Woo Fall 2016

WOO FA L L 2 0 1 6 PEOPLE

WOO FA L L 2 0 1 6 PEOPLE

Editor-In-Chief Adi Berardini

Art Director Lula Christman

Creative Director Katrina Megan Yu

Media Director Sam Wong

Design Team Yuriy Kyrzov Naitik Mehta Ying Tang Jordan Tate Cindy Wu Banban Zhao

Media Team Eric Cheun Ester Tรณthovรก Matthew Wong

Illustrator Joy Kim

Editorial Team Karishma Bhindi Evangeline Lansink Nicole Sitanski

editor's letter

We have noticed a sense of electric enthusiasm from the student body at Emily Carr this fall. Students have sparked an interest in starting many incredible initiatives and projects on campus. In response, the WOO team has brainstormed the theme of people for this issue to showcase the diverse and rich population of the school.

Whether it’s through our cultures or creative work, each student brings a breadth of life experience to Emily Carr that creates a unique ecosystem. We noticed that within the theme of people, other interesting themes grew such as moving away from home, the environment, and mental health. Through this issue, we want to focus on the stories that thread us together as art and design students and bring student initiatives to the forefront.

Without the hard work of the dedicated students on the WOO team this publication would not be possible. Thank you to our Artistic Director, Lula Christman, and Creative Director, Katrina Megan Yu, for their artistic vision and amazing organizational skills. As always, the student publication would not be possible without the strong submissions of the students.

Sincerely, Adi Berardini

The Seed of Nostalgia

BY Sanya arora

Out of all the spices that gave India the nickname “Land of Spices,” one is used so regularly that it is often

and learning about the processes involved in making the best curry and vegetables, or even rice, did I realize the

overlooked. It is cylindrically shaped with pointed ends,

importance of the cumin seed. It is used in everything

in varying shades of brown, from raw umber to russet.

and it is as much a part of me as my family, and other

Alone, it is so minuscule that you can only see the ridges

relationships and objects are.

when you look closely. It is small and inconsequential, but packs a punch when used in numbers—the cumin

I relate cumin seeds to my culture, and to certain feelings

seed. If there is one thing that makes a house ‘home’

and expressions that have been inscribed in me since I

for me, it is the smell of cumin seeds being roasted.

was born. I would define culture as the way of life, the

Although it sends everyone into a coughing fit, it

everyday in a certain society, and only once I was away

signifies comfort, a sense of belonging, and certainty.

from a place where this very culture was predominant did I realize what a big part of my identity my culture

I have lived in India my entire life, and this being my

was.

first move away from home, I begin to understand the importance of such ‘small, inconsequential’ things. I can

When I moved to Vancouver, I would not say that I

still recall all the conversations I had with my parents

experienced a ‘cultural shock,’ but that I am learning

about how once I got out of India, I would not be eating

every day through new experiences. Not only do I learn

any Indian food. However, once I reached here, and

about this place and its culture, but also a lot about

started to stay here, I admit, almost sheepishly, that

myself and my individual identity. I associate my current

Indian food is the only food that gives me a sense of

situation with that of a cumin seed in a mouth that does

peace and comfort. Through this journey of making

not recognize its flavour. I am in a strange land, a land

where no one knows me, recognizes me or understands

Similar to the cumin seeds that are used in every Indian

where I come from. However I am also in a land where

dish, I carry my culture, my beliefs and ideals wherever

I can truly and freely explore myself, and understand

I go and in whatever I do. The cumin seed is a metaphor,

myself for who I am ‘individually’ and not ‘collectively’,

yet it is also an object that I relate to. Its familiar

since I am faced with all cultures but my own. These very

taste makes me think of home, and all the memories

differences make me feel like my culture is important and

associated with that place—bitter and sweet. It is a small

that its mark is felt and acknowledged.

yet powerful ingredient. It makes me remember all those wonderful meals shared together as a family, the

I like to relate this to a child being thrown into water, to

festivities, time spent together, and so much more.

teach him or her how to swim. The child only follows their instinct and splashes around, gradually figuring

The cumin seed is a direct link between me and my

out certain movements that keep him or her afloat. I am

family, between where I am now and where I come from,

in strange waters, and my ‘instinct’ is everything that I

between learning new experiences and acknowledging

have learnt until now. This ‘everything’ is all the beliefs,

learnings from the past. It is a link between my identity

ideals, notions, values that have been moulded and

and my culture.

shaped into me, and make me who I am today. In these strange waters, I am the cumin seed in a mouth strange to its taste; the only thing I can survive on is my instinct, which comes to me without any conscious effort. My identity is this instinct, something which reveals itself at its own will and possibly in every action I undertake.

Susie Wilson Interface, 2016 Pen & Ink

I am interested in the human body, its political significance, and its relationship with technology. The simplified graphic style of many comics allows them to explore slippery themes without becoming esoteric.

Kaylene Johnstone Transformation, 2013 Acrylic Paint

“Transformation� was inspired by artist Jenny Saville for her fusion of different body types and abstraction through flesh, and Xenia Hausner for her vibrant unnatural use of colours. The subject of the painting included three close friends of mine who all identify under the trans spectrum. Through rearranging the body parts and faces of these figures, they transform into a blend of an ambiguous whole. The brightness and multitude of colours used within the figures describes the abundant diversity and uniqueness within the queer community.

Julia Cundari

Site C Dam, 2016 Collage

A series of collages outlining the issues surrounding the proposed Site C dam on the Peace River Valley in British Columbia Canada. An estimated eight billion dollar project, uncountable environmental concerns, and destruction of hunting, fishing, farming grounds of treaty 8 First Nations peoples—all reasons to end construction.

yuriy kyrzov

77,500+ Years, 2016 Mixed Media

It takes approximately 500 years for one plastic bag to fully decompose when discarded into the environment. This piece is composed of 77,500 or more years of decomposition time due to the amount of bags used within it. This work is a textural exploration with neglected objects that associates itself with issues relating to waste, overconsumption and the invisibility that we place onto certain objects which can lead to unfortunate circumstances due to our irresponsible lifestyles.

amy brereton / Lovers, 2016 / Ink on Paper

Mwaba Chandia

Through My Eyes, 2016 Acrylic & Watercolour

“Through My Eyes” is a work about embracing one’s culture and history, which can be seen in my use of a chitenge pattern on the figures top as well as the shape of her hair and features. This piece calls up feelings of nostalgia for me as I look at the Frangipani flowers, a reoccurring symbol in my work, in place of the figure’s eyes. This flower has covered the grounds surrounding my home in Zambia for as long as I can remember and so they connect me to my childhood. In terms of symbolism, the Frangipani has several meanings in different places, but the one which resonates with me most is the notion that they are able withstand difficult situations. Additionally, in order to catch fire they have be heated to over 260 degrees Celsius which reinforces their notion of endurance. This is why I chose to depict her hair as burning coal, to reflect the difficulty and strength rooted in hair and identity.

I also felt that the shape and scale of the hair helps bring attention to as well as ask the viewer to think about the notion of hair.

Sahand Mohajer / A Blind Sax Player Hitting the Notes Right, 2016 A blind sax player hitting the notes right Angry taxpayers walking with their headphones on Philosopher handing out her business card To policymaker who is repetitive in his speech ‘Yes yes I will look into it, yes, I will look’ Let me ask, have you seen the internet shepherd Or are they too stuck on an escalator Of a mall of a mall of a mall in Dubai Have you broken bread or have you touched the soil today And where did you sleep last night Was it not a motel Oh a hotel, you are right They had those tiny shampoo bottles You asked for more of Don’t feel guilty There’s enough to go around

SUNROOP DHILLON Oasis, 2016 Acrylic on Canvas

This artwork is a hybrid of both my Indian culture as well as the western environment I am from. The greenery is inspired by the amazing amount of plants and nature in Vancouver and was rendered in the work by various techniques of mark making. The figure in the centre emphasizes the idea that life is temporary and eventually you will return to earth itself. This idea is realized by making him a part of the forest or "oasis" and he is absorbed back into it.

set kang / Living Room, 2013 / Acrylic on Canvas

Yanyan Yu / Escape, 2016 / Pen & Digital

Tajliya Jamal / Book Drawings, 2016 / Mixed Media

Top Ten: People Archetypes in the Gallery

BY Brittany Meunier It’s a Wednesday afternoon at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Atlas. The large scale (approximately 10’ by 12’) silver

The blockbuster exhibition Picasso and his Muses closed

gelatin prints of underground caves offer ample backdrop

only days earlier and the space has been returned to its

for the pair. They pose for the camera jovially before

much quieter norm. There is more room for prolonged

inspecting the results. Exclamations of “terrible picture!”

and meaningful interactions with the four exhibitions

drift across the room amongst bouts of laughter before

currently on display. Visitors drift in and out gathering

the pair move on in search of more backdrops. Breaking

their own unique experiences, but who are these mid-

away from the learned behaviour of quiet contemplation,

week art aficionados and what can be gleaned from their

these two gentlemen brought renewed life to the

varied interactions? Here are the top ten most interesting

tired gallery tour. It was reinvented as a venue for the

approaches.

cataloguing of their shared experience.

1. The Accidental Performance

3. The Jogger

The sounds of construction greet visitors as they set foot

A middle aged man wearing a tracksuit and runners

in the main gallery entrance. The first floor is blocked off

enters through the main doors into the rotunda. He

for the dismantling of the Picasso exhibition and traffic

blazes past the workers destroying the Barbara Kruger

is being directed further in towards the central rotunda.

installation with sure brisk strides. Up all four stories he

Here, an exhibition is being dismantled. The first two

ascends with alacrity, returning mere minutes later on

stories of the rotunda had been covered in Barbara Kru-

his descent. He tours each exhibition at a snapshot pace,

ger’s Untitled (SmashUp) 2016, a series of bold black and

glancing casually as he goes as if its all-too-familiar and

white digital prints on vinyl engulfing the architecture

yet worthy of his time and effort. What a curious avenue

in text and emoticons. Two young people, in jeans and

for gallery art, to be viewed so casually as a jogger views

t-shirts, sit on low platforms slashing at the vinyl on the

the changing scenery on his favourite footpath: and how

floor with exacto blades. Above them, spectators stop to

poetic.

watch the performance as these youths destroy Kruger’s imagery which so closely mimics the texting language

4. The Mother-Daughter Outing

of their generation. As painstaking as the job is, these

The entirety of the third floor is dedicated to Bharti

gallery workers are transformed into performance artists

Kher’s survey exhibition Matter and this is where the

for a day, completing their task to the sound of cameras

children are to be found. The rooms abound with playful

flashing.

mash-ups: sculptures of half naked women featuring antlers or tails, domestic portraits of half-human

2. The Selfie Tour

half-primate models, anatomical posters of pregnancy

You hear these two before you see them. Enthusiastic

covered in glitter, steps leading nowhere draped with

and full of laughter, two gentlemen in their mid-thirties

ornate fabric. A mother and daughter weave their way

stop for a photo op in the rotunda before proceeding

through the displays, led by the elementary girl’s sheer

to the second floor and Stephen Waddell’s Dark Matter

inquisitive nature. Unabashedly she pelts her mother

with questions and statements of approval “I like this one!

Mom, why would they cut her boob off? They’re pretty!”.

The mother responds simply and honestly “I don’t know. I think just to make the sculpture more interesting.” There is no label reading or deep contemplation here. This is family time—decoding the artist intent is irrelevant. What matters is the independent experience and that is what they will take home with them.

5. The Investigator Up on the fourth floor, the gallery takes on a more intimate setting. The ceiling is lower, the spotlights dimmer, and the three rooms smaller, each with a single bench in the centre. These are the rooms dedicated to the exhibition Emily Carr and Wolfgang Paalen in British Columbia.

There is a lot of educational material on the walls but the investigator ignores this at first. She is dressed comfortably and comfortably is how she appears to experience the room. Upon entering she scans the space, she selects a work and inspects it; first from afar and then up close, her nose almost touches the canvas. She is smiling to herself, clearly enjoying her time with the artwork. Receding, she searches in the exhibition catalogue attached to the bench, reading at a leisurely pace.

What matters is the independent experience and that is what they will take home with them.

Finally, she takes photos of the artwork, catalogue, and

9. The High school Field Trip

wall label before moving on. This is a person at ease in

Scattered throughout the galleries are packs of teenage

the gallery setting, aware of what is being offered and

students each clutching a clipboard with ominously blank

searching for what speaks to her.

question sheets. Snippets of gossip float on the air as they move in units among the exhibits. They stand facing

6. The Matching Couple Amongst Emily Carr’s landscape paintings, a middle aged couple moves through the gallery arm in arm. They are dressed in matching black pants and striped shirts, a visual representation of their solidarity. Engaging in continuous lively conversation focused on the art before them, they hug the edges of the gallery pausing here and there to examine a piece or read a wall label. Here, the art and supplementary material is succeeding in instigating dialogue.

7. The Room Surveyor She is young, wears a tight red skirt, dark red lipstick,

each other, strangely excluding the art they are there to investigate. At length they break apart (presumably remembering the question sheet) to read the wall labels, pens at the ready. A sort of bored treasure hunt is taking place here, effectively reducing art from experience to regurgitated facts and opinions.

10. The Guardians Spotted throughout the galleries, at times outnumbering the guests, are the guardians; smartly dressed men and women with bored expressions and gazes that follow the movements of the spectators. Set with the task of protecting the artwork, their presence creates the air of wardship where one is allowed to visit only under

and her hair in a smooth bun. This look is polished off

supervision. Despite the prolonged proximity, every

by the clicking of high heels as she approaches and the

now and again they move to investigate a piece, perhaps

appearance of the clipboard. She enters each gallery and

taking notice of some small detail they hadn’t seen before.

in turn, moves to the middle of the space and observes the exhibition as a whole. She makes no move to study individual works, only the space they occupy. She is the surveyor, seeking in the whole something more than the sum of its parts.

8. The Audio Guided Ah the audio guide, the ultimate in manufactured art experience. Bharti Kher’s Matter is outfitted with just such an option, available as an app to your phone with complimentary wifi. Each work included in the guide bears a numbered symbol on the wall label allowing listeners to keep track of their progress. A lone woman in her 30s wears headphones. She is moving from symbol to symbol, systematically absorbing the proffered knowledge in her ears as her eyes search for the described meaning. She is consuming what has been offered, most likely at the expense of self-directed thought.

Christine Wei

Not Far for Reach, 2015 Pencil, Marker, Ink on Moleskine

Through an abstracted expression, this piece had taken on the mechanics of gesture drawing and my personal reflection on the state of mind of people today. I see constant movements and actions while looking at people and their lives and life itself is a current string of actions. The meaning of “actions” are two-fold in this context. Firstly, is the literal interpretation of action, where people never stop moving, transporting, or migrating.

Secondly, the postures I chose to incorporate are of a person reaching up or toward something because we are always in “action” of progressing or reaching toward goals in our lives. There might be hardships and voids in life, demonstrated by the black areas of this piece, which discourage our progress or endeavours. However, as long as people keep reaching up and hold on to their faith, strength and patience, they could be embracing a bright light that is not too far from reach.

feeling subdued

by Karishma Bhindi To step in exterior, you need courage To slip in distinct, you need valor To adapt to strangers, you need spirit To see outgrowth, you need vigor To instill stability, you need resiliency To be a learner, you need firmness To blend in with aliens, you need strength To see yourself change, you need patience To redeem yourself from past, you need a direction To satiate your agitated soul, you need motivation To build your dreams, you need to be a believer Alas...to live thousand miles away, you need to be strong-willed!

allison chan / Blue, 2016 / Acrylic

dating while exotic by evAngeline lansiNk Countless motherlands and matriarchs between us.

I’m exhaling because I’ve always wanted to be understood— It’s like medicine for my displaced soul.

Thousands of miles of diaspora and my mongrel counterpart has found me at last.

Together we are hair and beads and food and fabric and stories you tell with your hands.

Bursting with beauty in the shape of our eyes, our noses, our mothers and fathers.

And all you can say is “I bet you two will make beautiful babies.”

Katia Hernández Velasco

About The Femicides of Ecatepec, 2016 Mono silkscreen Prints

“About the Femicides of Ecatepec” is a series of experimental prints that informs about the dangers of being a woman living in Ecatepec, the locality with the most femicides in Mexico. I explored the mexican culture that builds up the “machismo” (patriarchy) that is killing a lot of women just for the fact of being women.

The Big Idea: Breaking Down Mental Health Stigma

By Adi Berardini AND Lisa Recchia

As a community, we need to evaluate how we approach

push boundaries. However, the environment you are

issues regarding mental health. Students should

in can affect whether you feel welcome to experiment.

understand their resources around mental wellness

The architecture of Emily Carr arguably doesn’t feel

and be able to manage stress in a healthy manner. The

welcoming with stark white walls and concrete pavilions.

stigma behind mental health still exists, but together we can work to break it down. It’s important to seek the

As we head to the new Great Northern Way campus,

support you need from friends, family and professionals.

we should focus on creating an organic, supportive

Sometimes you may not feel alright and that’s okay.

space at Emily Carr. An initiative that supports mental

You’re not alone.

health is The Commons, which focuses on wellness by

Creating a safe space around mental health involves the

Additionally, The Students' Union has started the

use of appropriate language both in the classroom and

initiative of a Mental Health Roundtable to ensure that

providing fun workshops and engagement for students.

casual setting. Next time you are about to say “That’s crazy” or “That’s insane,” stop yourself. Be sure to acknowledge the language you use that perpetuates the stigma around mental health. Try saying “You have a keen eye for detail” instead of saying “Your work is OCD.” Mental illnesses are not adjectives. Critiques themselves can be weary on a student’s self-esteem since the line can get misconstrued between yourself and your work.

In addition, art and other creative work is a personal endeavor that can sometimes be about a difficult subject.

We should act empathetically towards each other and take a moment to think before we speak.

Students are also under a lot of pressure at an art school.

Feeling the need to continually be creative and make original work is burdensome on our mental health. It’s rooted into our minds that failure is a negative thing, when failure and creativity are inherently linked. We should use failure as a fuel to try harder, experiment and

Critiques themselves can be weary on a student’s self-esteem.

student’s mental wellness needs are being met through an open discussion with Counselling and Student

Here are some community resources in addition to the school’s counselling:

Services. The extended coverage of the Greenshield student health plan also covers a certain amount of

Mindfulness Meditation is held at the school every

money for external counselling.

Wednesday, as well as free yoga on Fridays.

Ensure that you take care of yourself and find healthy

Mood Disorders BC is a non-profit organization that

ways to de-stress. Self-care is extremely important,

provides treatment, support, and recovery for those

especially during busy times. Although the Vancouver

living with a mood disorder.

landscape can get washed out by grey, attempt to find something that will bring you some light. Drink enough

Anxiety BC ’s motto is “Resources, Results, Relief.” They

water, go for a walk around Granville Island and try to

provide assistance with educational videos, anxiety plans

get enough sleep. You can show someone support by

and an app called MindShift. They also hold an annual

offering to go on a lunch break when you see that they’ve

writing and video contest.

been in the studio for hours. Most importantly, remember that you’re not alone.

The YMCA holds group mindfulness meetings and counselling.

micro poems by evangeline lansiNk When I told my father “you’re not well read, man” He told me “no, but I am a red man”.

-Haida men and their razor-sharp humour. He out-wits me every time.

Our mother languages aren’t dead. But they’re complicated.

Somewhere between a bird singing and a rough sea.

Hello from the pay-phone behind the old Zellers.

You make me feel like I woke up to an exam I didn’t study for.

And your hair is really greasy.

Wheat fields and I Are so similar.

isadora rodrigues / Transformation, 2016 / Watercolour, Acrylic, Digital

Boring as fuck.

Madeleine Phillips / Schooner Cove Blue, 2016 /Acrylic Paint on Canvas

An Interview with Paige Bowman By nicole sitanski Have you ever struggled with what is marketable or can be sold versus what you want to do or what comes natural?

I'm really inspired by highly graphic works, and I think works that are heavily stylized draw my attention the most. At one point when I was younger and inspired by anime, I tried as hard as I could to fit into that style.

When I was twelve or thirteen and began to consider what I wanted to do career wise, I was told that Western artists would not get jobs if they draw in an anime style.

That was kind of my first interaction with like, "oh, maybe I shouldn't be doing this, but I like doing this."

Then I discovered that there is a whole wealth within Western cartooning and the Western style, but I still love anime and I'll still draw anime.

Your work has a very high level of detail and pattern.

Is this a result of careful planning or spontaneous process decisions?

It's a mix of both. Again, I'm more drawn to heavily graphic imagery. Animals are the focus of my work, and as opposed to doing sketchy and messy fur patterns, I prefer to simplify them with stronger angles and bolder lines. Having the confidence in doing stronger lines is something you have to almost teach yourself. It used to be a lot harder for me not too long ago to make the kind of lines I do now easily. After a while, a lot of it comes down to muscle memory and being confident with your strokes.

It's sort of a blend of cartoon and realism that lead me to do that kind of art.

I don't draw animals from life, it's more of an abstraction of their energy.

You did a mural recently. Did your process change

that you can go in really close and build on textures and

working large scale from the usual parameters of

patterns very intimately. I really like that, because when

your work?

you're using traditional materials you can only get so small before control becomes a lot more challenging. I like this

The Vancouver Mural Festival was a huge learning

sometimes, like in cases where I want to have a more

process. It wasn't the first time my work was being

delicate effect to a texture I'm putting in; however, when

produced in a mural format. I was lucky enough to

you're working digitally you have the benefit of zooming in

be a part of a project with Adobe where my work was

three times the amount you can on something traditional.

reproduced as a mural in New York, along with nine

Both mediums have their benefits, it's only a matter of

other female student artists from around the world.

getting those smaller details you normally can't.

However, it was my first time working in large scale and taking the brush to the wall. The process was making

How has your practice changed over time?

an image first digitally, and then projecting that directly onto a wall. When I'm doing digital work I include those

It was a combination of my love of animals and the natural

fine details that create that pattern density of my work.

world. I relate a lot to the animals I draw, especially with

That's great, digitally, but when you're creating that on

dogs. I find that I have a lot in common with them on a

a wall with a week's deadline there is going to be a lot of

spiritual level with the risk of sounding cheesy. I really

trouble replicating those small details. I'm happy with

like the wild, unbridled energy they have and how I relate

how it turned out, but if I was given an opportunity to

to it as a kid and reflect that in my work. Then it was just

go back and do another one, I think I'd have to reassess

simplifying my lines to as bold as I could get them, to create

the amount detail I normally put into my art.

line work that captures that feeling. You can see in my earlier stuff that there is less of a concentration in terms of

Considering your interest with the natural, what

patterns and textures. As I evolved as an artist I turned that

made you choose a digital medium instead of

into more of a graphic, bold style that still captures that

something more traditional?

aggressive behaviour but now in a more unified way.

I do both! It's actually pretty interesting, the use of

What do you try to convey through your work?

a tablet and the access in being able to create digital art has influenced the direction my style went in. For

Primal energy, and taking the shape of a living thing is the

example, it's easier for me digitally to produce the kind

best way I could put it. It's taking those forms and making

of lines that I want with pen stabilizers and styles. Not

a natural body out of them. I don't draw animals from life,

saying I can't get the same results traditionally, but

it's more of an abstraction of their energy. So if it's a body of

it's just harder. What's great about a digital format is

a dog or a wolf, then it's the energy I want to translate in the

wolf 's body that makes it. I've been asked why my animals

There’s usually at least one moment where an artist

seem angry or wild, and I don’t think it’s necessarily a

falls into a slump. What are some methods you use to

matter of being angry or violent. Dogs for example, when

find inspiration and escape artist’s block?

they’re very excited or stimulated they can come across as being aggressive even though they’re not being defensive

I’m still trying to figure that out. I’ve encountered more

or willfully hostile. That expression of primal energy is

artist blocks this year than any other point, especially

really inspiring to me because it’s so unleashed and hard

in my professional career which is very ironic because

to recreate as a human. I think people are so conditioned

I feel like in the last year or two I’ve moved more in

to categorize our energy and our feelings into emotional

my professional career than ever before in my life.

boxes, separating us from animals.

Emotionally this year has been very exhausting for me, I started off the year with a break up. That kind of set

Do you create art for yourself or for others?

the tone for everything else. I learned a lot about my relationships and how I handle them, and how I handle

I like producing art for people, which is why the tattooing

rejection, loneliness and anxiety. All of that, while very

industry is so interesting to me and why I love doing

relatable for artists, is something you go through that

commissions for people. I really like making work that

lead to creative blocks. When you have that anxiety where

ultimately will result in being in someone else’s hands.

you’re not even sure of what you’re doing and if it’s good

It’s more inspiring for me, whether that’s graffiti or

despite what criticism might be telling you, you can get

mural making, those are places that make me feel the

really stuck. It’s interesting how the stereotype is that pain

most connected to what I do. Keith Haring is one of my

and struggle contribute to an artist’s work and while that

favourite artists and biggest inspirations and his mentality

may be the case, like I’ve definitely produced work while

of producing art for everybody is kind of my manifesto. I

experiencing loss or anger, I’ve found it’s more the case

mean you can have an entire political conversation about

of the opposite. When I’m experiencing emotional stress

what kinds of art are for whom, but the “lowest” levels

I can’t, and that becomes a vicious cycle because you’re

have always been the most attractive to me. If my art can

aware of it, and then you’re even less inspired. Music and

be a part of someone’s experience by not being in a gallery,

a change of environment help. I’ve been travelling a lot

like being in a place where someone can walk by and see it

this summer and that opened my eyes to ideas and worlds

and aren’t connected to the art world, but can still have art

I want to delve into. Animation is becoming more and

be a part of their life, then I feel more inspired. Whether

more interesting to me as a pastime. The next step in my

or not that’s pompous or ego feeding, I don’t know, but

practice is to involve that in some way, which is inspiring

I know that if I can have people be a part of my practice

because it’s a new challenge. I don’t think anyone can

and process then I feel better about what I do. That being

figure out entirely what helps them the most, but there are

said, there are artworks I've made which have been more

little things that make a difference.

intimate expressions of my own feelings or experiences.

Pete Fung, Samein shamsher & Hjalmar Kristiansen Ocean Confessional, 2016

Ocean Confessional is a facilitated experience where we invite the public to reconsider their relationship with the ocean. With the ocean acting as confessor, participants express and seek forgiveness of past and present environmental transgressions. This is mediated primarily through the use of a piece of biodegradable paper that dissolves within a few seconds on contact with water.

Through this action, our goal is to create a more nuanced, open and ongoing dialogue about how our current behaviours are affecting the ocean. In doing so, this promotes more pro-environmental actions.

Altogether, we had approximately 90 people go through the entire experience.

However, many more stopped to think and talk with us about topics ranging from the importance of ritual in everyday life to the different levels of responsibility between individual citizens and the government with regards to the environment.

Ocean Confessional was recipient of the 2016 Ecological Design Award.

paul grawitz & Stephanie koenig Cyclicity, 2016 Concrete and metal

What is an incredibly abundant resource that is growing at an alarming rate?

Humans! With 7.5 billion of us, we are a resource that is filled with potential!

Cyclicity is a community bike generator that harnesses human power. Its goal is to create an opportunity for people to produce their own energy and become connected with the energy they consume.

Unlike food or clothing, electricity is a resource that we rarely consider as a product that we consume. This lack of connection and awareness is what is prohibiting us as a society from reaching our potential sustainable future. By effectively harvesting human energy, we have the opportunity to connect humans with the energy that they consume. Cyclicity acts as a public engagement installation that would be situated around cities in the main communal areas. Individuals or groups of people would be encouraged to sit and pedal. By pedalling, individuals are able to produce their own electricity that would be integrated into the city’s grid system.

By producing electricity as a community, it reinforces the shared responsibility of energy production. To enhance that experience users are invited to charge their phones by plugging them into the center generator, or they can build up a credit that can be applied to their electricity bill.

Augusta Lutynski Made By Hand, 2016 Leather

These are a pair of classic derby shoes I completed in the second year of my apprenticeship with a shoemaker in Poland. The cobbler I work with specializes in handmade classical custom shoes and historical shoes. I patterned these by hand using classical proportions and used all traditional shoemaking methods, including lasting and welting. For the best strength and durability, every component of these shoes is made out of leather. The time for setting and stitching is executed instead of applying factory quickening methods.

Once always made as a product of the hand, shoes are now among the most mass produced garment. Even as a student studying to be an industrial designer, I believe that many forms of hand craft can never be replaced by the machine and these forms of traditional craft are important. I see that the steps and time put into a handmade pair of shoes has a different outcome than a shoe out of a factory. The process of shoemaking is extremely rewarding and getting to wear those shoes knowing that they are completely natural and didn't bring harm to people or the environment is the cherry on top.

Dennis Valouiski / Electric Kalimba, 2016 / Mahogany, Folded CNC Dibond, Steel Strapping, Piezo Pickups and Adruino.

TEDx Interview with Scott Mallory Jr. and Mona Fani

By Adi Berardini

Adi: What was your motivation for starting Tedx at

creative flexibility to curate the event and the way that it

Emily Carr?

looks. As long as you follow the TED x rules then you’re good. Since it’s the first one co-branded with Emily

Scott: I showed work at the flagship TED conference in

Carr, a lot of it is a discovery process as we navigate this

Vancouver. The event includes the talks, but also the

infrastructure, but we have a basic framework to work

social interaction. The talks are multidisciplinary and so

with.

are the attendees. You meet people who you would not normally expect to meet, and unexpected conversations

Will it correlate with the TEDx Talks? Is it an event here

happen that lead to possible innovation and collaboration

at the school?

in the future. It seemed like at every moment at the conference I had the feeling that I was in exactly the

S: Yes, it’s an independently organized TED event at the

right place at the right time. I wanted to create a similar

school, maximum one day, probably an evening and into

situation, and I met people there who brought me into

the night. It’s an event meant to host those talks and for

the loop of how to do that.

the attendees to have some social engagement. It’s up for us to curate that and maybe some activities that they can

Awesome. How did you get involved?

Mona: I actually bumped into Scott at the end of last school year and I noticed his work was at TED in Vancouver. I thought it was really cool and I wanted to ask how he did that and how he got involved. He was saying that maybe there was a ‘secret’ project in the works for this year so I said give me a shout once you know what you want to do. That’s how it worked out. Also Scott was a TA for my Video Studio class last year, that’s how we met initially.

Do you guys have an idea of the project you want to do or is it a learning curve to see what kind of people you can get involved?

S: A little of both. TED has a very detailed framework that you can start with, but each TED x event has it’s own unique character and creative design. There’s also

engage in.

Fresh conversations happen, leading to innovation.

What kind of speakers are you looking for?

S: We want speakers from a diverse range of disciplines so we’re looking at science, travel, of course technology, entertainment, design, humanities and business. The idea is when we present different talks on disciplines that don’t seem to have too much to do with each other, your mind automatically tries to draw connections between those different things. In those connections, that’s when new ideas happen, and that’s when fresh conversations happen leading to the innovation and collaboration that I previously spoke about.

It sounds like what you are doing is really awesome and I wish you the best of luck.

M: Thank you!

Pictured left to right: Mona Fani, Kimberley Parker and Scott Mallory

hammock

Sarah Palichuk, 2016 Canvas, Wood, Rope

Hammock explores the functionality of rest. I believe that it is important to emphasize periods of rest within our daily routines or throughout our lives. This might mean incorporating objects within the workspace that promote moments of rest. Taking a break allows for rejuvenation and heightened focus. Hammock explores the ease, playfulness and awareness of relaxation.

jamie bale

Transient Seascape, 2016 Acrylic on Red Cedar

This work is a representation of the transient life of the west coast of Vancouver Island. Many people, birds and whales migrate seasonally to the west coast, and this piece is a reflection of that transitory life. The shape is meant to represent the powerful dorsal fin of an orca whale cutting through the surface of the water. The inner forms inspired by the ocean, mountains, sky and movement. These are all invaluable to everyone living in remote areas of the west coast.

Ink’I.D.

By Sophy Xie (In collaboration with Jan Garstka) Ink’I.D. is a speculative design project aimed to take a closer look at the role corporations play in people’s private lives. We designed a 3D printing tattooing system that prints circuit boards on user’s skin that monitors their level of melatonin and supervises sleep to coordinate with their schedules. It recognizes when a user is not alone in bed, and either syncs up two people’s sleeping schedules or makes sure they are not woken up when the other person gets up. To ensure maximum productivity, Ink’I.D. can also accommodate user’s sleep schedules with their colleagues’ schedules. For instance, if there is a meeting in the office early the next day, everyone can be programmed to sleep and wake up around the same time.

We started the project with an interest in the act of sleep because it is the most fundamental part of everyone’s daily routine. Through an early research stage of studying sleep patterns and alternative sleep schedules, we began to consider sleep as an act that enables our bodies to connect with our consciousness. We get sleepy around the same time everyday “unconsciously” as if it has been programmed. Sleeping acts as a biological clock that lives within us. Through the act of sleeping, we are more aware of the connection between our bodies and time.

Sharing a bed with someone else is an intimate thing.

With sleep disorders and various sleeping habits, it is not necessarily as romantically enjoyable as portrayed in movies and novels. It is seen as an exercise for trust building and a test for compatibility between two people.

Ink’I.D. proposes the question of how to achieve the most efficient rest when we share a bed with someone who has completely different schedules than ourselves.

It questions the role that corporations and current social structures play in one’s private life.

[Ink’I.D] questions t corporations and c structures play in o

With the implementation of the nine to five work week after the industrial revolution, an office or a factory worker needed to have eight hours of sleep at night in order to get some rest before another eight hours of work started. Slowly, the purpose of sleeping has shifted from resting our bodies to preserve a healthier body in the future, to resting for a more productive workday. In an economically driven world where profit is valued over anything else, productivity has taken over our lives. We have started to lose the connection to ourselves in the world of corporations, especially around the fundamental necessity of sleep. The industrial revolution not only changed us mentally, but also changed us physically with light pollution. As a result, we no longer have the necessary levels of melatonin in our bodies to sleep healthily. With this in mind, Ink’I.D. wants the viewers to consciously connect with our bodies with the relevant social context.

the role that current social one’s private life.

patrick takata / Trash, 2016 / Colour Film Photography The ground was green that day Wet Covered in moss and spray cans Overgrown The farm was abandoned The Sheep’s wool molding in the dampened environment All I could do was take a shot or two To capture what I saw What we left behind Humans

she wanted to be the moon / Luis Miguel Villarreal, 2016 / Analog Photography

Untitled: Project / Matthew Wong, 2016/ Analog Photography

ME FUI PAL SUR / Cecelia Sanchez Navarro, 2016 / 35mm Digital Photography

Empezรณ / Cecelia Sanchez Navarro, 2016 Te fuiste sin irte Y estabas sin estar Te fuiste y siguiรณ Llegaste y se acabรณ

Amber savoie / Sophie and Cherie, 2016 / 35mm B&W Photograph

Student Centred Learning: A Student's Manifesto As a student: I will support my colleagues through academic engagement, acting as a resource when I can, and working collaboratively to deepen our practices.

As a student: I will endeavour to learn from my peers, my teachers, my mentors, and in turn to provide others with opportunities to learn.

As a human being: I will support inclusion and access to education for all people actively, and I will work to create safe spaces where learning can happen for everyone.

As a professional: I will offer mentorship to my peers so long as it remains within my ability and resources.

As a learner: I will respect those who offer to share knowledge, and endeavour to contribute to the conversation in order to expand my own knowledge, the practices of my peers, and the resources of my teachers.

As a student: I will learn from my peers, and stretch my practice at every opportunity.

As a designer: I will make good on my education, and incorporate my learning into my professional practice.

As a teacher: I will honour the knowledge and experience of my students, my peers, and my mentors.

This is a student’s manifesto. I believe that we can elevate the practice of Art and Design through collaboration, inclusion, knowledge, skills sharing, and peer mentorship.

Join me for the revolution.

Chelsea Bell Eady cbelleady@ecuad.ca

sydney switzer

After We Left Birkenau, 2015 C Print

Auschwitz-Birkenau stands as the symbol of the Nazi Concentration Camp system. It is the place where over 1.1 million people were murdered during the Holocaust. What does it mean to visit a place of such destruction? How can one walk away? This photograph depicts the moment of stepping outside the gates of Birkenau, coming back to exist within the real world, where one must make the decision to situate themselves within the historical narrative of time.

MARC WILLIAMS

Reconfiguration, 2015 Photo Collage

Reconfiguration is a series that focuses on the idea of memory. In the act of recalling an event, what is remembered is never the whole that happened. Smaller things and details are more likely to be remembered.

michael peter Asphyziate, 2016 Photography

Imagery of a drowning human being, in an apartment complex swimming pool. A social metaphor for the overwhelming chaotic lives led in an urban environment. The feeling of being in an uncontrollable engulfment.

Grace higgins brown

www.renaissanceencounters.com, 2016 Online Performance

One hour performance on www.Omegle.com as Vermeer’s Girl With the Pearl Earring, reimagined as a live cam girl for fictional live cam site www.

RenaissanceEncounters.com, which caters to a fetish for women in famous artworks. Intended as a satire of the increasingly broad and obscure fetishisation of women, and our growing access and exposure to this, but simultaneously commenting on the blatant objectification apparent within much of the historical art canon.

An advert for www.RenaissanceEncounters.com can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/168384337

mars qui / Psychedelic, 2016 / Digital Photography

amber savoie / Henri Robideau, 2015 / 35mm Colour Photography

Melanie Whorton

My Remix Of You, 2016 Reworked Photography

Bringing analog and digital technologies together, I "remixed" these images in order to form a warped portrait of a dear friend. My artistic sensibilities, experiences and personal opinions, shape my understanding of the subject, similar to the way we understand each other in daily life. I wish to explore the possibilities for gaining and losing information in constructed understandings of the self in relation to a connection with someone else. Sometimes, we are too invested in other people and lose track of where one self ends and another begins. This makes it hard to fit the pieces together to understand a whole person.

Shabnam Nag / Earthlings, 2016 / Analogue Photography and Paint

Morgan Holst / Training from Hungary to Croatia, 2016 / 35mm Photography

Morgan Holst / Budapest Taxi Driver, 2016 / 35mm Photography

Avery Hannig Thanks, 2016

Thanks, Thanks for the reno-evictions Thanks for the systemic displacement Thanks for my above average portfolios return Thanks for the 80,000 dollars you made a month after the elderly couple were forced to sell Thanks for displacement of diasporas Thanks for that 15% tax, Too little too late

MATThew WONG / In Case You Don’t Get Enough Of Me. 2016 / B&W Film

SAM WONG / Untitled, 2016 / Digital

A Critique of Social Media

By Eric cheun, Ester tothova, matthew wong & sam wong

Eric cheun So what do we know? We know social media is everywhere. We know it’s so damn convenient. Or perhaps we don’t. It seems today it’s regarded as a requirement, a necessity, even with the whole debate that wifi should be a basic necessity. It’s set the standard for communication. We know it’s just gonna get bigger. Facebook this, snap this, insta that, tweet that. Just as landlines are phasing out, perhaps mobile numbers will soon disappear. It’s just not fast enough. We don’t want instant gratification; we want split second light speed attention.

Yet the high standard of communication also creates this ‘obligation’ to respond, the whole ‘ugh he texted me five minutes later, I’ll text back in ten’. When compared back then to birds and snail mail communication would span five to ten days, and even that would be considered quick.

It’s so easy to become connected now, that we often use it in the expense of ourselves. We Instagram when we’re taking a shit, watch YouTube videos while eating, scroll through your feed while commuting, because we deem them uneventful and boring.

Well yes, that’s the whole point. They’re boring and uneventful, but they’re also critical moments of mediations, opportunities of self-reflection. I’m not saying to become a philosopher and question the meaning of life while you’re taking a shit, but we’re becoming less and less in sync with ourselves and more and more obsessed with others.

Ester Tรณthovรก / why don't you text me back, 2016 / Internet Image

ECU

Campus Resources Guide

by Karishma Bhindi north building Foundation area shops and studio spaces provides all

Sculpture Area students work with materials such as

essential materials and tools for foundation students. The

wood, metal, plastics, plaster, fabric and found materials.

hallway has a sleeping room, M-lab, coordinator’s office

Students have access to a plaster room, vacuform

(Gaye Fowler) and a foundation workshop to facilitate

machines, sewing machines and spray booth. There is

your creative projects. Technicians: Sean Coggins and

an installation room (178D) that sculpture students can

Meghan Weeks.

book for critiques or documentation. Technicians: David Morgan (178G), Rob Dolphin (Flexible Materials Lab

Aboriginal Gathering Place is located straight outside the Foundation Hallway. All students have access to AGP and can enjoy the beautiful view. They hosts events like Dog therapy, Indigenous Talking Circle, artist talks and many more. Staff: Brenda Crabtree and Michelle Sound.

179E).

Photography Department provides traditional darkroom for Black and White film and print processing for both RC and fiber media and digital services. There is also Colour C print processing available, as well as a

Emily Carr Students' Union is an independent student

fully equipped shooting and image capture studio. Print

run organisation that works to protect your rights,

production and mounting area as well as two large smart

and advocates for the interests of its members. They

seminar classrooms. Technicians: William Cupit, Coordi-

provide services like Extended Health and Dental Plan,

nator,Photography Resources (221b NB ), Jack Buquet and

International Student Identity Card (ISIC ), Upass,

Geoffrey Wallang.

Student Publication (Woo) and Emily Carr Radio (students can get training and have their own radio show). It also organizes events and runs campaigns throughout the year. Staff: Lori MacDonald and Sarah Jo.

The Film/Video and Integrated Media offers full production facility with sound, film and video recording and editing capabilities and also have dedicated studio space which is used for teaching as well as for student

Tool Crib located (178 A) NB. A school wide service that

productions. Cameras, lights, sound gear and assorted

lends out helpful tools for free to all students for 24 hours

production accessories are made available to students

by signing them out. First time users be sure to bring a

majoring in the program. Technicians: Carlito Ghioni,

photocopy of your student card! You can purchase some

Matt Stephanson, Rafael Tsuchida.

materials here like paint supplies paid through financial services. Technician: Phil Jones.

Animation Studio Resources has both traditional hand-drawn, 2D and 3D digital animation studies are

Metal Shop has all tools for metal sculptures and

taught and supported via a computer animation lab

designed objects. It is mostly used by sculpture students,

as well as a drawing studio and animation cameras.

but all students have access if they attend the mandatory

Technical support in the area covers all aspects of

safety training. Technician: Ian Rhodes Office (184C).

animation production, including model-making and stop motion. Technician: Stephen Wichuk.

Print Media Studio has several distinct areas, Silk

machinery operation guide and an individual technical

Screening (153F), Graining room (153N), Relief (153G),

instruction as required. Technicians: Brian Fossl,

Washout room (153E), Darkroom (153I), Intaglio (153L),

Cimarron Knight, Meagan Schafer, Trevor Osborn.

Lithography (153O), Ferric room (153M) and Book Media (upstairs). Technicians: Leslie Urquhart, Shinsuke Minegishi.

Laser Output Centre (LOC) is granted to all students, faculty and staff. It can cut material as large as 36� long x 24� wide. Technicians: Kathleen Jacques and Jen

Other Resources NB 2nd Floor

Hiebert.

There is a Breathing Room (an outdoor space) located

Painting Studio and Drawing Resources (located on

above the Main entrance. Then comes the Mac Lab

the 4th floor) are supervised and staffed by Technical

located in room 203 is computer lab available to all

Services personnel and student monitors who maintain

students. Opposite to that is Financial services where

the Painting Wood Shop and Studios. They have ample

you make all your payments like tution, parking pass,

storage space for canvases of all sizes, as well as cleaning

locker and all materials purchased from technicians like

stations, easels and tables. This department also has

plaster, DOC printing etc. Straight down that hallway

two gallery spaces (The Landing Gallery and The

is the AV department where students can borrow a

Neighbourhood Gallery) where students are mentored by

variety of electronic equipment. On the same floor is

a Faculty member to curate their own shows throughout

the Counselling office too located in room 295, which

the school term. Technicians: Yang Hong and Penny

provides free personal therapy to enrolled students.

Treen.

south building

The Writing Centre is a free, voluntary and confidential

The Textile Shop is located in room 311 and is available for student prototyping using soft materials like leather, fabric, yarn etc. Technician: Jen Hiebert Communication Design students can make use of studio space to do integrated group and individual design projects. Students can also use the computer lab and the

service to all students, staff and faculty who would like to get aid on their reading, writing, critical thinking and research skills. Students can book their appointments online as early as possible, since the space is limited and can also look out for their drop-in sessions in the Library on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 3:30 - 5:30pm.

Digital Output Centre (DOC ), located by the SB patio.

Technician: Kathleen Jacques (room 341).

Industrial Design Wood Shop is open seven days a week with four technicians staffing.The wood shop is well

For more information visit

equipped with a variety of hand tools, portable machinery

https://www.connect.ecuad.ca/resources/techservices/

and stationary machinery. It also gives safety demos,

shopsandstudios

colophon Woo is available at Emily Carr University, Read Bookstore & select locations within the city of Vancouver.

The views expressed in this publication do not reflect those of emily carr university or the editors and publisher.

Inquiries can be addressed to the directors at woo@ecuad.ca © 2016 including all content by the artists, authors and editors. All images are reproduced with the permission of its artists.

Woo assumes all work published here is original and is the work and property of the submitting students. All artwork titles and student names are trademarked or copyrighted by their respective owners.

Woo gratefully acknowledges the support of students, alumni, faculty, the Student Union, and the Administrative Board at Emily Carr University. website woopublication.ca email woo@ecuad.ca Facebook /woopublication twitter @woopublication Blog woopublication.tumblr.com Printed with MET fine printers.

The typefaces used in this publication are Sofia Pro—designed by Mostardesign Type Foundry Miller—designed by Font Bureau This issue is limited to 350 copies.

Woo publication Room 241b north building 1399 Johnston street, Granville Island Vancouver, bc V6h 3r9

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