Events I have attended

This image if from Diane Morin's exhibition capteurs d'ombres

I had the pleasure of attending two drag shows this semester. They were both at GLCR downtown. The first drag show of the two, and the first one I had ever been to had a politically incorrect theme. I went to the show with one of my friends from work, and she had failed to mention to me that it was politically incorrect because she thought I already knew. It actually took me awhile once the show started to figure out the theme was on purpose. The thematics were pretty shocking without the foreknowledge to mentally prepare for it. One of the drag queen's performances especially stuck out. Jenny Talia's number was a series of songs blended together about slavery. The performance started with Jenny in a KuKluxKlan outfit and went from there. The effort Jenny put in to the performance was incredible. Jenny manipulated various medias from music, to costume, to lights, to audience reactions. The result was very artistic, and deliberately politically incorrect. The show started in a KKK outfit and ended with one of the servers wearing a toga wrapped in chains.

I attended another a month later in the same building. This one was a fundraiser for the GLCR community. I really admire the work and effort that goes in to performing as a Queen. Every single one of the performers took advantage of their intermedia environment to express themselves. This show had a much more glamorous and done up feel. It was very interesting to compare the two.

I have also attended several galleries. I really enjoyed the BFA/MFA show Hendeca 11 sides currently at the MacKenzie. There are many intermedia components to this exhibition. Joel Kovach's Homo Monstrous is especially interactive. The viewer listens a distorted voice giving them directions on how to interact with the piece. Homo Monstrous invites you to watch a series of filed DVDs of homo monstrous stories and recollections. The viewer is also encouraged to take away a cd that includes all of the stories on it making it even more interactive. Sydney Henrickson's piece also stood out to me on an intermedia level. Sydney takes casts of herself, which are very sculptural and projects a life like naked image of herself on top of one of them. The layers of media, and interpretations are quite interesting.

I checked out Neutral Ground over reading week and was enamoured with Diane Morin's work. I love work that plays with light, reflections, and shadows. Ed Pien is one of my all time favourite artists. I have had the pleasure of seeing Ed Pien's work multiple times in Saskatoon and Regina and love his work every single time. Diane's work reminded me of Pien's a bit. Whereas Pien's is so atmospheric and invites you to walk around in the space, Diane's does the opposite. You have to walk up and peer in these meticulous and fascinating shadow/light shows. I really engaged with her work, especially the one that used the mechanized knitting machine. The machine looked almost evil with its shadowy hooks going up and down so fast.

I had the pleasure of checking out Critical Faculties at the FNUC gallery. I had never been in the FNUC building and the experience was incredible. I loved the white rounded walls, the amount of light pouring in and the peaceful flow of the architecture. The gallery was smaller than I expected but this was by no means detrimental. It was very interesting to see what various faculty members have created. I identified the most with Sean Whalley's work. The photographic prints Willow and Sugar Maple are stunning. The way they are displayed wrapped around the gallery support poles added extra impact. The photo is seen in the round, wrapped around a white pillar that stands in for a tree. It powerfully makes the viewer consider their impact on the environment and mourn the loss of older trees that live to be as wide as the pillar or wider. Each of these photos was paired with tree sculptures. These tree sculptures were covered in wall paper like material and the limbs were held up with wooden crutches. I found them fascinating and engaging.