This winter has felt especially long, I think because we are getting to know a new city, so we're not yet aware of all the inside activities that are available, nor do we have many friends (to visit). So, we've been spending a lot of time inside our apartment. At the end of one especially stormy week (we must have spent 3 full days inside) I was determined to get out of the house, and I thought it might be fun to entertain Sam with fabric in the wind. I think I had more fun playing with the silk than he did watching me.
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This installation re-contextualizes my 2010 shag dress as an Egoskeleton. It's a play words, yes, which I pretend to shy away from but find myself going back to, hehe. In spiritual terms the ego often refers to the over-identification with the mind and the shedding of the ego, or realizing presence, is what Hinduism refers to as enlightenment, Buddhism, the end of suffering, and some Christ followers, salvation. This piece is about successfully shedding the ego, if only temporarily, the remains seeming not unlike an exoskeleton. I'm really happy with this use of the shag dress. Last year I photographed it just laying around my house and was really fond of how it looked laying face down. The back of the weaving is interesting, so I love being able to see it too. So, when I started brainstorming as to how I would depict the idea of the ego being shed it was obvious that this was meant to be used for it. It's so bright and showy after all. I'm also interested in seeing it exhibited hanging upside down from a cord, as a kind of reference to the throwing of shoes on telephone wires to commemorate victories or large life accomplishments. Yesterday I photographed it in this way, and as per usual I favoured the detail shots. This is one of my faves (below) Here are some of the silk scarves I've been lovingly creating these past few weeks. As you may be able to tell my favourite dye to work with is Brazilwood (the coral pink). I think it's the loveliest. My other faves are onion skin and logwood. There are some indigo one's on their way soon, as well as some lovely yellow with osage. I just put a bunch up on Etsy and they're on sale until the 22nd for half off, the best price I'll ever offer these at:) So, this is the time to get one if you've been eyeing them. I hope you're enjoying this long weekend. It is so nice and warm here in Montreal and is suppose to get as hot as 30 degrees tomorrow, yipeeeee. I'm off to knit in the park. xo Janna Over these past few months I've been taking my Anchor/Cradle around the city with me. Yep, on the metro too. It has been part of healing process of sorts, where while I carry it I do some personal processing. Since the Anchor/Cradle is so large and awkward the act of carrying it reminds me to stay focused on the task at hand which is to be continuously introspective (and not to run into anyone (literally)! Which I have. twice.) This is vague I know, partly because it is perhaps too personal and partly because I am still deciding what it means and where it is going. What I do know is that it has begun to make me kind of sad, so I'm putting the project on hold for a little while. Maybe in a few months I will want to pick it up again. For now the Anchor/Cradle sits on my porch where it will soon be consumed by Montreal's winter. Some rusting should occur on the fabric which I like. The working title for this project is Fragments of an Anchor/Cradle. Above is some video documentation of one of my walks. Thanks for stopping by this space :) Janna My installation on St.Viateur street for Journée des bons voisins began with five rolls of receipt paper threaded through my writing desk and five or six chunks of graphite for people to do rubbings of their objects with. In the beginning I sat within the vicinity to invite passers by to participate and explain the process, but near the end I watched from a distance and was surprised that people had no trouble figuring it out for themselves. Not that it's rocket science, but through past installations I've learned that some people don't easily distinguish between a rubbing and a line drawing. Interestingly kids seem to figure out the process fastest. It got longer... and longer, until the wind got to be so much that I had to wrap the paper around the table legs. I'm really enjoying having all this evidence of other people's objects.
The process of documenting is something that really interests me. Also, I am realizing more and more that I am a process based artist. For me so far this means that the process of making my art often dictates how my ideas evolve and sometimes -like with the installation above - is how the concept is conceived. When I first began doing line rubbings my mother-in-law was visiting us in Montreal. As she watched me use various objects she got more and more excited about what else I could use and began passing me textured items like tea towels and lace pillow cases to rub. That's when I got really excited about the idea of making more line rubbings, but with other people involved in the process. It was as if I was creating abstract evidence of our relationship. Right away I knew that my first collaborative line rubbing project would be with my family for the purpose documenting our family relationships and celebrating our interconnectedness. These pictures are line rubbings which have been layered as acetates to make a series of sculptures. The unique thing about these rubbings is that they were a collaborative effort by my Mother Fiorella, Father Russell, two brothers Michael and David and myself. Every page has one line by each member in my family making each page a family portrait of sorts. Each member used objects of their choosing with pencil on paper. When layered they create dynamic family sculptures, interlacing each story in ways which allows them inform and augment the meaning of each others stories. It was such a joy to connect with my family in this way in a time when we are all dispersed throughout North America. The common act of creating lines in the same book brought us together in such a unique way. The sketchbook traveled from Montreal to Vancouver then to Hawaii, back to Vancouver and finally to Montreal again where I finished the sculptures. In another post later this week I'll share more about the objects that were used by everyone - it was really interesting to see themes in each persons object list. Some of the items made me laugh too like my Dad's Moose-mate-calling cassette tape. I'll also share the original line drawings which are really interesting on their own. I'm really looking forward to working more with these. I already have an idea in mind which involves printing the lines on fabric to make a soft sculpture representing my mother; the matriarch. I did some line rubbings of my wedding dress which was once my grandma Clara's. Above are the lines in print form; yet another exploration into my line rubbing series. This yardage will be a the background for a projected video; a story about Clara and I in abstract form. I had some friends participate in the video as well to represent my community in this time of grieving.
Even though I was running around like a crazy lady getting ready for the Hung Up installation I managed to make something for the upcoming fibre art show/fundraiser for the artist run gallery Diagonale. The theme is Gris (or Grey en anglais). I called mine Line, it was made using the beginning of (and later cut off part) of the painted warp sky weaving I did for Hung Up. I then sewed over it with grey thread and bunched it together in a way that met the size standards. Since it's a wall hanging I stiffened it slightly by spritzing it with medium.
Now for a response from the gallery. fingers crossed. Here's a link to a blog I follow by Alexis Boyle who also applied for Gris. I love her submissions. Here's the time lapse video I did of me installing my pieces in the VAV Gallery last week, it's about five hours of filming crammed into just under a minute. Believe me the installation took a lot longer than five hours, but I got sick of waiting for the battery to recharge every 45 minutes. I'm on my way down there today to book an SLR camera to take some good photos.
For my first sculpture class we were asked to respond to our favourite piece in an exhibition which was taking place in the gallery our class is in. I chose to respond to Anne-Sofie Couture's sculpture titled Lucienne (Ode). It is an homage piece made with her late grandmother's white clothing. I made a piece in honor of my late grandmother as well. I used paper from the recycling bin outside the class and wove a large basket which represented Clara in all her humility, grace and generosity. Next to it I placed my off-white sock which represented me (I accidentally put it in my bag that day - how serendipitous), and also, with the textile commonality, helped create a more dynamic dialogue between the two pieces. I titled it after a phrase that she wrote to Danny and I in an anniversary card she gave us in 2009; "Sorry, there's no cure for my affliction". Grandma Clara was usually a beautifully articulate woman, but this made me laugh since she didn't indicate what 'affliction' she was referring to, it just accompanied the usual 'Congrats, that wonderful day seems just like yesterday...' Evidence of her inherent humility.
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About me:
I'm a west coast Canadian gal who after completing a BFA in Fibres at Concordia University in Montreal moved to the New York metropolitan area where I am pursuing my art practice while learning the ropes of motherhood.
June 2021
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