Sometimes you really need a laugh

     

I wanted to end the year on a lighter note because there has been so much depressing news in the headlines, so I will share a short true story of something that made me smile recently.  Memorial University has been exploding with an intake of international students, which has really improved the quality of life in St. John's.  I was in the hot tub discussing the change of culture in the city with, what I believe, to be an Israeli professor of French and Spanish.  We chatted for a while and then went on our separate ways.  I was getting ready to shower and reached down into my gym bag to grab a towel and I noticed that the talkative professor has put his watch on top of my towel.  With a sigh I resolve to try and return his watch before he leaves the men's change room.  I figured I could just stick my arm through with the watch in my hand and remain discretely behind the door.  No such luck.  Sure enough, right on cue the guy opens the door and discovers me sheepishly holding his watch.  He takes the watch and says to me, "don't worry, it's not as if a breast is a weapon of mass destruction."  We both share a laugh and continue our day – with our clothes on.

The Trend of Adult Colouring Books

One of the projects that have recently preoccupied my time is an artists' adult colouring book as a fundraiser for Eastern Edge Gallery.  This idea came from the ever-resourceful Mary MacDonald and as soon as the Board of Directors heard about it we were all in agreement.  The difficulty was that we needed to pull it together in less than two weeks so that it would dovetail with an auction.  I volunteered; yes I really do need to get my head checked.  But, we did it with some serious team effort!

One of the beauties of an artist-run centre is that you are sitting on a powder keg of talent.  It was not difficult to find artists willing to trade a drawing for a year's membership.  And Louis Atkinson from the board came up with the idea of making funky crayons to go with the book.  He melted down crayons into moulds to form rainbow colouring tools in the shape of hearts, stars and skulls.

The reason why I share this project with you is that I became aware that adult colouring books are a trend.  Aside from the latest novelty retail item I suspect the trend says something about us as a society and of course that's where Gloria gets excited.  While working on the book for Eastern Edge I started noticing colouring books for adults in gift shops, bookstores and even (I was told) Wal-Mart.  A little sleuthing on the net and I realized that colouring books for adults were a retail avalanche in the publishing sector.

This is the front and back cover from the Eastern Edge colouring book.  The front shows art by Amery Sandford the back by Mia Penney.  We are selling them with a custom made crayon for $10 as a fundraiser.

I find tracking advertising and marketing very rewarding, as these tend to be very strong indicators of the social significance of an object or activity.  In other words, what were they really selling?  What were consumers hoping to attain with the purchase of a colouring book?  Usually, you look for a benefit or a need met.  At first glance, it was relaxation.  I noticed the word "calm" in titles.  So, this was one more relaxing hobby that didn't really require skills.  Then came "creativity" as colouring books were touted to stimulate your artistic side - using that other side of your brain.  This surprised me a little because I thought colouring inside the lines was the very definition of conformity.  (However, some of the most interesting books leave pregnant blank spaces to lure you into creative play.)  It was also associated with the adult reclaiming of childhood activities.

Next, I started thinking about the angle…there's always an angle to tweak our interest.  So, you will find colouring books that are themed to sell to those with a specific interest in a book, like the Secret Garden, or a pop culture theme like Star Wars, the Game of Thrones or even a twist on Christianity - like martyrdom!  Get those extra red crayons ready.  There are also ways of differentiating adult colouring books through content.  I found one book, Colouring for Grownups with sardonic activity pages that ask you to do things like tell the hipster from the homeless.

Some of the largest selling titles in publishing according to Amazon and other platforms have been colouring books.  How curious that the most recent saviour of the publishing world will be one almost devoid of words.

Coping with the solitary nature of the creative life

Artists create largely alone in their studios.  It is a solitary pursuit, rather like writing, which I know first hand.  That is one reason why I enjoy doing radio or public speaking.  Those kinds of activities allow you social contact that is missing from the hours of private thinking, experimenting and doing.  We may create for ourselves to satisfy an internal need but they are inherently forms of communication, which imply an "other" in the form of an audience be they concert goers, readers or visitors to a gallery.

I believe most artists crave feedback.  Whenever possible, I try and give a little of that or a prolonged discussion when appropriate.  Recently, I got to spend a delightful afternoon with George Horan in his solo exhibition at the Emma Butler Gallery.  I had little opportunity to see much of Horan's painting over the years and it was a real adventure of discovery for me.  This kind of visit allows me to get know an artist first hand, ask questions (which I wouldn't do if I was writing an arm's length review), and share reactions and often more than one good joke.  Emma commented that the time I spent with George was characterized by "explosive laughter".  I take it that was a good sign.

A week or so later, I did the same kind of visit with Valerie Hodder at the Red Ochre Gallery, whose work I hadn't seen in years.  Unlike Horan's expansive abstracts Hodder's paintings were intimate, tiny works.  My opening observation was that I was curious about the immensity of her subject matter, which was landscape, in contrast to the scale she had chosen to work in.  After a period of largely positive comments from me Valerie felt confident enough to ask me for some tougher commentary.  So often, after an artist leaves the academic or educational setting they cease to get anything resembling real critique.

This was one of Valerie's larger acrylic's called
Carnal Knowledge.

I know one of my rules of thumb for years was that I would only cover a show if I felt positive about it (and I know I am not alone in that practice).  This is somewhat frustrating for me because writing a solid negative review is a challenge I would like to master.  I was speaking with a colleague in Toronto not that long ago and I inquired how they handled this dilemma.  Her answer was very revealing, "only write a negative review about an artist whose career is so solid that you know it won't really damage them."  I can honestly say that I think I've published only one negative review in years.

I am a bonafide culture vulture.  I read broadly, attend readings by authors and poets, plays, dance performances, and concerts.  I am blessed to live in a city that is awash in local talent.  Increasingly, I am asked to review theatre, dance and music that stretches from classical chamber music to Balkan funk rock.  More and more, this is for the web or e-zines.  But because of the abundance of local events and talent I feel that I do not make a dent in the cultural offerings.

Ron Hynes dies at age 64

There is no doubt that the cultural world of St. John's took another big hit when we lost Ron Hynes to cancer.  Weeks prior the word was out that the cancer had spread from his lungs into the rest of his body.  His death seemed inevitable, the countdown had begun.

November 19, 2015 Hynes passed away and as if in some bizarre coincidence the power also went out in downtown St. John's.  I was at the university gym when a little girl excitedly told me that it was the ghost of Ron Hynes that put the power out and that was the exact moment he died.  "Now", I thought, "This is folklore in the making". 

Days later there was an impromptu community gathering in Bannerman Park.  Folks assembled to sing a couple of Hynes tunes and chat amongst themselves.  If the Park had walls I could have said there was wall-to-wall respect in that space.  There was no surprise at that love-in.

The big surprise came with Ron Hynes's nephew - Joel Thomas Hynes.  He posted on Facebook a very raw and angry outburst about his uncle's drug addiction that was quickly picked up by the media.  Reaction to his message was, I think, very interesting.

Some in the community lauded the statement, saying it would help de-stigmatize drug addiction and help others to recover.  What I believe Joel was trying to do by going public about something that most families would have brushed under the carpet is point to the growing problem of addiction in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Joel compared the province to Ireland, which has identified binge drinking as a problem.  He pointed to the inadequate resources for addicts in the province and the crumbling penitentiary.  Joel made a plea for leadership; ironically some in the cultural community suggested he should run for office.  At any rate, Joel Thomas Hynes' statement was heartfelt and certainly struck a chord amongst many in the city.  Let's hope it makes a difference.

HUNGER satisfies

Ruth Lawrence's new production grapples with a difficult topic in difficult times

 Like many in the audience I felt a certain amount of trepidation during the start of HUNGER.  This is a play that purports to be about what we, as humans, are willing to do for others in need.  You could add "in times of crisis".  Whether it is the current terrorist attacks in Paris, the dilemma of Syrian refugees or any acute conflict on the globe there is no shortage of crisis with which to drive home the impact of this play superbly written by the young talent, Meghan Greeley.  The only question in my mind was, "how dark is this play going to be?"

The first thing the audience sees is the stage set, which to my surprise was created by Lois Brown. This is only the second time she has designed a set to my knowledge.  It is deceptively simple to the eye, a wash of camouflage patterned browns and tans.  The whole of the stage, which is a farmhouse interior of furniture, drapes, etc, is a mass of dappled foliage that culminates in treetops.  It is an apt visual metaphor for the central action of hiding the hunted, the innocent.  It is at times a cozy nest and others a suffocating trap with ingenious visual solutions.

The beauty of the script for me was that it was unassuming.  It was never strained or clever.  It managed to say a lot in natural sounding terms.  The ensemble of actors is relatively small and intense.  The real power in their acting came to me through their physicality, the way they inhabited the eroding physical and psychological states of their characters as their challenging circumstances escalated.  The actors went from supportive, tender embraces to the surrender of crawling on their bellies but made it all appear inevitable as opposed to melodramatic. HUNGER never succumbs to hyperbole.

Often, the most productive way of delivering medicine is sugar coating.  In the case of HUNGER the audience is seduced by a gentle start and when the going gets really rough by a sense of an almost lyrical surrealism.  The hardest hitting sequence has an almost dream like quality.  So be assured those of you considering buying tickets, that this is not a depressing production.  It is thought provoking and it will make you question the motives of many as it probes the fragile divide between chaos and control, profit and philanthropy, benefit and risk.

http://rca.nf.ca/box-office/purchase-tickets-2/

Musical Balm or a Musical Binge?

This week I've been on something of a musical binge:  repeated listening to a new CD by emerging talent Ilia Nicoll (with its surrealist cover art by Pepa Chan), attending a concert called Percussion Magic and then attending the love fest that was Duane Andrew's CD launch at The Ship.  This lead to my thinking about the role of music in the face of adversity, which of course was prompted by the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday.  This is what I posted in Facebook on Saturday morning.

Last night I enjoyed the sonic delights of a concert by Rob Power and his latest crop of Scruncheons and the caramel and chocolate laced pleasure of a soothing friend. It was only after a stroll home that I discovered the horror of the attacks in Paris. Never have we needed love and beauty more.

I found myself thinking beyond the protest songs of the folk music traditions, say those around the Vietnam War.  When I was 5 or 6 years old I was in North Carolina visiting family and I encountered segregation on buses and bathrooms and even chain gangs.  Digging ditches, picking up litter supervised by state trooper with a shot gun.  But they were allowed to sing, to keep rhythm, to bond as a group and to work more efficiently.  Even to my young mind the contrast between these men in chains, their captivity and the power of their singing, their vitality…was apparent.  Slavery began to be real for me.  

I also thought about the uprise in popularity of musicals during the depression years in North America.  The fantasy, the escape to a magical world of tuxedos and dancing feet along infinite staircases was offered up for the price of a ticket.

This was music as medicine and I found myself craving it this week. 

How Gerry Squires Shaped Newfoundland's Cultural Identity

While other artists would have painted leaves Gerry went for exposed roots.

By now everybody has heard that we have lost Gerry Squires.  He has been hailed as this province's most influential artist, treasured by many for his kindness and talent and honored by all.  The Canada Council, NL Arts, Craft Council of NL and Visual Arts NL plus a wide variety of media outlets have recognized Squires' passing and our profound sense of loss.  Let me try and explain why Gerry Squires was so significant– not just to family, friends and creative peers but– to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.  It has little to do with the honors bestowed on him from Memorial University (1992), the Order of Canada (1999), the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts or the many other organizations.

When Gerry Squires returned to this province from the mainland in 1969 a cultural tidal wave was forming that was part of larger social forces.  Scholars have variously called it the Newfoundland cultural renaissance, revival or revolution.  It was the first time many Newfoundlanders saw themselves reflected on the stage, television, canvas or page.  Gerry Squires was instrumental in helping shape Newfoundland cultural identity.  He was part of a generation that produced a period of sustained creativity across disciplines that reflected and validated a sense of self that could have only evolved after Confederation, the establishment of Memorial University, and the glimmer of economic prosperity.  It would be the result of intense inquiry into what it meant to be a Newfoundlander, the questioning of authority and the rise of a generation not directly impacted by the poverty associated with World War II.

This photo (of himself) was originally
supplied by Gerry to a Peruvian newspaper.

Think of the groundbreaking work done in comedy by Codco, Figgy Duff in combing rock and roll with traditional music, innumerable plays and novels and then there was a holy trinity in the visual arts:  David Blackwood, Christopher Pratt and Gerry Squires.  This burst of creativity fed a sense of discovery and pride for the province.  Blackwood mythologized the past, Pratt interpretated the contemporary with a cool minimalism and Squires depicted the landscape with the authority of a self-portrait that was never pretty. (He always smiled when I said that.) Gnarled tree roots, epic boulders …wind scrubbed skies, Squires celebrated the common place and helped stamp the reputation of Newfoundland and Labrador as a hotbed of creativity on the national map. 

This article is a reprint from the November 2015 edition of the Overcast newspaper.

Gerry Squires made art everyday because he had no choice he had to.  Kind and encouraging, he always had the time to give advice and guidance to a growing generation of younger artists.  The man was like a benevolent and gentle ruler.  If he were in a two-artist show, he'd be pitching the other guy's work–coffee cup in one hand and a cigarette in the other, singing the praises of a fellow artist to a collector.  What was staggering is that Gerry Squires did it with a rare integrity.  His gallerist, Emma Butler had it right when she said on CBC Radio that Gerry was never in it for the money or fame.  It was all about love and the consequence was that it contributed to the recognition that all artists of this province are a significant force in its economy and society.