Meanwhile, 7000 Miles Away...

Voyage

Drawing Collaboration

not sure who got in on this one...Courtnage, Macri & Culleton I suspect

Robot Suit

Art Review

Tonight I went to Cre8ry and saw "Qualia". I had a fun time meeting Ludolf Grolle' and one of the exhibiting artists, Blake McArthur. Blake's organic, nonrepresentational abstraction, of course, caught my attention. His paintings are done quickly, and I think the flury of activity remains in tact, frozen in the paint. The rhythm of marks and removal creates a sort of organic patten I find very familiar and appealing.

chrisjordan.com

http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=11

Chaplin: On Timing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V4K7FepKw4&feature=related

After Hours...4

Ali! Ali! Ali!

The worm

The worm just keeps digging.
Inside inside,
further into further,
deeper into deeper.
The worm just keeps digging.
Reaching into reaching,
folding into folding,
The worm just keeps digging.

At one instance

At one instance, every thing, in itself, is expression.
Contour is expression of a blind faith.
A trust for the inalienable possibility of identity.
And not unity into a single form,
but a fantastically re-enchanted real observation
of the interplay between one and many,
the dot like plenum continuum,
the gelled string of extant
that is me and my circumstances,
me in my life.

Ah, it too lives.

I am one, and we are many,
it is both, the third order ontology
of being.

The death of a son

Only in death does one have a name:

Let us be thankful that this young man
is now released from the sweet sweet apathy.

Blessed be the rage in him,
through him, and with him.

Let us be thankful this father will one day
also know the beauty of the everlasting hope,
and can for now accept the empathy
which flows from these minds of weak resistance.

Blessed is the rage in the light of life.

Autumn Art Auction

I'm part of an art auction at the North Dakota Museum of Art.

Click here to check it out

A thought...

It all boils down to the quality and nature of your mind.

CBC News - Manitoba - Kyle Unger acquitted of 1990 killing

CBC News - Manitoba - Kyle Unger acquitted of 1990 killing

Dislocation

I dislocated my pinky finger today in my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. I was fighting my buddy Chris, who's a beast, but I'm a better grappler so far, heh heh. Anyways, it hurt, but it wasn't so bad (it actually kills right now though). Good thing, it's on my bowing hand for cello, so no biggie, and I don't use it when doing clinical work, phew. The crazy part about it though was right afterwards, I felt ok, but then all of a sudden, I felt really sick, felt like puking, and then I got really light headed, and from what they tell me, I turned ghost white. Chris massaged my temples, it was nice. :) This lasted about 10 minutes, and then I recouped and was fine. Physiology I tell you, all linear and sh-t. So again, I ask you, was I too invested in my perception, intellectually and emotionally? Jokes!

"Musical Chairs" Painting Collaborative (unfinished)

Macri, Courtnage, Saidman and Krahn

c-dog and wolfBoy circa 2003

Laughter

Laughter fills the cup of the soul.
It makes you live, it makes you love.
Laughter fills the basin of trust.
Its makes you nice, it gives you honest lust.

The Things of Love

The eyes of fruition
are seen here today

The things I have listened
The cruelties I've said

For this is apology
Your gracious deep breath

When I lost to love
stuck on that day

Never the same
to gift in exchange

Your body is light
your naivety fame

Forever so bright
Forget what I said

Yet easy to resent
is the hurt I have laid

But always remember
You know you're the same

The best and the sane
support in extreme

I wish I could be
what you need to slave

I love you the same
the day I forgave

I'll love you the same
until it's explained

lady - night & day (josco approved)

Fashion

"Fashion is made to become unfashionable." Coco Chanel

Change and evolution in fashion was brilliantly summarized by British critic James Laver, who in 1937 at the height of the Surrealist movement, wrote that the same article of clothing will be "indecent 10 years before its time, shameless five years before its time, outre 1 year before its time, smart, dowdy 1 year after its time, hideous 20 years after its time, romantic 100 years after its time, beautiful 150 years after its time."

this sentence follows me everywhere...

because i keep writing it on post-its and carrying it around. I no longer have any memory of where it came from, but i keep finding new reasons to love it.

"perception is a condition to which we are intellectually and emotionally attached."

yum.

Above the Arctic Circle

flying with those two
above the Arctic Circle

we played cards
spoke and said not much
glances was all we understood

there’s no need
to deal in order
that is the order of things here:
time allows that luxury

the role of cards
and of glances
in a place like this
is to alleviate the burden of time

Review

A review of the "The Fall Show" by WIGTADS International

Idea

An idea ran back and forth in his head like a blind man, knocking over the solid furniture. - F.Scott Fitzgerald

Need

I, a big ball of need indeed
hiding wanting making
me greed

I, a big ball of need indeed
hiding wanting making
me greed

nyoman lempad

Check out this artist from bali. 

Died when he was 116 years old!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4AHmf-3-fA&feature=related

Choice

Is a friend
part of the
material
factum
when love
decides
to dance
its light

Is sensibility
the path
to be taken
when fire
grips the
melting flesh

Are all rules
lost in the
violent throws
of choosing
desire

Break

Break me down
again and link
to my dreams

Splinter me
again and sweep
up my faith

Show me
something that
breaks it down
again and again

My TV is Haunted

This is sure to give you a start, make sure you're alone and in the dark when you watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZykdNcgSzk

I don't want to give it away but doenst something unusal happen when he says the word 'American'?

World Toy Camera Day: October 17th

OK so maybe it's not as big a Christmas or Louis Riel Day yet. Nonetheless World Toy Camera Day is a chance to get out there and tinker with your Lomo, Holga or in my case a rare "Debonair" (Diana clone) from the 60s or 70s loaded with a discount roll of E6 slide film from Don's. Shot these last weekend at the Nopiming Park northwest of Lac Du Bonnet. It was a weekend full of food, drink, photography and painting. ~m

AngersUpward

There are moments that are meaningless; they are simply ludicrous, as anger seeps its way into the spaces upwards, exerting interstitial shame, of the nation, of our wonder. Let them be.

Ambient

the universal
ambient
solid
is nothing
and be

Just to let go

He tried to
get with her
and him and her
and him
and emotions
cling to each
other and
just don't let go

She tried to
get with him
and her and him
and her
and emotions
cling to each other
just to let go

Happy Halloween!!

http://apps.facebook.com/reverbnation_fb/artist/thesmokitygre?autoPlay=2654543&_fb_fromhash=cf0c0e6b311ffdc75082ccf47a8982ce

Disclosure.

Hey, sorry to be sending out so much ufo info right now but I think its pretty important. Remember what I was saying about disclosure awhile back? Well there was a big meeting in the US where all of these government officials, scientists, pilots, military officials, from around the globe met in order to disclose what they knew about the ufo question and government involvement. There's a special on the history channel that goes in depth into it available on youtube

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79sAN_ojkMs&feature=related.

If you have an hour or two, I would HIGHLY reccomend watching it.

I just finished watching the whole thing and I think that it contains conclusive proof that we are being visited by intelligences beyond human. Also that the governements of the world are concealing this fact. 

     Sometimes I feel like a jerk or someone who is crazy for always trying to spread this information to people who dont seem interested. Especially on an art blog.

       But for heaven's sake, doesn't this issue have a grand and pressing scope and pertinance?Beyond art, religion science, family, politics, the environment or any other issue? Shouldnt the implications of these well documented events have profound impact on everyone on the planet?

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Intergenerational (I'm told he's just like me)

Hydro skimping on budget for art?

click here for the original article

By: Morley Walker

A mass purchase of visual art for Manitoba Hydro's new downtown office tower is earning mixed reviews from the city's arts community.

For more than a year, a Hydro staffer and a private consultant have been criss-crossing the province, buying paintings for the 22-storey eco-friendly skyscraper on Portage Avenue.

They've sidestepped galleries and dealt directly with individual artists. There has been no commissioning of new work, nor has a competition been held.

Their main guidelines, established by an internal Hydro committee, are to choose conservative work and to buy exclusively from living Manitobans.

But critics of the process argue that the crown corporation has been chintzy with its allotment for public art and may be purchasing mediocre work.

"It's a joke," says Shaun Mayberry of the Exchange District gallery Mayberry Fine Art.

"You'd think that when a major provincial institution puts up a signature building, they'd set aside a serious amount for a cultural component."

The owner of the Ken Segal Gallery says he is frustrated that commercial galleries such as his have been shut out of the money.

"Hydro is missing out on a lot of artists that should be in their collection," said Segal, who recently relocated his River Avenue gallery to south Osborne Street.

"They should be buying good quality art that stands the test of time."

Arts policy makers have long argued that the "one per cent rule" should prevail -- that is, one per cent of a project's construction cost should be devoted to public art.

If Hydro were to follow these unofficial guidelines, it would spend upwards of $2.7 million toward everything from paintings to sculpture.

The corporation has remained mum on its art budget, though the amount spent so far is thought to be less than $200,000.

"One per cent is really the bare minimum these days," said Tricia Wasney, who manages the Winnipeg Arts Council's public art program.

"It would be wonderful if all private development gave thought to integrating public art into their projects."

A Hydro spokesman said on Wednesday the corporation was not in a position to discuss the issue in the light of the current electrical workers' strike.

"Management is occupied in many other areas these days," Jim Peters said.

The project's private design consultant, Ben Wasylyshen, describes his budget as "very modest."

"Too bad it's not the Trudeau era," said Wasylyshen, who has done similar work for Cambrian Credit Union and Manitoba Blue Cross.

"But those days are gone -- long, long gone."

So far, Wasylyshen says, he has purchased 80-90 pieces, which are sprinkled throughout the building. Three pieces, including abstracts by senior Winnipeg artists Bruce Head and Ewa Tarsia, are currently installed on the largely empty walls of the tower's main floor lobby.

Works by several northern aboriginal artists have been bought, he says, as well as pieces by Brandon-based Steve Gouthro and Winnipeggers David Perrett, Grace Nickel, Luther Pokrant, Bill Pura and Keith Oliver.

He says he is negotiating with the Winnipeg Art Gallery for the loan of a piece from its permanent collection, a boulder-like sculpture, also for the building lobby. A WAG official confirmed that talks are underway but refused to elaborate.

Wasylyshen defends Hydro's decision to avoid commercial galleries and to dispense with commissions or competitions.

"That would take time and administration," he said. "This was about connecting with the community active and working in Manitoba."

Mayberry says companies need leaders who collect art for its value to be recognized throughout the organization.

"The Richardsons are the shining example in Winnipeg," Mayberry said, referring to James Richardson & Sons' president and CEO Hartley Richardson.

WAC's latest public art commission, a $150,000 bus shelter sculpture on Ellice Avenue in front of the University of Winnipeg, is currently turning heads as artist David Perrett chips away at it.

"He hopes to finish before the snow flies," Wasney said.

Manitoba Crop Circle

http://archives.cbc.ca/science_technology/unexplained/clips/4350/

Check out this clip from the cbc archive.

After Hours....3

After Hours....2

After Hours....

Lonely Room

Smoky Tiger @ The Standard

Riel

Louis Riel, July 4, 1885

My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.

Slide Static

Guitar Phone

Von Daniken

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOD4GFlPJXg

The death of America

In a fully relational environment, to define the individual as a complete totality is folly.

The aliens are not coming

The aliens have never
come near
here

don't be impatient
son
they're just too
far away
from this galaxy

i know the cosmos is vast
and the stars
tell us of the past

but

the aliens don't really
care about us
the way we care
about them

maybe
they just don't need
oxygen or water
the way
you and I
do

The aliens
are not coming for us
son

they're just too far away
to hear
our simple songs

the whales
the jungles
the ice
and the flora
in our sphere

they don't care about
what's here

they don't care
about demons
they don't care
about lust

they're not coming for us
son

want as you must

Brenda Draney wins RBC painting Competition

Brenda Draney, Vancouver

AIM IS IMPORTANT
Oil on canvas
48” x 52”
February 2009

Brenda Draney is interested in how memory, which is by its nature personal, operates in families, communities and cultures. While her paintings source her own memories, she is less concerned with documenting a memory as she is with the process of remembering and getting her hand to remember. She sees her work as a gesture toward a remembered thing, person or event and hopes that the viewer will be willing to do the work of connecting images to create the story around the moments, elements and omissions. The space in the canvas is important, she says, whether it is about what is forgotten, kept secret or filled in by a viewer. “Narrative is based on what is missing, and that absence is important and present in my work.” Brenda Draney holds a BA in English Literature and a BFA from the University of Alberta, and a Master of Applied Arts degree from Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

Loveseat

Huge puppets takeover Berlin

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/10/the_berlin_reunion.html

"The Fall Show" by WIGTADS INTERNATIONAL

Isle

Flesh, blood, and the passion

Click here

Playdough-mation experiment

Bird on a wire

A unit hypercube is a hypercube whose side has length one unit. Often, the hypercube whose corners (or vertices) are the 2ⁿ points inRⁿ with coordinates equal to 0 or 1 is called "the" unit hypercube

what the..?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlLN_Jcg1pc

The Clown Joke (One of my Favourites)

A little boy, Billy, is at the circus with his aunt. There are trumpets sounding in the distance and the smell of candy apples in the air. He sees his favourite thing about the circus, a clown. Giant red hair and nose, a brightly coloured grumpy face, and big floppy shoes. Billy goes berserk, running wildly over to the clown to ask for a balloon. The clown looks down at him frowning and says "I will not give you a balloon, you disgusting little snot nosed wretch. Go eat dirt!". In a state of shock poor Billy runs crying back to his Aunt who takes him home. That night before going to sleep, Billy vows revenge. The next morning when he wakes up, and every one after, his single goal was to teach the clown a lesson. He begins a swimming routine to strengthen his body. He studies Combat Krav Maga, Brazilian style jiu jitsu, takes courses at university with this same specific intent (eventually getting a degree in law). Then, one day when his mind and body were strong and complete, he went back to the circus to look for the clown. He sees the old decrepid clown hunched over in the same spot holding ballons as though they kept him from falling over. Grey streaks ran through his once fiery red hair, and his colourful face now creased with dark lines. Billy, teeth clenched and sweating slightly on his brow, approaches the clown. This is the moment he's trained for. Billy says, "Remember me clown"? The clowns cataract filled eyes search over billy's face and then he straightens up a bit and says in a creaky voice " "I will STILL not give you a balloon, you disgusting little snot nosed wretch. Go eat dirt!". To which Billy, who has worked his whole life for this moment, replies, "Fuck you clown, fuck you"!

and now for something completely different...

irresistable

ALfA

The Situation of Artists in Canada

http://www.HillStrategies.com
http://www.ArtsResearchMonitor.com

To view the html or pdf versions of this message, please visit
http://www.ArtsResearchMonitor.com/arm_details.php?armUID=1136

Situation of artists and arts administrators

In this issue: A number of recent reports have examined the situation of artists and arts administrators in Canada, including an examination of the socio-economic condition of visual artists, a study of the situation of arts managers, as well as a statistical profile of artists in large Canadian cities.



Waging Culture: A Report on the Socio-Economic Status of Canadian Visual Artists
Michael Maranda, The Art Gallery of York University, March 2009
http://www.theagyuisoutthere.org/wagingculture/

Based on a two-stage survey of Canadian visual artists, this study delves more deeply than any existing reports into visual artists’ sources of revenue, art practice expenses and time use. As noted in the report, “the bottom line for artists is dismal, with the typical artist losing $556 in 2007 on their practice. (Other income sources bring median total earnings to $20,000....)” In other words, more than half of all visual artists (56%) lose money on their artistic practice. The study indicates that “artists pay a significant economic penalty to pursue their practice”. The report therefore argues that visual artists themselves are the primary funders of artistic practices.

The study estimates that there are somewhere between 22,500 and 27,800 visual artists in Canada. These figures are about 30% and 60% larger than census counts. The 2006 census captured 17,100 “painters, sculptors and other visual artists” with employment income who worked more hours on their art than on any other activity in May of 2006.

Among respondents to the survey, the highest-earning visual artist had a net income of $60,000 from their artistic practice (after expenses). Visual artists in Quebec earn the highest net income (median of $1,383), while those in Alberta lose the most from their studio practice (median loss of $2,000).

On average, visual artists work 51 hours per week, with 26 hours devoted to their studio practice. Another 15 hours are on paid art-related work, 8 hours on other work, and 3 hours on art-related volunteering. In terms of income from all sources, those who spend the most time in their practice earn less than those who do more art-related or other work.

Among all respondents, sales account for more than half of all revenues (54%), followed by grants (34%) and artist fees (12%). The study indicates that grants essentially “buy time and materials for the production of art” but do not increase overall living standards. Artists with lower or no grants tend to work more in other occupations.

While the wage gap between male and female visual artists is relatively low (10%), the difference in sales is nearly 50%.

The study finds that over 30% of visual artists do not have supplementary health benefits. Similarly, more than one-third have no retirement funds. Another third have only self-financed funds. Just over one-half of all visual artists own their own homes, much lower than the average of 69% in the overall labour force.

The survey was done in two stages. The demographic information (1,200 respondents) has a margin of error of +/- 3.96%, 19 times out of 20. The financial information (560 respondents) has a margin of error of +/- 5.83%, 19 times out of 20.

Many more details about the socio-economic condition of Canadian visual artists are provided in the full report.



National Compensation Study – 2009 Update – for Management and Administration in Not-for-Profit Arts Organizations
Cultural Human Resources Council, March 2009
http://www.culturalhrc.ca/research/default-e.asp

Based on a national survey of 218 arts organizations, this report provides data about salary levels for 21 management and administrative positions in Canadian non-profit arts organizations in 2008. Unfortunately, the report does not provide an estimate of the margin of error, given the number of survey respondents. This is a major limitation on any interpretation of the results. One cannot be sure whether (or how) the 218 arts organizations represent all organizations in the sector. It is also difficult to assess whether changes from a similar 2003 survey (when 231 organizations responded) are “real” or are simply due to different organizations responding in the two time periods.

With this caution in mind, the report does find that, not surprisingly, “arts organizations continue to lag behind the general not-for-profit sector and comparative industries in many areas of compensation and benefits, representing an ongoing real challenge for recruitment and retention”. In fact, the data in the report could lead one to ask why people decide to work in smaller arts organizations, where the pay is low, benefits are limited, and the hours are long (but flexible). Unfortunately, the study does not examine “intrinsic motivations” or other potential factors.

Given these human resource issues, it is not surprising that the turnover rate in the arts (among those who leave voluntarily) is high: 20%, compared with an average of 12% for other non-profit organizations.

This report concludes that “excessive workload, understaffing and a general unavailability of resources” continue to pose significant challenges for the arts sector.



Artists in Large Canadian Cities Based on the 2006 Census
Hill Strategies Research, September 2009
http://www.hillstrategies.com/resources_details.php?resUID=1000322

This report provides an analysis of artists residing in 93 large Canadian cities, including statistics concerning the number of artists, artists’ earnings, and trends between 1991 and 2006. A brief profile of artists and a summary of key changes between 1991 and 2006 are also provided for the 93 cities with a population of 50,000 or more.

Overall, 103,500 artists reside in the 93 large cities included in the study. This represents three-quarters (74%) of the 140,000 artists in Canada.

The City of Toronto has the largest absolute number of artists (22,265), followed by Montreal (13,425) and Vancouver (8,155). The seven other cities with over 2,000 artists are Calgary (5,110), Ottawa (4,550), Edmonton (3,255), Winnipeg (2,905), Mississauga (2,285), Halifax (2,215) and Quebec City (2,100). These ten cities house almost one-half (47%) of Canada’s 140,000 artists.

In the 93 cities, artists comprise 0.90% of the combined local labour forces, higher than the Canadian average (0.77%).

The three cities with the highest concentrations of artists are in British Columbia: Vancouver (2.35%), Victoria (1.87%) and North Vancouver District Municipality (1.61%). Toronto (1.60%) and Montreal (1.53 %) follow in fourth and fifth position (respectively). Six large cities have a concentration of artists that is about 1%: Saanich (BC), Halifax (NS), St. John’s (NL), Fredericton (NB), New Westminster (BC) and Oakville (ON).

Given the relatively high cost of living in large cities, artists’ average earnings levels are quite low. In 27 of the 63 cities with reliable earnings data, artists’ average earnings are below the Statistics Canada’s low-income cutoff for a single person. In 47 of the 63 cities with reliable earnings data, artists’ average earnings are below the Statistics Canada’s low-income cutoff for a family of two.

Across Canada, the average earnings of artists are 37% less than other Canadian workers. Artists fare worse than the Canadian average in most large cities. The earnings gap is above the Canadian average (i.e., 38% or more) in 52 of the 63 cities with reliable earnings data.

The arts are a growth sector in most Canadian cities. In the 92 large cities with reliable data between 1991 and 2006, there was a 40% increase in the number of artists, compared with a 25% increase in the overall labour force. In 55 of 92 large cities, the growth rate in the number of artists exceeded the growth in the overall local labour force between 1991 and 2006. More recently, however, the growth in the number of artists exceeded growth in the overall labour force in only 41 of 92 large cities between 2001 and 2006.

Between 1991 and 2006, the number of artists increased substantially in many suburban areas. Of the ten large cities where the number of artists doubled (or more) between 1991 and 2006, many are suburbs of Toronto (Whitby, Vaughan and Richmond Hill) or Vancouver (Coquitlam and Langley). Four other cities with very large increases are also in the broader Vancouver and Toronto regions, including Chilliwack (BC), Barrie (ON), Guelph (ON) and Niagara Falls (ON). Fredericton (NB) is the tenth city where the number of artists doubled.

Only 11 large cities saw a decrease in the number of artists between 1991 and 2006. These cities tend to be in northern or less populous areas of the country. Some northern cities with a decrease in the number of artists are Saguenay (QC), North Bay (ON), Greater Sudbury (ON) and Prince George (BC). Less populous cities with a decrease are Shawinigan (QC), Cape Breton (NS), Saint-Hyacinthe (QC), Norfolk County (ON) and Strathcona County (AB).

Some artists or other labour force workers might choose a municipality in which to work based on its reputation as an “arts-friendly” city. It is possible, therefore, that those cities with a particularly high concentration or number of artists might see larger growth in the number of artists or larger labour force growth than other cities. The report shows that there does not appear to be a connection between the concentration of artists and growth in the number of artists. Nor does there appear to be a connection between the absolute number of artists and growth in the number of artists between 1991 and 2006. Finally, there does not appear to be a simple connection between either the concentration or the number of artists and overall labour force growth.

The Bear Dance Cometh....