Arnaud Maggs Wins $50,000 Scotiabank Photography Award

The Cheaper Blog

Arnaud Maggs Wins $50,000 Scotiabank Photography Award

On May 8th, the 2nd Annual Scotiabank Photography Award was announced in Toronto. Despite competition such as Fred Herzog, Arnaud Maggs won the prize consisting of $50,000, a major publication deal with German publishing house Steidl, and a solo exhibit at next year’s Contact Photography Festival.

This year’s jurors were William Ewing (director of curatorial projects at Thames & Hudson), Karen Love (manager of grants and publications at the Vancouver Art Gallery), and Ann Thomas (curator of photography at the National Gallery of Canada). They all commended Maggs’ “unswerving and affectionate eye” and his ability to elevate “both the idea of human identity represented through the photographic portrait and the idea of cultural evidence garnered through the traces that everyday things leave behind.” As Nokes put it, “Arnaud Maggs is the master of the archival image… His extraordinary use of the ordinary is a wonder.

A survey of his work is currently showing at the National Gallery of Canada. For now, you can check out some of his work here:

Kunstakademie, Detail - 1980

Ledoyen Series Working Notes

Pierrot Turning

Death Notes collected by Maggs over the years, as shown in current exhibition "Identification"

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May 3, 2012Portrait Artist in Residence at Black & Yellow!

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We’re really excited about the next show at Black & Yellow. Sarah Jane Holtom will be hosting portrait sittings for most of the month. Here are the details we have so far.

Black and Yellow Gallery and The Waldorf Hotel Present:

Sarah Holtom – Portrait Artist in Residence

In the summer of 2006, Sarah Holtom (b. 1980) painted 100 Portraits of Calgary artists, from life, in the brief time span of 3 months. The spontaneity, honesty and relevancy of the series struck a chord with Calgary’s Glenbow Museum, who added the portraits to their permanent collection.

Black & Yellow Gallery in association with The Waldorf Hotel is pleased to host Sarah as a portrait artist in residence for the month of May. Please join us for the following important dates:

May 3rd – Opening reception and kick-off party at Black & Yellow.

May 3rd – May 18th – Live painting in gallery, by drop-in and appointment.

May 18th – Closing reception.

Work remains on display until May 31st.

Oil-on-wood portraits (12×12”) will be completed in a 1-2 hour sitting in the gallery at the special rate of $250 (single) $350 (couple). Pets and children are welcome; costumes and personality are encouraged. Sarah will maintain full-time hours at the gallery during her residency (12-7pm, Monday – Saturday) and will accept both appointments and drop-in’s, time permitting. Appointments are limited to 50 portraits.

Direct inquiries or book appointments via:

Graeme Berglund // Gallery Director // 604.727.2465

Sarah Holtom // Artist in Residence // 778.554.2168

I highly encourage you all to come out to this. We are looking forward to seeing the portraits of acquaintances, friends, pets, kids, and well-known Vancouverites!

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April 5, 2012Wistful Thinking by Robert Fougere at Black & Yellow!

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It’s creeping up to that time at the beginning of the month when Black & Yellow has an opening. For April, we’re steering away from the collages of Office Supplies Incorporated and showing found and original photography by local artist and photographer Robert Fougere.

Artist Statement:

In this installation, Fougère continues his exploration of the photographic image as an aesthetic object and cultural artifact. A collection of obscure found, collected and original photographic negatives, provide the source material for a glimpse of post-war optimism, values, furniture and hair-dos, calling to question current post-silicone cultural values, norms and aesthetics. The exhibit aims to acknowledge the ability of the analog photograph to both figuratively and literally outlive the intentions—and subjects—of the original photographer, establishing a haunting undertone hidden beneath nostalgia for old-fashioned ideals.

Please join us for the opening!

When: Thursday, April 5, from 7-11 pm.

Where: Black & Yellow Gallery – Room 106, The Waldorf Hotel (1489 East Hastings Street)

If you can’t make it out on Thursday night, Black & Yellow is open Monday-Sunday, 10 am – 10 pm.

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April 28, 2012The Equinox Project Space

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In late January, Equinox Gallery revealed their latest endeavour: an impressive, 12,000 square foot gallery called Project Space, tucked into Great Northern Way. They’ve been enjoying great feedback: their first exhibit, “Fred Herzog: A Retrospective”, has been extended until the end of April. However, in Mid-May, they’ll be showcasing something a little bit different.
“Cut and Paste” will be an exhibit about collage, montage, assemblage, and pre-collage in Canada, with an emphasis on art from the West Coast. Their choice of exhibit is rooted in the nature of collage. It’s something that people often assume is a simpler operation with scissors and paper, but there’s a real history to back it up. Some of this history will be on display: artwork by Jack Shadbolt and Harold Town will be shown, as well as work by contemporary artists such as Etienne Zack, Renée van Halm, Paul Butler, Jason McLean, and Office Supplies Incorporated. Expect a multi-media aspect to the show: apparently, there’ll be films from the 60s that showcase the decade’s relevance to Collage, and there may be some Sculpture.
The exact opening date is unconfirmed, but for now, go check out the Fred Herzog exhibit!

Jack Shadbolt. "Guardian". 1972.

Fred Herzog. "Crossing Powell". 1984.

WHERE:
Equinox Gallery Project Space – 525 Great Northern Way
WHAT & WHEN:
Until April 28 – “Fred Herzog: A Retrospective”
Mid-May – “Cut and Paste” (Collage exhibit)
HOURS:
Thursday – Saturday, 12 – 6 pm.
ADMISSION FEE:
Free!

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March 16, 2012H20 Cycle by François Roux

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During March 2011 – February 2012, I completed an internship as co-curator with Grunt Gallery for their project, Activating the Archives (check out the first site up here). Along the way I met some fascinating people – one of whom is François Roux. Currently a mere 24 years old, François left his French hometown and came to Vancouver to engage with the local arts & culture scene. François Roux has been here for under a year, but has already managed to connect with the local arts & culture scene, as well as local creatives, already working with Vancouver artists Geoffrey Farmer, Kevin Schmidt, and Hank Bull. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that his involvement has resulted in an exhibition at the Grunt Media Lab.

WHEN: Friday, March 16, 2012 – 7 pm until 11 pm

WHERE: Grunt Gallery – #116 – 350 East 2nd Avenue

WHAT: “h2o Cycle” – three videos shot around English Bay!

The three videos are characterized by their relationship to water; what Roux describes as “a way of working”. Water in its various forms and resonant meanings shapes the nature of these videos. This can be understood in contrast to another group of his videos, RGB Cycle, for example, where colour, rather than water, forms the basis of his working methodology. Roux’s process can be characterized by a constant back and forth between complexity and simplicity, experiment and analysis. Gradually, his work finds its place between what he has in mind and what he encounters while wandering through the landscape.

You can check out the facebook event for more information.

See you there!

- Polina

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March 9, 2012eARTh forum 2012 – Art and Sustainability

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Art and Sustainability are two terms that are constantly on the tips of our tongues – however, we don’t necessarily connect them together. Well, a student-led initiative at UBC may cause us to see that in fact, art and sustainability are now tied in unexpected and socially relevant ways.

eARTh forum 2012

WHERE: Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) – 2260 West Mall, UBC Campus

WHEN: Friday, March 9, 2012. 3pm – 9 pm.

WHAT: An interactive conference on ethics, sustainability, and the role of art in the equation.

3 pm – 4:30 pm: Discussion on Art and Sustainability, with 20 minute audience Q+A session to follow

Speakers: Jorge Amigo, Sharon Kallis, Kaitlin Zhang, Emily Beausoleil

Mediator: Polina Bachlakova (me!)

5 pm – 6:30 pm: Cinema Politica UBC Screens “Manufactured Landscapes”

7 pm – 8:30 pm: Free Art Exhibition, Refreshments, and Performances (Spoken Word, Dance, Local Musicians)

I am tremendously excited for this event. Expect to hear numerous thought provoking questions, such as:

a) Considering recent BC Arts Funding cuts, is it possible or responsible to attempt a sustainable art practice?

b) Does a path towards sustainable art have the power to dismantle our traditional gallery culture?

c) Do artists have the power to take the topic of “sustainability” and “going green” out of the advertising companies’ hands, therefore influencing society in a more powerful manner?

We’ve been hearing about Sustainability for so long now, but have we explored if art has the power to really make a difference in our attitudes? If you’re interested in finding out, come to this event.

"Loop" by Roman Ondák/Czech and Slovak Pavilion/Venice Biennale 2009

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March 8, 2012Ben Tour – ‘Notes From the Underground’

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It’s time for another opening at Catalog Gallery. Come out to see local artist (well, Sunshine Coast artist) Ben Tour‘s new works in an exhibit titled ‘Notes From the Underground’. Ben is primarily known for paintings and drawings of figures – real, imagined, inspiring, and all the rest. You can get a little taste of his work by watching this video!

Ben Tour \’Notes From the Underground\’

Opening night: March 8, 2012

Address: 100 – 56 Powell Street

Time: 7 pm – late

Last day to catch the show: March 31st

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March 4, 2012LEAP – Arts Club’s Night of Emerging Talent.

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From 2009-2011, I had the pleasure of participating in The Arts Club’s LEAP Playwriting Intensive for Young Writers program. It was an amazing experience – not only did I feel my own writing drastically improve and mature, but I was also taken aback and inspired by the talent that was so evident in my fellow writers’ work.

A little more about the program: there are three levels – beginner, advanced, and university. The beginner level has 10 participants, the advanced has 5, and University has 1; all three will learn to write a play or improve their skills by the end of the workshop. The beginners write a short form play, the advanced write a one act, and the university student writes a full length play. All three levels are under the mentorship of an incredible and multi-award-winning playwright and actor – Shawn MacDonald, of The Prodigal Son fame.

For about half year, each group meets once a week to work on each participant’s play. Finally, in March, their plays are showcased in a staged reading, with professional actors bringing their work to life. I am terribly excited for the current group’s work to be showcased this upcoming Sunday and throughout the month of March! Check out the facebook event for more details.

Sunday, March 4, 7 pm – Level I (Beginner)

Where: Revue Stage (1601 Johnston Street)

Playwrights:

Seamus Fera
Isaac Li
Simon Sierra
Roy Lou
Penny Zhang
Yvy Truon
Juliet Choi
Moses Caliboso
Kane Tone
Richard Ly

Sunday, March 11, 7 pm – Level II (Advanced)

Where: Revue Stage (1601 Johnston Street)

Playwrights:

Tara Ciric
Sonia Gumuchian
Keegan Flick-Parker
Jason Lam
Claire McGillivray

Sunday, March 25, 7 pm – Level III (University)

Where: Arts Club Theatre Company – Mainstage (1585 Johnston Street)

Playwright:

Scott Button

Actors, for all three performances:

Bob Frazer
Dawn Petten
Aslam Husain
Dmitry Chepovetsky
Meghan Gardiner
Christine Quintana

I have no doubt that these playwrights and actors will wow me, and I’m sure they’ll do the same for you too.

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Artist Feature Office Supplies Incorporated at Black & Yellow!

We are very pleased to announce Value/Devalue, a Collage exhibit by Office Supplies Incorporated showing at Black & Yellow Gallery in Room 106 of The Waldorf. Come out to the opening on March 1st, from 7 – 11 pm! Our good friends JUICE are also playing a show downstairs that night.

February 29, 2012It’s PechaKucha night!

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Tonight, our very own Graeme Berglund will be joining speakers such as Ken Lum, Sean Orr and Bruce Haden at Vol. 20 of Vancouver’s PechaKucha night, taking place at the Vogue Theatre. Tickets are sold out, but do check the website later for published presentations.

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