There have been so many shifts in the art market, it is hard to keep track. I would like to have my work published in magazines and books. I would like to reach as many people as possible through the internet. Also, I’d like to exhibit my work in galleries as well. It’s nice to have the freedom to choose, to keep mixing things up. By the same token, you can’t limit yourself to just one area if you want to keep working. Be sure to see Wiens’ work at Oeno Gallery July 2010. www.carlwiens.com
S2: In the end do you see a difference between working as a commercial artist and working as an exhibiting artist? 13
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igh school student Sarah Michelle is one of Prince Edward County’s up and coming young artists. With an original take on portraiture and a talent for realism, she is making her mark. She may be young, but Michelle is no stranger to the arts scene. Her talent, combined with a dedicated approach to self-promotion, has garnered the attention of numerous patrons and seen her work exhibited in an impressive array of Prince Edward County venues, including this year’s The Earliest Crop show at Arts on Main Gallery. Given her early successes, what has she discovered through the process? “I’ve come to learn that community and friends make a world of difference when it comes to accomplishing your goals.” We couldn’t have said it better.
Left: Falling, 2009 acrylic and water colour on canvas 24" x 28" Right: Something Smells Fishy, 2010 acrylic on canvas 12" x 12"
Sarah Michelle by Becky Lane
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The Unicorn & The Shrink by Melissa Larkin photography by Michael Grills
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hen I was a child, I told people I wanted to be a singer or a psychiatrist when I grew up. To this day, it amazes me that this was my answer. It’s as though my child mind knew I had to pause slightly, and then throw in a more conventional answer, so the person asking could be reassured that I wasn’t going to throw my life away as an artist. Sometimes people react to my profession as a singer/songwriter as though I’ve just told them I am a mermaid or a unicorn. They look at me with a glassy-eyed faux-smile that seems to say: “Sure you are honey.” Even as a child, it seems I knew I should shroud my true dream in conformity to protect it. As a result, I was an artist in denial for a long time. I sang safely in church choirs and musical theatre while hoarding away volumes of poetry, prose, novels, and, finally, songs that I had written. I excelled at school. I became the president of 24
my high school. I played on sports teams. I was poised to make a great psychiatrist. I went to university, and learned some guitar chords. It’s a good thing that school came easily to me because, for the next four years, I rarely did anything other than play guitar and write music. To me, there is nothing finer than a silent space, a cup of tea, and the endless possibility of me, my guitar, and my journal. So, I kept it that way, my secret personal pastime. I hoarded away hundreds of songs, and kept them safe in shoeboxes in my closet, until I bought a one-way ticket to Europe; a ticket that found me in Northern Africa, sleeping on rooftops in the midst of the Sahara desert. There I was, truly alone, sleeping beside my guitar. When I woke up, I saw myself as I truly am. I am an artist. I am a singer. I am a writer. I threw the
psychiatrist over the roof and buried her in the sand. I’d like to say I never looked back. But the truth is, despite the hundreds of shows I’ve played and the countless tours I’ve joined, occasionally, that psychiatrist shows up at my door, mouth full of sand, saying: “You should’ve chosen me.” Each time she does, it takes a lot of energy to convince myself, and her, that art is my choice. That choice is what keeps my art raw, and my music honest — I truly think that choosing art is one of the most valiant and brave professions in the world. There is no safety in art. But there is no greater joy than saying yes to what your heart truly wants, and my heart wants to sing.
Melissa Larkin is an acclaimed singer/ songwriter, currently living in Prince Edward County. With nearly a decade of grassroots experience booking, managing, marketing, recording, writing, co-writing and touring, Melissa is set to release her debut full length album Found Traveler this year. Melissa will be on a Canadian festival tour this summer alongside bandmates Nine Mile. Track her down at www.melissalarkin.com.
I moved to the county two years ago, after a brief stint living in the city. Much has changed since then. I bought a farm and am learning how to grow things. I became a mother six months ago, and am more full of inspiration and life than ever before. I am releasing my album this year, a project that has taken me five long years to complete, and finally, I feel that the shrink in me has sulked off, sullen and dejected after realizing that she just can’t compete. Who could compete with a unicorn? 25