Under Surveillance: Local artists to keep a close eye on
By the time April rolls around and we're enjoying the onset of spring, most college students are loading themselves down with books, preparing for exams and counting the days until their school year is finished. Meanwhile, in Fine Art, third year students planning to graduate are doing different prep-work. After spending their last year, predominantly in independent study, creating and exploring their strengths within the arts, they come together to show off their finest efforts by collaborating in a group art exhibition of their best work. This year's show, Surveillance, held at the McIntosh Gallery at the University of Western Ontario, marks the 34th annual Fanshawe Fine Art Graduation Exhibition. The show kicked off on April 13th with guest speaker, artist, and former Fanshawe faculty member, Ed Zelenak offering words of advice and insight to graduates.
The graduation exhibition is a hands-on learning experience for students, giving them the opportunity and preparation involved with a formal gallery venue, and a chance to meet new people. However, for most students probably the cherry on top of it all is getting to show off to the public, as artists evolving from students. Of the work in the show, Fine Art's program co-ordinator, Tony McAulay says the work this year is much smaller, but “it shows 27 individuals”, who as a collective whole have work that cannot be lumped together as any “set movement, with each person contributing their own personally diverse interests.”
Curator of the McIntosh gallery, Catherine Elliot-Shaw remarks, “student exhibitions are always exciting because of their sheer energy. We see the culmination of years of study channelled into the artist's particular areas of investigation, which are reflective of contemporary issues. The means by which the students achieve their artworks can also be ‘cutting edge' which brings another dimension of excitement to see how the new technology has been used.” She also adds, “the Fanshawe exhibition is anticipated by the University community as an opportunity to see the results of this program in contrast to the of the Department of Visual Arts [at Western.]”
A wide variety of art comes together in a great melting pot of experiences, meanings and ideas. Surveillance is sure to have at least one “something” that will catch the eye or ear of its audiences, with sculpture, printmaking, installation pieces, painting, photography, drawing, video, multimedia, sound art and various forms of mixed media. Viewers can expect to be provoked by ideas about our society — our gender and sexuality, classes within our social structure, advertisements and commercialism. They will see different variations of traditional art, such as landscapes, and portraiture, and new takes on abstraction. They will also experience unconventional installations of canvas and photography, uses of paint, colour, size, textures, patterns, and the creation of sounds. They may re-examine the mundane, which surrounds them in daily life, found in an object or material, such as hair, concrete, scrap wood or books and their conventional use. They will see classic works reinvented in new mediums and new contexts.
There is no shortage of talent and potential among this group of 27. After graduation, many students will be transferring into university to get their BFA degree, or some other branch of art in a post-secondary program. Others will take their encounters and honed skills directly into the work force or on different paths of education, using their studies to create their own personal meaning and strength in whatever they choose to do. McAulay says he is “confident art will be part of everyone's life and how they make a living” in some way.
There is more reason to be talking about this group, as a rare feat was recently accomplished; three of the students in this class swept the National Student Art Competition, held in St. Thomas, with Leeann Roy placing first, Mackenzie Donegan placing second, and Elizabeth Winnel rounding in on third, amongst all of the nation-wide entries. The prize awarded to Roy was $1000, along with the distinction of a solo exhibition to be held in the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre. Winnel and Donegan will also have an exhibition, to collaboratively showcase the winning art of them both.
Roy's work explores gender and sexuality issues within our society; a constant struggle for equality, within silkscreening and other mixed mediums, which implement sensual pieces of clothing and linens, and ideas of advertisement. Winnel creates large-scale drawings of herself and friends, in conte and pastel, which allow for physical involvement and self-reflection. Meanwhile, creating unique acrylic pieces, in a process she calls “acrylic forensics”, Donegan cuts and manipulates her paint to make abstract psychedelic forms. Clearly these wins say something complimentary about the niche of these students.
Surveillance is at the McIntosh Gallery until April 30th; the gallery operates from 12-7 Tuesday-Thursday, and 12-4 Friday- Sunday. This exciting and distinct collection of art is definitely worth a peek, and is a chance to get to know who and what will be shaping the future of art, as we know it.
The graduation exhibition is a hands-on learning experience for students, giving them the opportunity and preparation involved with a formal gallery venue, and a chance to meet new people. However, for most students probably the cherry on top of it all is getting to show off to the public, as artists evolving from students. Of the work in the show, Fine Art's program co-ordinator, Tony McAulay says the work this year is much smaller, but “it shows 27 individuals”, who as a collective whole have work that cannot be lumped together as any “set movement, with each person contributing their own personally diverse interests.”
Curator of the McIntosh gallery, Catherine Elliot-Shaw remarks, “student exhibitions are always exciting because of their sheer energy. We see the culmination of years of study channelled into the artist's particular areas of investigation, which are reflective of contemporary issues. The means by which the students achieve their artworks can also be ‘cutting edge' which brings another dimension of excitement to see how the new technology has been used.” She also adds, “the Fanshawe exhibition is anticipated by the University community as an opportunity to see the results of this program in contrast to the of the Department of Visual Arts [at Western.]”
A wide variety of art comes together in a great melting pot of experiences, meanings and ideas. Surveillance is sure to have at least one “something” that will catch the eye or ear of its audiences, with sculpture, printmaking, installation pieces, painting, photography, drawing, video, multimedia, sound art and various forms of mixed media. Viewers can expect to be provoked by ideas about our society — our gender and sexuality, classes within our social structure, advertisements and commercialism. They will see different variations of traditional art, such as landscapes, and portraiture, and new takes on abstraction. They will also experience unconventional installations of canvas and photography, uses of paint, colour, size, textures, patterns, and the creation of sounds. They may re-examine the mundane, which surrounds them in daily life, found in an object or material, such as hair, concrete, scrap wood or books and their conventional use. They will see classic works reinvented in new mediums and new contexts.
There is no shortage of talent and potential among this group of 27. After graduation, many students will be transferring into university to get their BFA degree, or some other branch of art in a post-secondary program. Others will take their encounters and honed skills directly into the work force or on different paths of education, using their studies to create their own personal meaning and strength in whatever they choose to do. McAulay says he is “confident art will be part of everyone's life and how they make a living” in some way.
There is more reason to be talking about this group, as a rare feat was recently accomplished; three of the students in this class swept the National Student Art Competition, held in St. Thomas, with Leeann Roy placing first, Mackenzie Donegan placing second, and Elizabeth Winnel rounding in on third, amongst all of the nation-wide entries. The prize awarded to Roy was $1000, along with the distinction of a solo exhibition to be held in the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre. Winnel and Donegan will also have an exhibition, to collaboratively showcase the winning art of them both.
Roy's work explores gender and sexuality issues within our society; a constant struggle for equality, within silkscreening and other mixed mediums, which implement sensual pieces of clothing and linens, and ideas of advertisement. Winnel creates large-scale drawings of herself and friends, in conte and pastel, which allow for physical involvement and self-reflection. Meanwhile, creating unique acrylic pieces, in a process she calls “acrylic forensics”, Donegan cuts and manipulates her paint to make abstract psychedelic forms. Clearly these wins say something complimentary about the niche of these students.
Surveillance is at the McIntosh Gallery until April 30th; the gallery operates from 12-7 Tuesday-Thursday, and 12-4 Friday- Sunday. This exciting and distinct collection of art is definitely worth a peek, and is a chance to get to know who and what will be shaping the future of art, as we know it.
