PRACTICE spring 1998 / planet of the arts 25 By Karen Myskiw he stories we choose to tell or not to tell define who we are. During class discussions in Sandra Semchuk’s Photographic Installations class at Emily Carr Institute, the eight people talked about the world as a story. This idea provided the jumping-off point for Story, their show held in the Grunt Gallery from December 10 to 14, 1997. Semchuk’s course combines the technical rigours of studio work with the realities of making art in and for the community: students not only develop their own work but mount a group exhibition. This year, due to lack of funds, the class had the additional task of fundraising to secure a gallery space and cover the costs of promo- tion, an opening, and a press release. “It required a lot of self-deter- mination and decision making,” says Semchuk. Michelle Sylliboy, a student in the class, had suggested the origi- nal idea for the show and recommended that the Grunt Gallery might be willing to house the exhibition. As things turned out, the Grunt offered to let the students use the space for free. The gallery’s response, along with the work put into organizing the show, seemed to foster a sense of community among these emerging artists and a feeling of linkage with the larger art community. But a collaboration such as this is not always so easy. While it brings together each artist’s individual strengths, there is still the need to work as a group and come to consensus. The eight contributors come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, and have very dif- ferent approaches to installation and to the idea of ‘Story’. In her piece, Jackie Blackmore examined the pivotal rite of pas- sage, as a woman and as an artist, that she embarked on while on exchange in Amsterdam. A series of photographic self-portraits were arranged in a yellowed second-hand photo album. The album hung behind a screen composed of near life-size photos of her dressed in a slip. The screen sheltered her inner self. The viewer had to enter the tiny space between screen and wall, a reminder of the cozy confines of her apartment as shown in several of the photos. Self-portraiture is a new direction for Blackmore. She had arrived in the foreign metropolis without knowing the language or anybody there, uncertain of what lay before her. For a few dollars she began purchasing the beautiful antique slips and brassieres she noticed in the weekly bazaars. When the neighbourhood women responded to the sight of the undergarments hanging from her clothesline with friendly acknowledgement, she felt more at home. The undergar- ments became for her a kind of armour against alienation. The series self-portraits by Blackmore started off with her posing around her apartment wearing the lingerie. The photo shoots gradu- ally took place in increasingly public settings. She would quickly undress for the few moments it took, then dress again and leave. An exchange student from New York took the photos. People’s reactions were mixed. Many were uncomfortable. Some would try to touch her. On one occasion she was detained at the train station under the apprehension that she was considering suicide. Blackmore derived strength from her actions. She was able to e-Installing Visual Tales recognize not only her ‘own vulnera- bilities but those of the people around her. The resulting photos of herself made all the more evident how per- sonal an artist’s work is. They were theatrical and outrageous, with Jackie looking comfortable in her attire and the people around her staring or oblivious. The installation spoke of private and public space and what is regarded as appropriate behaviour in each domain. The courage it obvi- ously took to do the photo shoots helped the viewer begin to place him/herself in Blackmore’s position. However, without Blackmore having shared her experience with me, I might have missed the subtler nuances of the installation. A written description might have added to the effectiveness of the piece. Johannes Buss is a German exchange student whose approach was noticeably different from the other artists. His installation examined the spatial interrelationship between subject and object. A projector was set up on one side of the room while a large photograph, hung on the opposite wall, acted as a screen onto which slides were projected. Yellow CAUTION tape, hanging torn, sur- rounded the space. The large photograph was of Buss hugging a tree with bright lights shining on him. The shot was taken at night. Though a man of some stature, he looked hunted. There was an uncomfortable tension: was he victim or victimizer? The photograph was deliberately hung crookedly. “Why does everything have to be straight?” Buss asks. “I like the arbitrariness.” This element of arbitrariness was. the outcome of an art-making process where, rather than trying to control the outcome, Buss allows his ideas to guide him. The gallery space was so small that spectators had to walk between projector and screen and become part of the piece, in their turn caught like deer in headlights. The effect was like having some- thing bearing down on you without being able to see what it was. In the process of making the piece, Buss scanned and reworked colour photographs using Photoshop and subsequently made trans- parencies into slides. The resulting third or fourth generation imagery was projected on the large photo. “Manipulation is every- Dafna Ohana (music by Joseph Emmanuel), River of Life, 1997. Multimedia slide show with music. thing. Everything is contraction,” he says. Buss had deconstructed the picture, creating discordant pieces which he succeeded in recombin- ing into a new meaningful whole. Heather Emery’s installation, Distance, was located in a dark con- fined space under some stairs inside the gallery space. It consisted of five small plexiglass cases each embossed with one word and display- ing an image inside. An assortment of black and white silver gelatin prints of everyday objects mounted on paper lay in a pile in front of the cases. A video monitor set upon a nearby table and draped in gauzy fabric showed someone reciting an English translation of Jean- Paul Sartre’s Nausea, with French captions overlaid. The captions were limited to certain highlighted words — for example, terre, illumination, jamais, exister, ceux, mer, point, se cherche, elle, penser, rien, mot, — while the prints piled on the floor were of objects such as a doorknob, a light bulb, eyeglasses, a glass of water. continued on page 28, see “Storytelling” Speakable / Unspeakable Review of an evening of interdisciplinary and performance works, Havana Gallery — January 29, 1998 By Hadley Howes he Unspeakable... an attack on the smooth functioning of Truth, ideology, the speak- able. The Unspeakable is a “formless pulsa- tion of desire,” (Krauss, 96) that pits signifiers against meaning. The Unspeakable is Formless. I came to this evening of performance, titled unspeakable, with these ideas in mind, wondering how I could possibly write about the Unspeakable, and interested in the challenge of what would per- haps be unwritable. The difficulty in writing this review, however, comes not from the wordless idea of the evening’s theme, but from the diverse inter- pretations the title inspired in the eight artists who participated. The show was initiated by Tagny Duff and Marlene Madison Plimley, who approached performance artists working in a variety of methods and media and asked them to create performance with this theme in mind. They were excited about the prospect of the risk involved in bringing togeth- er a diverse group of artists in a cabaret-style event. They purposely looked for people working at vari- ous stages in their careers in the hopes of creating a space for experimentation and learning for every- one involved. As the co-producers had predicted, the result was unpredictable. I didn’t know what to expect from one artist to the next, or how to prepare my energy-level for each performer. What resulted was a somewhat jumbled evening of part intense exploration, part cute play; part “serious art” and part variety show. My ambiguous expectations of what Unspeak- able means were met, and expanded on, by a few of the works specifically. Tagny’s video, for instance: a lipsticked mouth, chewing incessantly on a combi- nation of her own fashion - posing image and colourful candies, until the masticated mixture no longer appears appealing but takes on the abject quality of a repulsive devouring/vomiting — impos- sible to clean with an armory of dental tools. The tension between voluntary and forced consumption is in that (unspeakable) place between how we speak and what we say. John G. Boehme’s work > ray & a s = > a = = < = 8 fe) 2 S S = Judy Radul, Documents For Performance #3, 1998. addressed the unspeakable discourse of the mascu- line, beginning with the completion of its construc- tion (Boehme in well-pressed work uniform standing on a plinth), and continuing with its deconstruction, as he disassembled the plinth and the flat it was raised on, subtly and dramatically struggling with material. Meanwhile we watched the mediated (video) documentation of his con- struction of the same pedestal, creating a space to examine our real and mediated relationships to de/constructions and the ideal. However, there seemed to be a very different idea of the Unspeakable taken up by other artists kable | U kabhi 5p continued on page 26, see “Sp PRACTICE spring 1998 / planet of the arts 25 e-Installing isual Tales By Karen Myskiw he stories we choose tol or not t tll define who we are, During class discussions in Sandra Semchuk’s Photographic Instalatins class at Emily Care Ist, This the cight people talked about the world asa idea provided the jumping-off point f show held in the Grant Gallery from December 100141997 Semchuk’s course combines the technical rigours of studio work withthe realities of making atin and fr the community stants rot only develop thei own work but mount a group exhibition. This year due to lack of funds, the class had the additonal task of fundraising to secure a gallery space and cover the costs of promo tion, an opening, and apres release “It required alt of self deter mination and decision making” sys Semchul Michelle Syliboy, a student in the las, had sugested the orig ral ida for the show and recommend that the Grunt Gallery might be willing to house the exhibition. As things turned out the Grunt fered to let the students use the space for free. The gallery's response, along with the wotk pat into organizing the show, seemed to foster a sense of community among these emerging artists and a fecing of linkage wit the lager art community But a collaboration such as this not always so easy. While it brings together cach rit’ individ strengths, there itil he need to work as group and come to consensus. The eight contributors from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and have very df approaches to instalation and tothe idea of Story Tn her piee, Jacke Blackmore examined the pivotal ite of pas sage, asa. woman and as an artist, that she embarked on while on xchange in Amsterdam. A series of photographic self-portraits were arrange in a yellowed second-hand photo album. The album hung behind slip. The screen sheltered her inner sl The viewer had o enter the screen composed of nea life-size photos of her dresed ina tiny space between screen and wall, a reminder of the czy confines ‘of her apartment as shown in several of the photos. Sele portraiture is anew direction for Blackmore. She had arrived in the foreign metropolis without knoving the language or anybody there, uncertain of what lay before her. Fora few dollars she began purchasing the beautiful antique slips and brassiere she noticed in 1 weekly bazaars When the neighbourhood women responded 19 sight ofthe undergarments hanging fom her clothesline with fiendly acknowledgement, she felt more at home. The undergat ments became for her a kind of armour agains alienation. The series self-portraits by Blackmore started off with her posing around her apartment wearing the lingerie. The photoshoots gradu: ally took place in. increasingly public stings. She would quickly tundress forthe few moments i took then dress again and leave. An eachange student fon Nevt York tok the photos. People’ reactions were mined. Many were uncomfortable, Some ‘would ty to touch her. On one ocasion she was detained a the train station under the apprehension that she was considering suicide Blackmore derived strength from her actions. She was able to recognize not only her own vulners: bilities but those of the people around bet The resulting photos of herself ‘made all the more evident how per sonal an artist’ work i. They were theatrical and outrageous, with ace looking comfortable in her tire and around her staring of The instalation spoke of Private and public space and what s regarded as appropriate behaviour in cach domain. The courage it obvi ‘ously took to do the photo shoots helped the viewer begin to place hi However, without Blackmore having nlherself in Blackmore's position. shared her experience with me, I might have nuances ofthe installation. A writen missed the subtler description might have added tothe effectiveness ofthe piece Johannes Buss is a German xchange student whose approach was noticeably diferent from the other ast His installation examined the spatial interelationship_ between subject and object. projector was ‘et up on one side ofthe room while a large photograph, hung on the ‘opposite wal acted as a screen onto hich slides were projected. Yeloe CAUTION tape, hanging tor, sur rounded the space The large photograph was of Buss bugging a tree with bright lights shining on him. The shot was taken at night, Though a man of some statue, he looked hunted, Tere was ‘an uncomfortable tension: was he victim or victimize? “Why. does cverything have tobe straight” Bus asks.“ ke the arbitrariness The photograph was deliberately hung crookedly This clement of arbitrariness was the outcome of an art-making proces wher, rather than tying contro the outcome, Bus allows his ides to guide hi, The gallery space was so small that spectators had 10 walk ‘between projector and screen and become pat ofthe pics, in their tur caught ike der in headlights, The effect was like having some thing beating down on you without bei In the proces of making the pice, colour photographs using Photoshop and subsequently made tans able tose what it was Buss scanned and reworked Parences into slides. The resulting thi or fourth generation imagery was projected on the large photo. “Manipulation is every Dafna Ohana (muse by Joseph Emmanuel, iver of ite, 1957. Multimedia sideshow with msi thing. Everything i contraction,"he says. Buss had deconstructed the Picture, creating discordant pices which he succeeded in recombin- ing into a new mesningfl whole eather Emer’ installation, Distance was located in a dark con fined space unde some sats inside the gallery space. It consisted of five small plexiglas cases each embossed with one word and display ing an image inside, An assortment of black and white siver gelatin Prints of everyday objets mounted on paper lyin a pile in front of the case. A video monitor set upon a nearby table and draped in aur fabric showed someone reiting an English translation of Jean Paul Sartre's Nausea, with French captions over The captions were limited to certain highlighted words ~ for example, err illainaion, jamais exister, ceux, er points cherche, le penser, rien, mot, objets uch asa doorknob alight ull yeas, a glass of water while the prints pled on the oor were of Speakable / Unspeakable Review of am evening of Interdisciplinary and performance works, Havana Gallery ~ January 29,1998 By Hadley Howes he Unspeakable. am attack on the smooth I Functioning of Truth, ideology, the speak: be, The Unspeakabe is “formless pul (Krauss, 96) that pits signifies against meaning. The Unspeakable is Formles. 1 came 10 this evening of performance tion of desire titled tunpeakabl, with these ideas in mind, wondering how I could posbly write about the Unspeakable, and inerestod in the challenge of what would pe haps be unwrtable, The dificlty in wring this review, however, comes not from the words idea ‘ofthe evening theme, but from th diverse inter pretation the title inspired in the eight artists who Participated. The shoe was initiated by Tay Duff and Marlene Madison Plimley, who approached performance artists working ina variety of methods and media and asked them to create performance With this theme in mind. They were excited about the prospect ofthe risk involved in Bringing togeth ra diverse group of artists ina cabaret style event. They purposely looked for people working a vt ‘ous stages in thee careers inthe hopes of creating a space for experimentation and learning for every ‘one involved. As the co-producers had predicted, the result was unpredictable. didnt knove wh ‘expect from one artist tothe nestor howto prepare iy encry-level foreach performer. What resulted was a somewhat jumbled evening of part intense exploration, part cute plays part “serious ae” and part variety shove My ambiguous expectations of what Unspeak: able means were met,and expanded on, bya fe of the works specifically, Taga’ vido, for instance a lipsticked mou chewing incessantly on a combi nation of her own fashion - posing image and ‘colourful candies, until the masticated mixture no longer appears appeling but takes on the abject quality ofa epulsive devouring/ vomit impos sible to clean with an armory of dental tols. The tension between voluntary and forced consumption {sin that (unspeakable) place between how we speak and what we say. John G. Boshme's work addressed the unspeakable discourse of the mascu line, beginning withthe completion ofits construc tion (Bochme in well-pressed work uniform standing on plinth), and continuing with its deconstruction, ashe disassembled the plinth and the Natit was raised on, subtly and dramatically struggling with material, Meanwhile we watched dy Radul, Documents For Performance #3, 1958 the mediated (video) documentation of his con struction ofthe same pedestal, creating a space to ‘examine our real and mediated relationships 10 delconstructions and the ideal However, there seemed to be a very diferent idea ofthe Unspeakable taken up by other artists contin on page 26 se Spehae napatale=