Western Canada's art magazine since 2002
6 June 2017 Vol 2 No 12 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2017
From the Editor
Portia Priegert
One of the pleasures of my life is talking to artists and writing about art. I especially enjoy art that engages with social and political issues, helping us consider the realities of contemporary life. In optimistic moments, I like to think art can help change the world, whether by prompting dialogue, offering space for contemplation, or reframing seemingly insoluble dilemmas, of which there is no current shortage.
The troubled state of the environment is one such problem. I recently watched a documentary film called A Plastic Ocean, at a Victoria screening organized by the Vancouver Island Surfrider Foundation, a group that works to preserve oceans and beaches. The film’s horrific images of animals that had starved to death after their stomachs became engorged with plastic waste – as well as chilling scientific research about the impact of the tiny plastic fibres that wash out of our stretchy, form-fitting garments and into lakes, rivers and oceans – has led me to see how much plastic I can remove from my life.
When I noticed a show in Manitoba by artist Kelly Jazvac, who has been making art from plastic refuse for a decade, I jumped at the chance to interview her. She offered a fascinating account of her work, but what most caught my imagination was her research into a new kind of rock, for lack of a better word, created by beach fires when melted plastic bonds with sand, rocks and coral.
You’ll find that article in this issue, along with a cover story by Katherine Ylitalo about Calgary artist Jason de Haan, whose fascinating show at the Esker Foundation includes crystals and fossils in works that both collapse and expand the perception of time. We also have a review of the latest Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art by Agnieszka Matejko, and a preview about Montreal-based artist Laurent Craste, who is showing his ceramic sculptures at Vancouver’s Back Gallery Project, his first show in Western Canada. There are also two stories from further afield by Paul Gessell, one about a show of Canadian art in Britain and the other about a new project to create art in Canada’s national parks.
I encourage you to sign up for a free email reminder. The magazine, which we post every second Tuesday, is free and we never share your personal information. As a subscriber, you support a dialogue about the arts and help artists reach a wider public.
Until next time,
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Paul Gessell, Agnieszka Matejko, Katherine Ylitalo
