12 planet of the arts / december 1997 SERENDIPITOUS SPACES by Richard Beech avid Rimmer: “What does hockey have to do with art?” The best response I could come up was “Uh, | don’t know.” It was such a slap shot of a question and it took me by surprise. David then suggested that I make a documentary on something else. He added, “Who would want to see a documentary on hockey?” » “That's it Rimmer!” yells the ref, “Two minutes for roughing. Get in the box!” The gloves were off! I had good reasons for wanting to do a documentary on hockey. The sport is a big part of my life. I spend a lot of time playing hock- ey out in the sticks, at least two or three times a week. So, it only made sense to incorporate hockey into my school work. And despite David’s skepticism, I made my video on hockey. I had a great time in making the documentary. After completing the project, I had time to reflect on Dayid’s question and asked myself, “What does hockey have.to do with art? Many times I have watched in amazement the on-ice creative bril- liance of Wayne Gretzky. His superior play making abilities are anal- ogous to the painting prowess of the great master painter Matisse. Each puck movement is carefully choreographed like a brush stroke in a Matisse composition. Each pass from Gretzky’s stick is as excit- ing to behold as the brilliant colours illuminating from Matisse’s can- vas. My gut feeling told me that hockey and art are similar in many ways. The puck glides along the ice like a piece of charcoal along paper or a brush along canvas. And depending on the mood and the stick handling skills of the hockey artist, aggressive puck scribbles or ele- gant puck compositions will result. The skater’s blades glide smoothly and effortlessly, making curvi- linear marks on the frozen ice — the hockey artist’s canvas. The boards running along the edge of the entire ice surface act like a picture frame enclosing the glacial compositions. In hockey I express myself to an overly aggressive opponent by politely making a print of their face on the plexiglas. Aren’t print- “What does hockey have to do with Art?” -David Rimmer, Video Instructor at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design makers artists? The only difference is where each of us displays or performs our art. Thousands go to hockey galleries like GM Place, Molson Centre, or Madison Square Gardens, to watch the professional hockey artists perform in response to their muse. Unlike traditional galleries like the Guggenheim or the Louvre, the hockey gallery is a place where one can actually see the ice paint- ing being created. In fact, the patrons-spectators of hockey have a role in the actual process of the art playing out in front of them. They can influence the outcome of the game with their cheers of support for their favourite team and player-artist. Can you imagine if Van Gogh had a cheering section as he paint- ed “Crows Over a Wheat Field”? He might not have done himself in. Hockey artists in performance Hockey And Art The coach in a sense, is like a curator. He decides the layout of the game. He strategizes on the arrangement of the art. Depending on the circumstances of the game, the coach-curator sends out certain hock- ey artists at different intervals, to glide or chop the picture. If the patrons-spectators don’t like what they are viewing, then it is up to the coach-curator to change their view by alternating line combina- tions. Whether I’m playing hockey or drawing a picture I find the same feelings are evoked. Feelings of complete absorption into what I am experiencing. My sense of time and place no longer exist. It’s where instinct alone determines my actions. And where conscious aware- ness is fleeting at best. These feelings coalesce into a sense of frustra- tion that awaits me if I fail to score a goal or fail to compose a pleas- ing picture. Ol VIDEO IMAGE BY RICHARD BEECH Magical Realm of Spirits by Ehren Seeland one faced stilt walkers, dark figured fire breathers, and eternal spirits danced. All of them drifted on every side of me, to the wild continuous drum beat and faint ghostly cries of bagpipes. As spirit sweepers kept the crowd to the sidelines, my body moved with the music and my feet seemed to have been lifted off the ground. The entire Commercial Drive area felt like it had transformed into a magical realm of spirits. I felt that night, I dreamed I was dreaming. And by day, I dreamed I was awake. The Ghost Bride by Anonymous The bride and groom stalked the streets on stilts prior to the ceremony. The devil marched out of time — prodding disciples on their way with his burning torch. Choirs sang requiems to the dead and a troop of skele- tons led the procession with a drum beat. We all followed — powerless over their spell. Rain from the heavens would have been enough to burn us Out. Down the alleys we followed past gruesome jack-o- lanterns while Satan’s electric guitar played on. The pagans sang. Ghosts, witches, goddesses, and spirits of the woods, young and old alike, followed to gather at the meeting grounds. The ceremony was short. The bride’s “fallen women” preceded her down the aisle. The couple then emerges. Lucifer and the groom may now “kiss the corpse’. 12 planet of the orts / december 1997 SERENDIPITOUS SPACES if i ij by Richard Beech avid Rimmer:"What does hockey have to do with ome up was“Ub don't know” Iwas such a slap shot of # question and it tok me by sueprise. David then suggested that I make a documentary on something else. He added, “Who wo runt o sce a documentary on hockey? That’ it Rimmer” yells the ref, "Two minutes for roughing. Gt in the box! 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I the pectators don't like what they ae viewing, then ts up to oach-curator to change their view by alternating line combina Whether 'm playing hockey or drawing a picture Ind the same fecings are evoked. Flings of complete absorption into what Iam experiencing. My sense of time and place no longer exist I's where instinct alone determines my actions. And where conscious aware esis sting at best These feelings coalesce ino a sense of ruta tion that awaits me filo score a goal o fil to compos ples ing pct Hockey ais in performance Magical Realm of Spirits by Ehren Seeland the wild continuous drum beat and faint ghostly ties of bagpipes. Asspirit swoepers kept the crowd tothe sidney body moved with the manic and my fet seemed to transformed into a magia eal of spirits ft hat night, dreamed I was dreaming, And by day {dreamed I was awake ‘The Ghost Bride by Anonymous The risen women” prec er dawn the le, Lacie and he groom may isthe corer’