Notes on art history and the York Minster (+traveling with Caleb)

More art history lectures at the SJAC have been scheduled! Contact the SJAC at 633-4870 at register. Here is the first lecture in our series of three:

Me at the Minster, mastering my fear of heights. Caleb was no help. Gothic Architecture and the York Minster

Thursday, April 19, 7-8:30 p.m., $20

Marvel at the artistic spectacle of Gothic architecture through an exploration of the world-famous York Minster, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. Built on Constantinian Roman ruins between the 1220s and the 1470s, the Minster is known for its massive expanses of medieval stained glass, soaring towers and enormous buttressed walls.  The Minster is also home to some of the finest examples of Gothic sculpture – full to the brim with sculpted human heads pulling faces, angels, animals and gargoyles.

This session is illustrated with some of my own photographs of the Minster from a recent trip to the UK. 

(Look familiar from Pillars of the Earth??)

York Minster, York. Photo by self-described master of photography and everything else, Caleb JonesMy little brother Caleb went with me on this trip - our second together to Europe. The first, three years ago, to Spain and Italy, was an unmitigated disaster (for half, at least - from Venice to Rome), where we refused to even walk on the same side of the street. But my maturity and even temper saw us through and back to Canada. 

This latest trip to the UK was better. Caleb, fortunately, has almost reached my level of travel sophistication and mature temperament. But just so you have an idea of what I deal with on these trips:

York; Caleb in a pretend huff. Exactly.

But we bonded over our mutual love of English tea and a teashop in York called the Hairy Fig.

Yum

I momentarily forgot that I was paying for everything.

(Art history lecture coming up...)

My next workshop at the Saint John Arts Centre starts on Wednesday evening, March 16. 

Port City: The Big Night

My first solo exhibition opened on Friday, January 15th, at the Saint John Arts Centre.  Thanks to all the folks at the SJAC for organizing the opening and doing a wonderful job hanging my show. And a special thank you to Kelly Cunningham for designing a brilliant catalogue!

What a great opening night! Artists Marian Papenhausen and Sara Jane Conklin were in the Frazee and Library Galleries, and a two-person exhibition of paintings by Nova Scotia artists Brian Atyeo and Scott MacLeod opened in the City Gallery. I love that five or six gallery spaces open at once at the SJAC - lots of excitement and good variety of art. Plus each artist bring his/her own crowd of followers/supporters.  The SJAC was packed for three hours - lots of friends and family, old teachers and profs, neighbours, art students. Everybody. It was brilliant. I was exhausted.

I had a great time talking to Brian and Scott (the NS artists). I feel sometimes like I'm working in complete isolation, without support or advice from other artists, which comes with the fact that Saint John doesn't have an art school. Fredericton and Halifax (I think) automatically have that art community infrastructure due to the presence of the Craft College and NSCAD. So it was great to have some mentorship - positive feedback (which is amazing coming from artists like them!) and a chance to talk about process of being an artist.

Port City is up until March 6th.

Marian Papenhausen and I discuss one of my pieces (photo by Peter Walsh)   

Port City: Opening Friday, January 15

My Port City show is opening this Friday at the Saint John Arts Centre (Canada Games Room)! It was a bit of a panicked rush to finish the last pieces in December, but it's all complete and ready to by hung in time for the opening. The pieces all feature elements of the Saint John port and harbour - Courtenay Bay, the potash terminal, cranes and tankers. Check out my interview with the Saint John Arts Centre about my inspiration for the show.