I’ve been very busy on multiple fronts for several months – projects in progress (more on that in another post), getting truly settled in my new home out east, trying to catch my breath after the last few years.
But now – NOW – reason to celebrate!
I am very happy to say that I have a selection of brand new work in the upcoming exhibition PRESS, which opens on May 4, 2024 at Harvest Gallery in Wolfville NS!
It’s really lovely to be showing my work here – my new home town – for the first time. And I am in such incredible company … there are such talented artists here! I am extremely grateful to be showing with this community.
Info below!
IF you’d like to read the press release, you can find it here>
Had the pleasure of interviewing Gary James Joynes (AKA Clinker), multidisciplinary artist and musician, for the New Music Edmonton podcast “The NO Normal” recently.
It was a really lovely opportunity to talk to Gary about his work – both new and older – and catch up with him about some ideas and influences we share in our respective practices.
The No Normal podcast is now available on Soundcloud and wherever else podcasts are available.
The first episode of 2021 features some great discussions and music. Ian Crutchley, New Music Edmonton Artistic Director, discusses a wide range of topics with the incoming Artistic Directors of New Works Calgary, Rebecca Bruton and Lesley Hinger. They also share some of their own music with us. The second part of this episode is the interview/conversation between me and Gary. There’s also a sneak peak of some of Gary’s forthcoming work, and discussion of his new piece Sonic Suns (((GENESIS))) commissioned by New Music Edmonton, and available on Vimeo.
Give it a listen – The No Normal Podcast has had a great line up so far – lots of interesting ideas and projects!
I have had several people ask me to post video documentation of the exhibition of Macromareal (a rising tide lifts all boats) that just closed at SNAP, as they were not able to see the work in person.
Grateful for a couple of quiet days, so that I could get to the documentation, and actually DO this!
So – here you are – a short video walk-through of Macromareal!
A note in the sound you will hear: the first is an excerpt of “Fogbreath,” created by Scott Smallwood from field recordings in and around Parrsboro NS, where we held residencies to create this work in 2016 and 2017. This sound work was presented in the first gallery, as shown in the video.
The second is an excerpt of a recording of “Wave Passage Effects,” which Scott created in MAX, and which was presented in real time in the second gallery, with a video projection of the software used to sonny environmental data in real time in the gallery. This was an opportunity to ‘see sound’ and ‘hear environmental data’ from the magnificent Bay of Fundy.
The third excerpt is from the recording of the (very first!) 2017 performance of “Macromareal Prelude: in fog and storm and sunshine” composed by Scott as part of this project. We presented this work at the beginning of the exhibition at SNAP Gallery as well, but with a group of wonderful brass musicians.
Hope you enjoy this – and if you have questions. please feel free to shoot me a note from my contact page.
SATURDAY October 10, 2020 – 1pm – 2pm MST SNAP will be presenting our artist talk, online.
Macromareal approaches the tidal range in the Bay of Fundy, its documentation, and related environmental data through a series of interrelated works that explore the cyclic and durational aspect of natural processes, and the relationship between those processes, human activities, and conceptions of time and memory. The artists will discuss the trajectory of the Macromareal project, their collaboration, and the resulting concoction of work in the exhibition.
This lecture is free, online, and open to the public.
IF you would like to join us for the talk, please REGISTER HERE>
IF you’re in Edmonton, you can still catch the exhibition in person before it goes away throughout this week on a drop-in day, or book a visit on SNAP’s website.
Looking forward to discussing the project, and hearing your thoughts and questions.
It’s a VERY odd time to be presenting work to the public – but I am so happy with all the precautions SNAP has in place, and so very happy to sew showing work in their BRAND NEW home!
There’s several things going on for this iteration of MACROMAREAL. Both Scott and I have re-worked existing elements of the project, and I have been busy since the last time this work was shown making a bunch of new prints! So, brand new work for us in a new space – how lucky can you get??
The exhibition will be opening on the evening of September 11, from 7 – 9 pm. This will be a hybrid event: SNAP is pre-booking (free) tickets to see the show in person, and limiting the number of people in the gallery at one time, so that everyone can stay safe AND see the art in person. We will also be online – Scott & I are attending the Opening virtually, so more people can see the work in person if they want to – and anyone else who wants to attend virtually is welcome to do so as well!
Fundy Sine, Cyanotype on Cotton, 2017.
There will also be a socially-distanced LIVE performance of Scott Smallwood’s score “Macromareal Prelude: in Fog and Storm and Sunshine” on Saturday September 12, at 1:00 pm local time, in the immediate neighbourhood of SNAP, outsdoors. We are both extremely happy to be able to work with some excellent local Edmonton musicians for this event, and to be able to present this work live in a safe way. This is a ‘roving’ performance work; the musicians will be moving in the neighbourhood as they play, and will be distanced; we ask that anyone attending keep 2metres or more from any musician(s) they encounter, and PLEASE wear a MASK!
Dress rehearsal for the original performance of Scott’s score in 2017, Parrsboro NS
Scott and I will also be presenting an artists’ talk about the genesis and evolution of the project on Saturday, October 10th, again at 1pm local time. This talk will be presented online.
A collage of various elements of the project as it evolved
And for some added fun: I will be facilitating a cyanotype workshop/demo online for SNAP on Thursday September 17, starting at 6pm.
Caution, Cyanotype on Cotton, 2019
Looking forward to all of this very much – and hope that you can join us for some of it.
It’s been head down and ‘getter done’ lately on a number of fronts, and so writing her has fallen by the wayside for a while.
In any case, in the midst of getting various jobs finished in the studio and elsewhere, I received a lovely thing in the mail:
The latest issue of Musicworks, with a great article by Ian Crutchley
It’s always a bit of a thrill for me to see the work of my collaborators & friends showcased – and this article about Scott Smallwood‘s work is well written and wide-ranging.
It’s also really lovely that Ian contacted me for comments fo the article, and that he wound up including some information and pictures from Macromareal – my first collaboration with Scott. Timing was more than fortuitous, as Macromareal (redux) had just closed at the ~Diffuser Gallery at Emily Carr.
A nice moment to look back on the work we did, and a great collaboration – in the midst of working on several things, and looking forward to new adventures.
Happy to say that the video work I did in collaboration with Deborah Carruthers – Slippages & Panelled/Slippages – is in a Group Exhibition at Zygote Gallery in Cleveland OH. Capturing the Aura of the Already Said, curated by Margaret Hart, is on exhibition until April 26th.
An Excerpt of the performance video with synched audio below:
After a whirlwind – and lovely – trip to Vancouver to install Macromareal(redux) at ECUAD, Scott and I are back in Edmonton and digging into all the other work we have to do.
Part of that for me has been editing the first batch of documentation from this exhibition, so I can share it with you.
So – without further hoopla:
macromareal redux walk thru from Sydney Lancaster on Vimeo.
I thought the beginning of this year was going to be relatively quiet – a time just to hunker down & work in the studio through the cold months.
There’s certainly been a good bit of that – preparations for an exhibition in the Fall – but then a lovely opportunity came up …
I am very excited to share that Scott Smallwood and I have bene invited to exhibit some of our collaborative work at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Macromareal (redux) will be shown in ~Diffuser Gallery at ECUAD from February 26 – March 24 inclusive.
We will be heading out to Vancouver on Sunday to begin installing the work, and will also be speaking to some of the EUCAD classes about the project and our respective practices.
Looking forward immensely to this little get-away, and to the opportunity to share this work from the East Coast with a West Coast audience!
If you are in the Vancouver area, I hope you can stop in and see it – would love to hear your thoughts.
