Still trying to figure out how 27 works had so much white space …

Seriously though, it is a terrific space and I suspect this is the first of many exhibits in the space well worth visiting. check it out here -> http://dupontprojects.com/

In a tiny white cube space, In the back corner of an industrial park building, in between two burgeoning art districts, near an overpass, an exhibit that lasts 2 1/2 days is attracting hundreds of visitors including me. Why?

As curator and organizer Nathalie Quagliotto tells me, the most important advice she can give is to be social, social, social. This makes sense, because Nathalie has 27 artists showing in this space that is about 500 square feet. The more off-grid a exhibition venue is, the more group shows it should have to attract as many people as possible to establish its presence in the arts landscape.

This exhibition has the added social importance for being Nathalie’s 27th birthday-what kind of cold-hearted basterds would refuse to participate or attend her exhibit? Probably those not on Facebook. You start to get the very real sense of how important social media is to art openings and events.

So how did 27 works in this space that measures 10 feet by 17 feet work out? Actually, amazingly well when by all rights it should have looked like a cluttered art hole. Many of the works are small and there is a terrific amount of white space. Exactly how I am still not sure.

There is no theme or geographical parameters to exhibit 27- I think the purely social nature that functions as curating in this day and age results in a playful collection of work.

As Nathalie points out, there is a good mix of emerging and established artists and is well worth checking out.

Sometimes at these kind of independantly organized group shows, one can snag an artwork from an important artist and I did. I can’t wait 40 years from now when this really pays off.

Press release pasted below.

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DUPONT PROJECTS :

Send me an audio file if interested.

These men and women are heroes precisely because they are  studio assistants to a very healthy, capable, wealthy artist in his prime. These artists, these assistants, are also in their prime and what are they doing? No one will remember because every piece they made will have someone else’s name on it. Well future collectors and museum curators make a note, an asterisk, beside works that may have been made by the artists studio and not the artist himself.  Just like a Rembrandt – Perhaps they won’t want to know and will attempt to cover up the truth.You know, for insurance purposes.

the more responsible and conservative method to starting a civilization with manageable debt and no corporate taxes.

I believe the current global financial crisis can be traced to ancient Greece focusing on liberal arts instead of business degrees. This has created, historically, a drain on productivity in many continents (DOPIMC).

Obviously, in hindsight, early democracy might have done better favoring MBA programs than “philosophy”  and “art”. At best, these are soft assets for any startup civilization – especially ones that need to compete in a global market.

SO HOW CAN WE LEARN FROM ANCIENT FAILURES TO CAPITALIZE ON PROFIT?

For North America especially, a strong government of business leaders in 427 BC focusing on job creation and corporate tax incentives would have provided useful safeguards against the poor defaulting on their mortgages. The euro zone, on the other hand, might have benefited from being influenced on an ancient culture of family-oriented entertainment instead of a fixation with marble statues of naked people (probably paid for, by the way, with taxpayer’s money while soldiers were making the ultimate sacrifice at the hot gates).

Seems about the only thing they got right about democracy 1.0 was having it in a niche market with severe restrictions on membership. This boosted the perception of value and drove demand through the roof.

Unfortunately, democracy as intellectual property was declared open source from the get go and is difficult to recoup license fees without military and legal intervention.

Unlike Socrates, the only thing we know is that we know how to design a decent food court.

Imagine how wonderful our world would be if we had, for example, insurance brokers, an oil industry or even copyright laws 2500 years ago. We would all be rich and labour costs would be affordable everywhere*. I am absolutely sure golf would of been foremost in new inventions instead of the last!

If you just invented the alphabet you can certainly make a resume and apply for a job- you don’t need to be a drain on the rest of us because you would rather lie on the couch all day with a scroll and then “debate” and “protest” than work. Even I have to work so I know my future co-workers can keep working at the same work I worked at. It’s the only way out of the shadowy cave of fiscal mismanagement due to anti-free market forces (SCFMDTAMF).

Creating from nothing is something 95% of the world cannot do – it’s an elite and designer drug artists have access to. Too bad it can can ruin your life by messing with your sense of the value of a real job and buying things at malls.

Urban Survey #6 by Christopher Healey

Waiting on three two more artists to get back to us on publishing photos of their work, but in the meantime Here is work from Fiona Kinsella, Kearon RoyTaylor, Jack Butler and Linda Joyce Ott. I love Kinsella’s painting … or is it a sculpture? One of those works that makes you wish you thought of that … but it is inspiring me to try some stuff.

Taylor has a real connection to the glitch / infographic trends in contemporary art right now. Linda Joyce Ott’s character construction works as well close up as it does far away and I’m giddy to be staring a real Jack Butler work in the face. Even if it is a freaking Dr.Moreau-esque experiment.

Maureen Paxton contributed, what is to me, a painting about painting. She’s just that good. Seriously – one of the best I know.

This painting on plywood by Abena Asomaning looks like a bubble gum and classic mythology mash up and just makes me smile.

This is not art because this man's grandson can paint like this. His grandson is talented. I am not.

Another gem of a statement offered to me while I was gallery sitting yesterday. Guess what? Only paintings that look like photos are really art.

Thus, I am very confused as to what art is if it is not art.

By this gentleman’s logic, a librarian can legitimately judge whether a book is “good enough” to even be a book. If it is not a book, then what is it?

If a movie is so bad as to not be a movie, then what is it?

If a theatre performance is not a theatre performance because I don’t like it – then what does it remain? Or does it become something else?

If I don’t think this gentleman’s opinion is worth very much, can I still consider him an art critic or just a buffoon?

What I do know, after 20 years, is to shut up and smile and nod when dealing with this kind of person. And never vote for them like much of our country did in the last election.

Sit here. Answer questions.

I am gallery sitting for a couple of afternoons at an artist centre I volunteer at. Ideally, I would be able to work on some web projects while enjoying the quiet ambiance of a beautiful group exhibit in a white cube space… except for the last three hours there has been non-stop visitors with questions and ideas.

Not unusual for an attendant in a gallery space to deal with a curious public and aspiring artists. Some of them are common “FAQ”s – I’ve listed them below for reference:

1) “Is there an admission fee for this show?” 

No.

I think this is a sign of mainly attending large galleries and museums, who charge, and not the smaller independent galleries, who don’t charge.

Would attendance at galleries increase if people knew there were no admission fees? Maybe – but our society tends to not value things that are free.

2) “I want to know how to exhibit art in your art gallery.” This was exactly the question from a young man who came in and went directly to the reception desk. He claimed to be an artist who “had an art show before” but had no interest in looking at the current show, I guess. He also seemed confused and incredulous when informed that there is a submission call once a year and programming is two years in advance so we are booked till 2015.

This is typical of many people actually – they expect a magical opening to appear at a gallery after a brief conversation. Nope, sorry, you gotta wait in line like everybody else and hope for the best. Sometimes that answer is not good enough and thus I am asked…

3) “I have to wait that long? Talk to whoever is in charge and see what they say.” Gee, if all I had to do was badger any random gallery attendant to get an exhibit of my work, and within a month or two, then I would be a very famous artist right now. We all would.

The answer is still “no”.

4) “Do you know my friend, the artist [insert random name here]?” When I answer no, there is more incredulous looks. What kind of gallery is this that does not know of this wonderful painter / sculptor / illustrator / whatever?

I was left with the distinct feeling that I do not know as much about art as I was supposed to.

5) “How much do you take in commissions?” No, we don’t take commissions because we are a publicly funded gallery. “How do you stay in business?” Because we are a publicly funded gallery with a membership and donations. “So you don’t take a commission?” No, except for fund raising events… “Are your works for sale on the website?” *sigh* ….. no….

You see, Artist-Run Centres were invented by artists to provide a space for artwork that was not meant to be commercial or ever sold. That usually means, during regular programming, if someone wants to buy a work off the artist then that is between the artist and the interested party.  Sometimes, like most artist-run centres, we have a yearly exhibit or auction, usually of our members’ work, that is meant is to raise funds for the gallery to continue operating. Would you like to become a member and volunteer with us, to participate next year? No?…

I only actually ever got four or five words into the above before the inquiring party would completely lose interest, often interrupting my art history lecture with “so you don’t take commissions?”  

No.

6) “Do you have a work in this exhibit?” Finally, a good question! “Do you want to see my artwork?” Oh god … no….. but I answer yes.

Needless to say, I got no work done at all this afternoon except for this post.

A walk through in photos and audio commentary of Hamilton’s Barton Village, where I live. Looking for art and at derelict storefronts, one realizes there is a lot of potential for this to be an area where galleries / studios could thrive. Amazed that one of the most widely acknowledged poor neighbourhoods of any major Canadian city is only 45 minutes away from downtown Toronto.

For me as an artist living in the area, this slideshow is a record of a time and place to refer back to as the neighbourhood changes.

Commentary by Chris and Jen (dumb critics) as we discuss the state of the area, the local BIA and artists working in the community.