News & Writing

New things coming …

          

It’s been a head-down, get-things-done time for several months now. Board work, projects in various stages of development requiring attention, travel,  … and soon, an exhibition of work.

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to return to the Boundary|Time|Surface project over the last several months – digging back into the images and video, thinking through the ideas again, making new work.

And soon, the results of that revisiting will be on exhibition at the Art Gallery of St. Albert! 

The exhibition opens on September 5 2019, at 6:00 pm. – and continues until November 2 2019.

It has been a really interesting process to look at this body of work with the fresh eyes of time and distance, and to consider the ways in which my perceptions of the place and the thoughts it provoked have both changed, and stayed the same. Interesting too, that many of the concerns I had that were brought to bear on the first iteration of work for gallery presentation have only become more urgent – closer to the bone for me.

Every time I look at the photos and video I took in 2014 during my residency in Gros Morne National Park, I learn something more. About myself and what I value as a human being, as much about the nuances in the place itself. It was good and difficult work to go back into the material, push harder with research and art-making both, and consider the implications of bringing this work (in essence) almost all the way across the country for a second showing.

A good friend and fellow artist asked me once “when do you know the work is finished?” For this body of work … I don’t know that I will ever be “finished” – at the least, not with the ideas inherent in the project. But I am, overall, happy with the results of reading and writing and running down rabbit holes of ideas that has been going on for the past year.

SO – this exhibition with feature a good bit of brand-new work, and those pieces from 2016 that ‘made the cut’ will have new conversations and readings in relation to what I’ve been working on/through.  This is also the first time this work (in any iteration) had been shown west of Newfoundland … so even “old” work feels new in this context.

I hope those of you reading this in the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada region will join me at the opening (more exciting news on that to follow soon!) …  hope to see you there.

Musicworks and Macromareal

       

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.

Slippages in Cleveland

          

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:

And Panelled/Slippages, full length with audio:

 

Macromareal (redux) – some images

         

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.

 

And here are a few stills, for good measure!

Waterline
Waterline
Amplitude
Amplitude
Gallery view 1
Gallery view 1
Tidal Time Video
Tidal Time Video
The shadow made a sine trough!
The shadow made a sine trough!
Foghorn tones and shorelines
Foghorn tones and shorelines
Gallery View 2
Gallery View 2
Flags - and ways of knowing the sea
Flags – and ways of knowing the sea
An iteration of one of the Ghost Boats
An iteration of one of the Ghost Boats
The sail, round the corner
The sail, round the corner
Gallery View 3
Gallery View 3
Flags - for communicating across time
Flags – for communicating across time

Talking, Tomorrow …

        

Just back from a whirlwind trip to Vancouver with my friend & collaborator Scott Smallwood – we installed Macromareal(redux) at Emily Carr for a month-long exhibition, and spoke to some of the students there.

Not sure I’ve caught my breath – but tomorrow (February 28) I will be speaking again, with another collaborator, about another project – this time, at the University of Alberta.

At 6pm, Dr. John Waldron and I will be speaking about our project, Boundary|Time|Surface, as part of the LASERAlberta series of talks on art/science collaborations.

 

I am really grateful & excited to have this opportunity to share this project with the wider community here – and I’m really looking forward to the feedback and discussion!

You can find more info about the talk & the project here … .

If you are in the neighbourhood, please join us!

Redux, on the Road …

     

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.

Everything Old is New Again? (more frozen flora)

     

Some beautiful images to start the year. My thanks to Karen McRae and her exquisite eye for capturing these moments so perfectly.

Wishing everyone a good 2019!

All images copyright Karen McRae, 2019, including ‘featured image’ at the top of this page.

A time of Gratitude

      

It has been a quiet, gentle day. No hubbub.

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A day to watch snow fall. Play some music. Make food and eat it.

Tomorrow will be busier; family coming over for a shared meal, gifts exchanged – a different kind of energy, no less delightful for all of that.

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And tonight – a chance to pause again, and wish everyone a safe, happy, and peaceful night, filled with laughter and love. Be gentle with each other, and with yourself. The light is coming back, and now is the time to nurture new ideas and projects, to welcome change and the turn of the wheel for another year.

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My thanks to those who read my posts here, on whatever platform. I am grateful for the privilege of being able to share my thoughts with you.

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I wish each of you the Very Best this Season has to offer, however you may enjoy it.

Be well and take care of one another.

Branching Out …

       

A good way to celebrate the Season and start toward a New Year:

I am very happy to announce that a selection of my work  is now available for sale or rental through the Art Gallery of Alberta!

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I think this is a great program from the AGA – renting work is a very cost-effective way to live with art you love, and – if you can’t live without it – a portion of your rental fees for the first 6 months of a rental can go toward a purchase!

And Art Rental and Sales at the AGA showcases the work of more than 150 Alberta artists working in a wide range of media and styles – so it feels especially good to be in such good company, and working with an organization that supports local creators.

A nice start to the week!