I've been on the board at Art Metropole for a couple of years now. For anyone who doesn't know, it's an artist-run centre that "specializes in contemporary art in multiple format: artists books, multiples, video, audio, electronic media, and so on." Art Metropole was founded by the Canadian artists' collective General Idea in the early 70s. Ann Dean is the director, and she's been with the institution in various capacities for a long time. Back in the early 90s I took some of my artists' books and flyers to Art Metropole to see if they might sell them on consignment. Ann was one of the first people to show enthusiasm for my work after I left school, and Art Metropole's support gave me tons of confidence. It also gave me a huge opportunity, as Michelle Jacques, curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario, saw my stuff there and subsequently gave me a major show in the AGO's Present Tense series.
There are tons of artists like me, working in strange media with queer and quirky concepts, who find interest, enthusiasm and distribution for their work at Art Metropole. Like Michelle, and countless other curators, collectors, writers, editors and artists, I have always gravitated there to browse and chat whenever the art system started to offer too much sameness and I was thirsty for something inspiring, smart and strange. It's also an incredible archive for all kinds of ephemera, posters, videos and books that give a tangible manifestation to the multi-farious history of conceptually-driven art.
Right now, the institution is setting up a second home in Second Life. Artist Ian Murray, (Ian Ah, in SL) is spearheading the project, and there are already artists gathering at the new space from all over the world. There's some reporting on the progress here, and a big opening event coming soon.
Art Metropole is currently publishing a new series of artists' multiples, the FWD Editions. Geoffrey Farmer's "Signs, Statements and Proclamations" launches this Friday. I hope everyone can come! (Friday May 4th @ 7pm - 10pm, 788 King St. West, Toronto)
Geoffrey Farmer, Signs, Statements and
Proclamations [Production Photo]
Below are images from the other artists in the series so far.
Derek Sullivan, Law & Order
(February 2007 - April 2007) [in progress]
Lucy Pullen, Infinite Outfit, Strip 4, 2005
Brian Jungen, Untitled, 2006
Well that's going to get me on second life. Now I have to obsess on my avatar.
I know, I'm being mean, but I can't help it.
I like him!!!
Is that the guy from the Warcraft episode of South Park?
Yes.
That was a glorious episode. (my avatar is going to be cross-eyed for sure now)
He is burned into my brain such that when I hear World of Warcraft or Second Life (or Active Worlds) I think of his sallow slumping visage, racking up points or interacting with avatars (or whatever).
For some reason I imagine "virtual worlds" exacting some penance in the physical world--a mental image I do not have with people posting, say text and jpegs, who I envision jumping on and off their bikes for vigorous rides between posting sessions.
I keep my computer on all day, and the TV and the stereo and I talk on the phone while sanding stuff with my belt sander, then I pet dogs, chat with my neighbours and by then whatever is cooking on the stove has started a fire. So I take the batteries out of the smoke detector. Put something new on the stove, then I answer a bunch of emails, and post comments all over the blog universe and then dig in the garden, pet more dogs. Whoooooaaaaaa, another fire! Throw something in the microwave. Post more comments. Tell my neighbours how they should garden. Tell toddlers to eat sand. Tell stray cats to piss off my garden. Pet more dogs. Post more comments. Where the fuck are all my fucking extension cords?? That grant app is due today. Hey Sally can you write a quick letter of recomendation and email it to me? I'll forge your signature. Don't own a bike. Shit fuck damn.
As long as you're not donning that VR helmet and those data gloves I won't worry about you.
The Warcraft episode was one of the best ever...that combined with the Richard Dawkins time travel episodes...I mean, who knew South Park would improve over time and just keep getting better and better. Did you know Cananda is behind several episodes form the first telcast in america? I was so surprised when I called my friend Anita to tealk to her about the atheist shows and she was like, what the hell are you talking about. I am pretty hyper with everything I do...for example this morning I started to post about Jack The Ripper...then left mid way through my post, saying so...it's just sitting there germinating online to go for a swim and walk. Stopped at the grocery store and am back online. By the way, the party/event at Art Metropole sounds like lots of fun...and I LOVE LOVE Jurgen's work, one of my favourite artists. Hey cheers!
Candy
Brian Jungen's helmets are great. Geoffrey Farmer is a hoot too. His video of his feet making little sculptures out of tinfoil is wickedly funny. (and shiny too)
The Lucy Pullen edition is just gorgeous. I don't know if people can tell from the picture, but she has knit various elegant amorphous garments out of retro-reflective thread. They really pop in direct light, and if I could afford one I would wear it while riding at night and spook the hell out of all the car drivers. That is, I would if I wasn't so busy posting jpegs or whatever it is we do here...
I'm going to take accordion lessons from Mr. Anchovy.
cat on lap. check email. send email. check blogs. get cat off lap. make coffee. repeat. repeat. repeat. repeat. go to bed.
Hey joester, I made espresso for your sister today while we were sitting in my back yard.
Fortunately after half an hour she had the presence of mind to ask if I had something on the stove. (shit! this is really a big problem when the weather turns warm, at least when I'm inside on my computer I'll eventually smell the smoke as it billows through three rooms. I scare myself every spring with an incident like this.)
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I've been on the board at Art Metropole for a couple of years now. For anyone who doesn't know, it's an artist-run centre that "specializes in contemporary art in multiple format: artists books, multiples, video, audio, electronic media, and so on." Art Metropole was founded by the Canadian artists' collective General Idea in the early 70s. Ann Dean is the director, and she's been with the institution in various capacities for a long time. Back in the early 90s I took some of my artists' books and flyers to Art Metropole to see if they might sell them on consignment. Ann was one of the first people to show enthusiasm for my work after I left school, and Art Metropole's support gave me tons of confidence. It also gave me a huge opportunity, as Michelle Jacques, curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario, saw my stuff there and subsequently gave me a major show in the AGO's Present Tense series.
There are tons of artists like me, working in strange media with queer and quirky concepts, who find interest, enthusiasm and distribution for their work at Art Metropole. Like Michelle, and countless other curators, collectors, writers, editors and artists, I have always gravitated there to browse and chat whenever the art system started to offer too much sameness and I was thirsty for something inspiring, smart and strange. It's also an incredible archive for all kinds of ephemera, posters, videos and books that give a tangible manifestation to the multi-farious history of conceptually-driven art.
Right now, the institution is setting up a second home in Second Life. Artist Ian Murray, (Ian Ah, in SL) is spearheading the project, and there are already artists gathering at the new space from all over the world. There's some reporting on the progress here, and a big opening event coming soon.
Art Metropole is currently publishing a new series of artists' multiples, the FWD Editions. Geoffrey Farmer's "Signs, Statements and Proclamations" launches this Friday. I hope everyone can come! (Friday May 4th @ 7pm - 10pm, 788 King St. West, Toronto)
Geoffrey Farmer, Signs, Statements and
Proclamations [Production Photo]
Below are images from the other artists in the series so far.
Derek Sullivan, Law & Order
(February 2007 - April 2007) [in progress]
Lucy Pullen, Infinite Outfit, Strip 4, 2005
Brian Jungen, Untitled, 2006
- sally mckay 5-03-2007 1:25 am
Well that's going to get me on second life. Now I have to obsess on my avatar.
- L.M. 5-03-2007 5:32 am
I know, I'm being mean, but I can't help it.
- tom moody 5-03-2007 5:45 am
I like him!!!
- L.M. 5-03-2007 6:18 am
Is that the guy from the Warcraft episode of South Park?
- sally mckay 5-03-2007 6:26 am
Yes.
- tom moody 5-03-2007 6:27 am
That was a glorious episode. (my avatar is going to be cross-eyed for sure now)
- L.M. 5-03-2007 6:35 am
He is burned into my brain such that when I hear World of Warcraft or Second Life (or Active Worlds) I think of his sallow slumping visage, racking up points or interacting with avatars (or whatever).
For some reason I imagine "virtual worlds" exacting some penance in the physical world--a mental image I do not have with people posting, say text and jpegs, who I envision jumping on and off their bikes for vigorous rides between posting sessions.
- tom moody 5-03-2007 6:50 am
I keep my computer on all day, and the TV and the stereo and I talk on the phone while sanding stuff with my belt sander, then I pet dogs, chat with my neighbours and by then whatever is cooking on the stove has started a fire. So I take the batteries out of the smoke detector. Put something new on the stove, then I answer a bunch of emails, and post comments all over the blog universe and then dig in the garden, pet more dogs. Whoooooaaaaaa, another fire! Throw something in the microwave. Post more comments. Tell my neighbours how they should garden. Tell toddlers to eat sand. Tell stray cats to piss off my garden. Pet more dogs. Post more comments. Where the fuck are all my fucking extension cords?? That grant app is due today. Hey Sally can you write a quick letter of recomendation and email it to me? I'll forge your signature. Don't own a bike. Shit fuck damn.
- L.M. 5-03-2007 7:11 am
As long as you're not donning that VR helmet and those data gloves I won't worry about you.
- tom moody 5-03-2007 8:06 am
The Warcraft episode was one of the best ever...that combined with the Richard Dawkins time travel episodes...I mean, who knew South Park would improve over time and just keep getting better and better. Did you know Cananda is behind several episodes form the first telcast in america? I was so surprised when I called my friend Anita to tealk to her about the atheist shows and she was like, what the hell are you talking about. I am pretty hyper with everything I do...for example this morning I started to post about Jack The Ripper...then left mid way through my post, saying so...it's just sitting there germinating online to go for a swim and walk. Stopped at the grocery store and am back online. By the way, the party/event at Art Metropole sounds like lots of fun...and I LOVE LOVE Jurgen's work, one of my favourite artists. Hey cheers!
Candy
- Candy Minx (guest) 5-03-2007 6:31 pm
Brian Jungen's helmets are great. Geoffrey Farmer is a hoot too. His video of his feet making little sculptures out of tinfoil is wickedly funny. (and shiny too)
- L.M. 5-03-2007 6:54 pm
The Lucy Pullen edition is just gorgeous. I don't know if people can tell from the picture, but she has knit various elegant amorphous garments out of retro-reflective thread. They really pop in direct light, and if I could afford one I would wear it while riding at night and spook the hell out of all the car drivers. That is, I would if I wasn't so busy posting jpegs or whatever it is we do here...
- sally mckay 5-03-2007 7:27 pm
I'm going to take accordion lessons from Mr. Anchovy.
- L.M. 5-03-2007 8:32 pm
cat on lap. check email. send email. check blogs. get cat off lap. make coffee. repeat. repeat. repeat. repeat. go to bed.
- joester 5-04-2007 1:39 am
Hey joester, I made espresso for your sister today while we were sitting in my back yard.
Fortunately after half an hour she had the presence of mind to ask if I had something on the stove. (shit! this is really a big problem when the weather turns warm, at least when I'm inside on my computer I'll eventually smell the smoke as it billows through three rooms. I scare myself every spring with an incident like this.)
- L.M. 5-04-2007 8:12 am