- 20 puanet oF THE ARTS / FEBRUARY - MARCH 1996 CONVERSATIONS | WITH MY PEERS On the Meaning of Life as an InterMedia Major) Cultivating Queer Cultures Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Students of Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design Showing March 4th-9th, 1996 @ grunt gallery 116 350 East 2nd Ave Times: Tues. &t Wed:12 noon-6pm Thurs. & Fri:12 noon-9pm Sat:12 noon- 6pm Design: Michael Bet! Cindy Resented His Remarks Z i ra med "iT know what li want and / BY CHRIS ENGER Every once in a while we all stop to think about what life means. Especially those of us who choose to enroll in an art education. And even more especially, perhaps, those of us who choose to enroll in the Interdisciplinary Media pro- gramme. Will | wake up tomorrow? Will there still be an Intermedia pro- gramme at ECIAD next year? In what sorts of new and wonderful ways are my colleagues combining contempo- rary and traditional media, and putting the lie to narrow definitions of art practice and art product? These are the sorts of questions that fill the minds of Intermedia students. To prove my point, | offer you glimpses into the lives and inter- ests of five of my Intermedia peers. Steve Brekelman From the image Steve con- tributed to this article you can tell how intriguing his work tends to be. Steve's mixed-media piece Space-O- Matic is, in his words," A culmination of my interests." It works with sound, sculptural and video elements, and want what il ask for" Cruella. (self portrait) Photoshop Jennifer Gottesman 2nd yr. was shown at the Flat Gallery. Steve is a whiz at comput- er applications and technology in general. He takes a keen interest in sound and all aspects of media. Intermedia is an ideal major for a person as intelligent and self-moti- vated as Steve because it has the diversity and flexibility someone like him seeks in the pursuit of art on the cutting edge. When | asked Steve about his concerns regarding ECIAD's Intermedia programme, he said " | don't think Intermedia students get any respect." He went on to say that Design students should have their own computers because their con- stant use of the Mac Labs makes them very nearly inaccessible to other students. Some of his other concerns are: the lack of a dedicated studio space for Intermedia students, the barely visible institutional presence of Intermedia in the ECIAD communi- ty and, on a more general note, the need for more academic course offer- ings at Emily Carr. Steve would like to see more installation art, performance art, new media art, and multimedia art on display at ECIAD, including the presentation of an Intermedia Show in the Concourse Gallery. He would also like to see the Intermedia Department fully embraced by the Media Division. When | asked Steve what he thought he would be doing after Emily Carr, he replied, "| want to be an artist but | don't think I'll be able to pull it off." | think he already has. Jennifer Gottesman | was hard pressed to dis- cover anything pertaining to art - its media, applications and history - that Jennifer is not interested in. Drawing, however, is probably the closest to her heart. Aside from her interest in installation, performance and the manipulation of sound, she has dis- covered a new and wonderful tool in the computer. Jennifer's concerns include the lag in technical support for InterMedia majors. This has been alleviated by the hiring of an Intermedia technician. She is quite impressed, however, by Sylvia Scott's unwavering promotion of the Intermedia programme and its ideals. Jennifer would like to see some 6 credit InterMedia courses offered and is curious as to absence of courses dealing with the history of interdisciplinary and performance art. Regarding studio space, Jennifer has a different view from Steve: "We have a lot of things going for us that many other Art colleges do not. At many art schools there isn't any studio space at all.” Jennifer feels that too much griping that goes on here. Her view is that being resourceful and making the most of what is available is part and parcel of being an artist "Artists are born, not made," she claims. "However, if all the artists and all the garbage col- lectors switched places, the art world would not suffer for it." To Jennifer, art is life and life is art. As to the question of what she might be doing after art school, she replies: "I'll be working in the way | have been working the last two years. I'll get a job if | need one and hopefully, I'll get my work into some of the galleries, into the public eye." hri h Chris Nash is a third year InterMedia major with a great inter- est in sound and computers. Chris would like to see more training continued on page 28 20 rover oF me ans | reoma - aso 1996 Showing March 4th-Sth, 1996 genta 1 50 nd | Times as ee np Da apm S12 won: om ‘Cindy Resented is Remarks Cultivating Queer Cultures Gy Lahn ct Stade of Emy Ca ttc a tn eign Cruella. (self portrait) Photoshop Jennifer Gottesman 2nd yr. CONVERSATIONS WITH MY PEERS On the Meaning of Life (as an InterMedia Major) ‘Chins ENGER Every once ina while we all stop to think about what life means. Especially those of us who choose to enroll in an art education. ‘And even more especialy, perhaps, those of us who choose to enrol in the Intrdisciplinary Media pro- gramme, Wil wake up tomorrow? Wil there stl be an Intermedia pro- gramme at ECIAD next yea? In what Sorts of new and wonderful ways are ‘my colleagues combining contempo- rary and traditional media, and putting the lie to narrow definitions of art practice and at product? These are the sorts of questions that fill he minds of Intermedia students To prove my point, | offer you glimpses into the ives and inter- «sts of five of my Intermedia pees. ‘Steve Brekelman From the image Steve con- tributed to this article you can tll how intriguing his work tends to be. ‘Steve's mixed-media piece Space-0- ‘Matic, in his words" A culmination ‘of my interests" It works with sound, ‘sculptural and video elements, nd “| know what | want and | want what | ask for" was shown atthe Flat Galery. Steve isa whiz at comput- et applcations and technology in general. He takes 2 keen interest in sound and all aspects of media. Intermedia isan ideal major for 8 person a intelligent and sef-moti- vated as Steve because it hs the Aiversity and flexibility someone like him seeks inthe pursuit of art on the cutting edge When | asked Steve about his concerns regarding ECIAD's Intermedia programme, he said "| ‘don't think Intermedia students get any respect” He went onto say that Design students should have thet ‘own computers because their con- ‘stant use of the Mac Labs makes them very nearly inaccessible to other students. Some of his other concerns are: the lack ofa dedicated studio ‘pace for Intermedia students, the barely visible institutional presence ‘of Intermedia inthe ECIAD communi- ty and, on_a more general not, the need for more academic couse offer ings at Emily Cr. Steve would lke to see ‘more installation art, performance art, new media art, and multimedia art on display at ECIAD, including the presentation of an Intermedia Show inthe Concourse Gallery. He would als ike to see the Intermedia Department fully ‘embraced by the Media Division. When | asked Steve what he thought he would be doing after Emily Cathe replied, "I want to be an artist but | don't think Il beable to pul it off" | think he already has Jennifer Gottesman | was hardpressed to dis ‘over anything pertaining to art = its ‘media, applications and history - that Jennifer isnot intrested in Drawing, however, is probably the closest to her heart. Aside from her intrest in installation, performance and the ‘manipulation of sound, she has ds- covered anew and wonderful tool in the computer Jennifer concerns include the fag in technical support for InterMedia majors. This has been alleviated by the hiring of an Intermeia technician. She is quite impressed, however, by Syhia Scot's unwavering promotion of the Intermedia programme and its deals, Jennifer would lik to see some 6 creit InteMedia courses offered and is curious as to absence ‘of courses dealing withthe history ‘of interdscplinary and performance art Regarding studio space, Jennifer has a different view fem ‘Steve: “We havea lot of things going for us that many other Art colleges do not. At many art schools there isnt any studio space at all” Jennifer feels that too much griping that goes on her. Her view is that being resourceful and ‘making the most of what is available 's part and parcel of being an artist "Atists are born, not ‘made;” she claims. “However, fall the artists and all the garbage col- lectors switched places, the art world would not suffer for it* To Jenifer, artis life and lite is art. As to the question of what she might be doing after at schol, she replies: "il be working in the way Ihave been working the last two years. get a jb if need one and hopefully Il get my work into some ofthe galleries, ito the public eye” Chris Nash ‘Chris Nash is third year InterMedia major with a great inter- est in sound and computers. Chris would like to see more training contin on pge 28