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Michael Bay: Not Just Explosions

One of the most successful directors in modern filmmaking is Michael Bay. Highly criticized by his peers, his movies have been referred to as “catastrophic violations of every aspect of cinema” (Berardinelli, ReelViews), “examples of big Hollywood at its worst” (Roman, MovieWeb), “unpleasant and ghoulish” (Weinberg, eFilmCritic), and “loud, shallow, sexist and a complete wastes of time” (Kempley, The Washington Post). However, films that Bay has directed and produced have grossed over $5.5 billion worldwide, half of which his most highly critiqued franchise, Transformers, has grossed. Bay has won virtually every major award in the commercial business, including “Cannes’ Golden Lion, the Grand Prix Clio, and the Directors Guild of America’s Commercial Director of the Year Award” (MichaelBay.com). According to Forbes Magazine, Bay has a net worth of just over $410 million, so he must be doing something right.

Bay was born in Los Angeles, California in 1965. His adoptive parents Harriet, a child therapist, and Jim, a Certified Public Accountant sent him to the exclusive Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California. When he was fifteen, he got his start in the film industry interning with Steven Spielberg and George Luca on the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Impressed by his involvement he decided to become a film director. He attended Wesleyan University and in 1986 graduated with a double major in English and Film. He later attended graduate school for Film at the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena then began directing music videos and commercials, including Meatloaf’s high concept I Would Do Anything for Love video, and the famous Aaron Burr "Got Milk?" campaign in the early 1990’s. (Belloni, Hollywood Reporter Vol. 409 Issue 10).

In 1995, Bay’s success in music videos and commercials got the attention of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, who asked Bay to direct his first feature length film, the buddy-cop action thriller, Bad Boys. Like many of its successors, the film had a big budget ($19 million) and was commercially successful grossing $142 million worldwide (IMDb) but received mixed reviews by critics. The box office success of the film led to a strong partnership with Bruckheimer, whom he collaborated with until directing The Island in 2005 (Simon, Venice Magazine).

Bay continued his career in the action film genre with The Rock (1996). With an estimated $70 million budget, it ended up grossing over $325 million worldwide (IMDb). Many critics consider this Bay’s best film. Roger Ebert, who was strongly critical of most of Bay’s later films, calls The Rock “an action picture that rises to the top of the genre because of a literate, witty screenplay and skilled craftsmanship in the direction and special effects” (The Criterion Collection 2001). It was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Achievement in Sound category.

In 1998, Bay collaborated with Bruckheimer on the sci-fi action-adventure film Armageddon, this time as a co-producer and director. This film became somewhat of a template for Bay’s future films, grossing over $553 million worldwide. Its $140 million budget allowed for big names (Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton) and big special effects. It was nominated for four Oscars including Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, and Best Original Song.

In 2001, Bay directed Pearl Harbor. Another big budget film ($140 million), Bay’s style begins to solidify as he continues to use big names (Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, and Cuba Gooding Jr.) and over the top special effects and editing (IMDb). Again, Bay’s close attention to sound and special effects pay off as Pearl Harbor was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing (won) and Best Song. It was highly criticized for its historical inaccuracy, exaggerations, and the subplot.

In 2003, Bad Boys II marked the beginning of Bay’s movie franchise career. Reteaming with Bruckheimer, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, the sequel grossed $273 million worldwide, nearly twice as much as the first movie (IMDb). In 2013 Columbia pictures announced, they are developing a script for Bad Boys III to be released in 2015. Bay’s first film without Bruckheimer, The Island, was released in 2005, and just barely grossed more than its production budget of $126 million.

In 2007, Bay teamed up with Steven Spielberg to produce the first Transformers, a live action film based on the 1980’s cartoon Transformers franchise. It broke multiple records during its release (record for Tuesday box office opening, biggest July 4 gross, and biggest opening weekend for a non- sequel (IMDb)). It ended up grossing over $705 million worldwide. Its success encouraged Bay to return as director and executive producer for the sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, grossing over $832 million worldwide. It received mostly negative reviews by critics such as David Denby who referred to Bay as “stunningly, almost viciously, untalented” (The New Yorker 2009). However, based on its box office success, the film was well received by its intended audience. The third, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, was released in 2011, and despite its predecessors’ reviews, grossed over $1.1 billion. The fourth of the franchise will release in 2014.

His latest film, Pain and Gain, was released in early 2013. It received mixed reviews actually praising the acting, direction and script, but condemning the cheesy violence, the comic chemistry, and the historical inaccuracies. It grossed just over $85 million worldwide, making it one of Bay’s lower grossing films.

As a co-founder of the commercial production company The Institute he has also created “original and effective branded entertainment, multi-media campaigns” (theinstitute.tv). The Institute has produced commercial works (directed by Bay) for companies such as Victoria’s Secret, EA Games, Levi’s and Chevrolet (see links to commercials). Bay is also founder and principal partner of Platinum Dunes, where he has been able to make his mark on films such as The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street (MichaelBay.com).

Looking at Bay’s biography and works, it is obvious that he has become a prominent director and producer in the entertainment business. Critics hate him, but the box offices really love him. His directing style and vision has kept audiences coming back to watch his films for over a decade of the young directors successful career.

To make a film at the same caliber as Bay, you can only imagine the intensity of the work. Actors have called Bay an “asshole” and a “Nazi.” However, dozens of his collaborators reveal that Bay is, in fact, a secret genius behind a true Hollywood visionary. He often collaborates with many actors for more than one film, and not just for franchises. Glen Morshower has worked with Bay for Pearl Harbor, The Island, and the first three Transformers films. Ben Affleck made his debut with Armageddon and worked with Bay again for Pearl Harbor. The Transformers franchise has not been so lucky. After a fall out with the franchises female star, Megan Fox, Bay had to replace and rewrite a role for her successor, Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington Whiteley. In creating the fourth of the franchise, the only returning actor is Peter Cullen, who plays the voice of Optimus Prime.

In 1998, Entertainment Weekly asked in an article "Is Michael Bay the Devil?" claiming his films are “testosterone-sweating embodiments of everything that is wrong with modern Hollywood”(MichaelBay.com). However, he has made movie stars look unstoppable in front of his camera orchestrating some of the most multifaceted and exhilarating action set pieces put on film. He may not be an artist, but many consider him a movie icon. James Cameron says in an interview with GQ “I've studied his films and "reverse-engineered" his shooting style. He loves what I call "the big train set," huge physical production, just as I do. It is the most challenging type of filmmaking, and he does it gorgeously.” George Lucas says his films are “immediately identifiable” and Roberto Orci agrees, “to have a style that distinct- like it or hate it, it deserves study.”

This distinct style accesses the “mainline to the testosterone glands of the American male” (Frances McDormand GQ Magazine). Bay’s films are quite formulaic and use many genre expectations and movie tropes. His films often star a young male protagonist whose call to adventure often involves national or international crises. He is best known for his grand explosions, both real and CGI made, cataclysmic events, and car chases. His films often star some of the world’s most beautiful women-Scarlett Johansson, Liv Tyler, and Kate Beckinsale to name a few.

He also has very distinct filming technique. He loves to use intense slow motion shots of characters, especially as they are running away from his massive explosions (Megan Fox in Transformers). Objects often crash tumbling towards the camera also in slow motion. He keeps the camera moving during most scenes, very rarely using static shots, characters in his films are almost uniformly shot in tight, emphatic close ups, he uses light flashes to enhance scenes and creates frenetic editing action sequences. He frequently uses shots where the camera spins in a circle around characters. Another signature for Bay is the over the top visuals. For example, he uses helicopters and aircraft against a setting sun in Armageddon, Pearl Harbor and Transformers. With his background in music videos and commercial work, he often utilizes intense musical cues during action filled scenes; car chases in Bad Boys II for example, and includes extensive product placements (IMDb).

Stepping back from the non- stop action, Bay often includes romantic and/or comedic relief scenes. A favourite being Armageddon’s “Animal Cracker” scene with Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler. Some fan websites have labeled this scene the #1 “Most Painful Moments of Movie History” or the “Most Vomit Inducing Scene.” However, if the silliness is overlooked, it is noticeable that Michael Bay is attempting to show some versatility in genre and perhaps give the viewers who would rather see a romance film something to awe over. His films are also often criticized for their somewhat crude or tasteless humour. It has been argued that he often uses homophobic or racist jokes for comedic relief. According to IMDb, some instances include Eddie Griffin and Steve Buscemi in Armageddon, Leonard McMahan in The Rock, and the robots Skids and Mudflap in eTransformers: Dark of the Moon, his humour was well received even when Ken Jeong had Shia Labeouf stuck in a bathroom stall discussing “deep wang.”

Bay’s over the top style is an incorporation of explosive and slow motion tactics used by his successors such as Roland Emmerich (Independence Day), Steven Spielberg (Indiana Jones Franchise), and James Cameron (Terminator). Bay has influenced directors like McG (Charlie’s Angels). Bay’s use of special effects and technical innovations has raised the bar for his successors. He shaped the genre of giant robot action thriller with Transformers. Armageddon re-imagined the quality, feel and language of the disaster film genre, which led to Emmerich’s later films like The Day After Tomorrow and 2012. Everything from the global scale of peril to the pace at which the plot progresses and the general filmic texture of these later films draw from Bay’s 1998 classic. Bay’s films are a class of cheap thrills and in that regard they were well ahead of their time, they have defined the dominant aesthetic of their respective genres and still continue to tower over their present-day descendants.

Despite his shortcomings indicated by critics and coworkers, Michael Bay has proven to be a successful action film director who has influenced the action film genre of today. He utilizes movie tropes and genre expectations of the modern film industry to create films for his directed audience, 18-34 year old males, which in turn has granted him great success in the box offices. In an Interview with Maxim Magazine Bay states “I make movies for teenage boys. Oh, dear, what a crime,” he goes on:

“There are tons of people who hate me. They hate my movies and whatnot. But you know, hey, my films have made a lot of money around the world…They said that I wrecked cinema… They say I cut too fast. And yet now you see it in movies everywhere. Do I take pride in people knowing my style? I think it's nice people know a director has a style.”

He knows what works, and with his background in commercials, knows what people are looking for. Any new directors, or clones of Orson Welles, interested in breaking their way into the entertainment business should take note of Bay’s films.

Northern River by Tom Thomson: Harsh Realities of the Canadian Landscape

In the fall of 1914, members of what would later be known as the Group of Seven visited Ontario artist Tom Thomson in Algonquin Park. During this visit they shared ideas and found new ways to look at nature and began to create a vision of Canadian landscape and identity. Based on a tempura sketch from this visit, Thompson’s Northern River is a colourful painting that is representative of the English Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th c. Northern River was painted in 1915 using oil on canvas and hangs at 115.1 by 102 cm. In this landscape painting, Tom Thomson presents a powerful and disturbing portrayal of the Canadian forest. The work indisputably expresses his attachment to the Northern Ontario wilderness he knew so well (National Gallery of Canada).

Through Northern River, Thomson presents a striking two-dimensional composition where a screen of trees acts as a visual and physical barrier to the space beyond.The sunlight radiates through the silhouetted black trees whose graceful starkness presents a complex tracery of lines. In the foreground a soul tree on the low left hill compliments a tight cluster of spruces on the right. The diagonal line created by a fallen tree with a rounded summit unites these two sections of the painting. Curving at both the top and bottom, this fallen tree also makes a delicate ‘s’ shape, which Thomson mimics in the curving stream. This ‘s’ shape creates the illusion of an ever-flowingbody of water, which continues beyond the picture plane and draws the viewers’ eye to the centre.

Seen through this tangle of shadowed tree trunks, the stream flows peacefully lit by the pale, soft light of a grey and dreary autumn day. In the middle ground the land is alive with intense colours as autumn specks of reds, oranges, yellows, greens and purples contrast with the muted blacks, browns and greens of the trees and the silvery blue hues of the still river and sky. The atmospheric perspective of the blue tinted trees and moss-covered rock on the distant shore are reflected in the quiet yet brightly lit water.

By using vigorous brush strokes, Thomson’s thick paint application creates a flickering and active image. He uses these strokes to contrast the illusion of rough tree bark and surrounding earth against the flat strong colours of the river and sky.

Thomson’s use of line and shape draws the viewers’ eye beyond the picture plane and into the illusionistic space of the majestic landscape hidden by the dark screen of trees. The space between the soul tree and the cluster spruces bring the viewers’ attention to the centred focus of the stream and opens up the environment. The mimicked ‘s’ shape in the stream and fallen tree create movement and depth that flows directly off of the picture plane. Thomson creates a distance from the foreground and background by diminishing size and clarity of the trees and receding the ‘s’ shaped stream using orthogonal lines.

The heavy, dark lines of the screen of spruce trees, which dominate the foreground, give the painting an ominous and somber feeling. The trees attempt to hide the delicately lit beauty behind them. By allowing these hints of light, vibrancy, and colour, to peer through the trees, Thomson exposes the hidden magnificence of the Canadian landscape left untouched by his ever- changing and expanding world. Overall, Thomson demonstrates his love and understanding for Northern Ontario wilderness by depicting an unfamiliar scene to much of his audience. Unlike a conventional picturesque landscape, Thomson includes the alarming realities of the Canadian forest; it is rough, dark, unsettled, and mysterious, but with a closer look, the beauty shines through.

#tom thomson #Group of Seven #algonquin park #ontario northern ontario #national gallery of canada

Matt Trahan Victoria Artist

Contemporary artist, Matt Trahan of Strathroy, Ontario, attended The University of Western Ontario to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Major in Philosophy with Honours before travelling across the country to attend The University of Victoria for his Master of Fine Arts. He is now based in Victoria. Influenced by artists such as Kazimir Malevich, Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Tuttle, Eva Hesse, and Robert Morris, Trahan has developed a style of intricate visual simplicity.

His 2012 solo exhibition Come Undone shows a great shift in the artist’s style and technique. Used to drawing for accuracy in copying photographs and images, Trahan shifts his perspective and expands his work to the abstract and unexpected. He finds himself attempting to reverse the process of drawing by applying negative space instead of positive space. Trahan uses a variety of media including; pencil crayon, graphite, charcoal pencils, and Plexiglas. There is a range of installations, prints, and canvases in this exhibition.

The work Haystack explores the idea of finding the beautiful in the disposable. Challenging the notion that “no good art can be made with pencil crayons”, Trahan uses wax pencil crayon shavings and a colour scanner to create a highly detailed photo. The vibrant mix of whites, pinks, greens, and blues contrast against the grey background and give the illusion of a highly texturized three-dimensional space. He introduces the idea of the artist’s process as he takes easily forgotten steps and materials and reuses them in a creative and beautiful way.

He again explores the idea of reusing the disposable in his work Dejeuner using metallic pencil crayons on used brown paper lunch bags. He produces a luminescent installation of the bags as they sit diagonally on a fluorescent light box. The form of the paper bags creates an almost transcendent and futuristic sculpted mass. His choice of colour is exuberant and ties in nicely with Haystack (since many of the shavings seen there were from the making of this piece).

Also from his exhibit Come Undone, Untitled (black squares) challenge the idea of art practices, especially drawing. He presents three pieces on canvas hanging at 4’ by 4’. Using mechanical graphite pencils (blending with a house painting brush), he attempts to “undo drawing”, by filling the canvas with lines and marks as negative space. At first glance these works appear to be simple black squares, however, after further observation the pieces display an intense depth and nuance. The graphite creates a somewhat reflective sheen and allows for stroke direction and intensity to subtly shine through. Each square has individually unique movement and shadow, which create a ghostly or transcendental effect.

Matt Trahan is an up and coming artist who is developing his own unique style and technique. By changing his perspective on what art is, he shifts from practicing for accuracy, and begins to question artistic rules and models. He creates his own rules and allows the power of art to create something unanticipated, but beautiful. He reuses old materials in a way that invites his audience to encounter them again in a new light. His work appears simple at first, but demands a closer look, which reveals its intricate complexities.

visit matt-trahan.com

#Matt Trahan #victoria bc #uvic #Canadian #art #MFA #Visual arts

Tara Nicholson: Places within Places

In the exhibit “Tether” at the Montreal based gallery Les Territoires, Tara Nicholson presents photographs of outdoor and indoor spaces where the urban setting is presented in terms of permanence and comfort. Some photos refer to private places, which belong to artists and are intended for production (studios), while others show recreation in public spaces. The viewer acts as a spectator to the daily life of these people even in their absence.

In many of the photos, there is a definite play on places within places. One of the many untitled photos in this exhibition, which details an off-white room with a window at its centre, gives the illusion of varying perspectives and dimensions. The open window acts as a frame for the beautifully detailed European architecture behind it. The window glass also reflects the outside building in a curious shade of translucent beige, which causes the viewer to look beyond the picture plane and associate the photographed space with the urban outside world.

There is a certain lightness in the colour palette, which evokes a sense of clarity and calmness. To the left of the photo the dark black speaker contrasts against the soft background and colours. By including the speaker within this space, Nicholson comments on the difference between the timeless vintage interior and historic exterior, with the modern setting they exist in.

The angle the photo is taken at creates distinct lines, which frame its subjects. The framing of the photo highlights and emphasizes the few framed art pieces on the wall, windowsill and table, which play with the idea of art within art, a theme that flows through the entirety of the exhibit.

The photo comments and emphasizes on its subject as art, from the floral decal blanket to the architecture and landscape through the windows, to the plants, and even to the old fashioned water heaters. By capturing these subjects Nicholson translates to the viewer the idea of the process of art and the creation of these subjects by placing them within a studio like setting. The photograph is art, which took consideration, time, and work to create, just like the art works within it. There is a sense of transcendence through the lighting and the pictorial landscape in the left window as the viewer questions the artist of this ever-present nature.

This particular photo appears to have taken place in a private space, however, much of the exhibit also includes public spaces. By taking pictures in public and private spaces, the Nicholson blurs the boundaries between the artist’s studio and community spaces. She also does this by including such depth to her pieces by photographing indoors outwards to windows, doors, televisions and art pieces, but also by photographing outdoor space with broad horizons. In using both places for creation, Nicholson decreases the distance between them. In this particular photo, the outside world becomes a part of the indoor space, and by this game of correspondence the public spaces are presented as spaces of creation.

In this work, and throughout the exhibit, Nicholson is questioning and exploring creative space. Through a visual comparison between pubinlic and private space reserved for creation, Tara Nicholson suggests a reflection on the accessibility of art making.

visit taranicholson.com

#tara nicholson #tether #les territoires #montreal #victoria #uvic #photography

Harold Mortimer-Lamb: Art Lover- A Look Into the History of Modern Canadian Art

Early 20th century Canadian art has a fascinating and intertwining past, which is discovered through guest curator Robert Amos’ exhibition Harold Mortimer- Lamb: The Art Lover at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV). The exhibit explores the life and activities of a man of many parts in Canadian Art. As a photographer, writer, painter, art patron, promoter and collector, Harold Mortimer-Lamb was important to the early development of modern art in Canada. Amos utilizes artworks and writings from Harold and Vera Mortimer-Lambs’ estate of over one hundred and ninety two pieces donated to the AGGV in 1978. The exhibit also borrows from Mortimer-Lamb’s donation to BC Archives, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Canada (NGC), and Mortimer-Lamb’s daughter’s, Molly Lamb-Bobak’s collection. Since the donation of the Mortimer-Lambs’ estate in 1978, Robert Amos has been dedicated to researching his story and as a result, this exhibition, as well as the book of the same name, has graced the world.

The exhibition features Mortimer-Lamb’s photographs and paintings, and works by the many artists in his life. The exhibit takes a chronological approach to Mortimer-Lamb’s life beginning with his 1889 arrival to British Columbia from Surrey, England and his involvement with the BC and Canadian Mining Institute to his final years as a husband and painter. Amos begins with Mortimer- Lamb’s first Pictorial photographs of his daughter Dolly in the early 1900s. These photographs, specifically Dolly, around 1905, helped to form his status as the leading “artistic photographer” in Canada (Amos, Exhibit Panel, Dolly, around 1905). He then takes a look at Mortimer-Lambs’ move to Montreal where he was mixing with some of Canada’s most important people in industry and art including the photographed Sir William Van Horne, Lady Drummond, Sidney Carter, and Laura Muntz (whose artwork he collected). Amos takes a look at Mortimer-Lamb’s trip to Europe and Britain in 1909, which he believes inspired Mortimer-Lamb to “pursue his interest in art, for that is when his art collection really got underway” collecting etchings of J.A.M. Whistler and a number of pieces of Asian porcelain, tea wares and prints (Amos, Exhibit Panel, The Art Collector). Amos highlights Mortimer- Lamb’s return to the Vancouver area, specifically his involvement with artists such as Emily Carr (whom he first brought to the attention of the NGC), Group of Seven members Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson (whom he first advocated for in his 1911 writings), and Frederick Varley (whom he was instrumental about bringing to Vancouver in 1926), Jack Shadbolt and the Vancouver School of Art (Amos, Exhibit Panel, The Art Lover). Amos includes portraits of many of these artists photographed by Mortimer- Lamb, as well as their art works that Mortimer-Lamb collected.

One relationship that is prominent throughout the exhibit is Mortimer-Lamb’s controversial bond with Frederick Varley’s former student and lover, Vera Weatherbie. Mortimer- Lamb, at the age of seventy, married Vera when she was just thirty (Amos, Print, 121). Vera was considered the “muse and model” of the west coast and was showcased in multiple works by Varley and John Vanderpant (AGGV, Video). She was a talented artist whose paintings usually go unnoticed because of her iconic image; however, Amos exhibits her works, many of which are on display for the first time. It was only natural that such a captivating muse became a common subject of Mortimer-Lamb’s art. The exhibit includes Mortimer-Lamb’s Pictorial photographs of Vera, including Vera with a glass globe, Vera in a hat, and Vera in a print dress. The last piece included in the exhibition is Mortimer-Lamb’s interpretation of Vera in a c.1960, 60.8 x 50.5cm oil on canvas painting, Girl with Tulips.

Like his photographs, there is a sense of a soft focus and texture created by lax brushstrokes of broken colour and faint outlining. The lack of detail and blurring in the fields creates the illusion of a deepening picture plane and atmospheric perspective. The intense palette of mostly primary and secondary colours create a luminous light and shimmering attractiveness. Vera is centred in the foreground from the waist up holding a red tulip standing amongst a field of green, yellow, and red, which her translucent colouring transcends her body into. Her expression is captivatingly peaceful as she observes the tulip in her hand. Her head is brought to the viewers’ attention as it is circled with yellow, orange, and blue rings that connect with the clouded blue sky and act as a light source for her surroundings, perhaps representing her close relationship with nature. Thee rings suggest an aura or halo, either religious of the kind created by the sun in photographs that would be familiar to Mortimer-Lamb.

Influenced by Vera’s own style, Mortimer-Lamb uses a green and blue palette for the figure; a style Varley adapted in works also included in the exhibition like the iconic Vera (1930) and thecharcoal and watercolour Vera (1936). Like Vera’s Portrait of F.H. Varley (circa 1930), the work is suffused with a spiritual tone created by the halos or orbs around her. Girl with Tulips had only ever been exhibited in an exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery curated by Jack Shadbolt in 1951. Doris Shadbolt grasped the unique qualities of Mortimer-Lamb’s paintings calling it “true and singing beauty…characterized by the word joy” (Amos, Print, 146).

This is an exhibition of discovery. In the AGGV video “Harold Mortimer-Lamb “The Art Lover “ by Robert Amos” Amos states that when he began this project AGGV director Jon Tupper suggested that it would be “too difficult to try to include everything” in this exhibition and suggested he include only Mortimer- Lamb’s photography. However, he felt he was the only person to spread out the whole story and tell all of the different parts of Mortimer- Lamb’s life. Amos balances this exhibit by including photos and paintings created by Mortimer-Lamb, with pieces from his extravagant collection of some of Canada’s most renowned artists. By including pieces from outside Mortimer- Lamb’s collection, like Varley’s Vera from the NGC, Amos emphasizes Mortimer-Lamb’s prominence within Canadian art, as he is associated with such iconic images. The text panels, family photo albums, and written works really add a historical context to the exhibit, which is, furthered even more in Amos’ book. He raises questions about Vera Weatherbie by including images of and by her, however I think it would have been quite interesting to explore her part in this world much further. Through his balanced and extensive survey of the activities, collection and works of this remarkable man, Amos brings Mortimer- Lamb the status of importance he deserves and provides a detailed history of the Canadian art world in the 20th century.

References

Amos, Robert. Harold Mortimer-Lamb: the art lover. Art Gallery of Greater Victoria,Victoria, BC. Exhibit. 18 February 2014.

Amos, Robert. Harold Mortimer- Lamb: the art lover. Victoria, BC: TouchWood Editions, 2013. Print.

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. “Harold Mortimer-Lamb “The Art Lover” by Robert Amos”. YouTube. ExhibitVic, 16 December 2013. Web. 18 February 2014.

#Harold Mortimer-Lamb #Vera Weatherbie #Frederick Varley #Group of Seven #Canadian #art #AGGV #victoria bc

#vorticism #vortex #vortoscope #ezra pound #breaking bad

Urban Thunderbirds/Ravens in a Material World

Indigenous Northwest coast art traditions have a long history. In the late 18th century explorers began to come to the Northwest coast in search of land and the Northwest Passage to India. Upon their arrival, they tried to learn the culture of the people through trade. In many cases indigenous groups like the Coast Salish people traded their most prized possessions, possessions they were proud of, and these were of course their artworks. Once Europeans began to settle on the Northwest coast, indigenous art traditions were repressed. Art historians of the time began to collect “authentic” works (works created before contact) in an attempt to document these “pre-literate” societies and study them scientifically to see the various stages of evolution within the society (capitalist societies being the pinnacle of achievement). First Nations land was stolen, and eventually residential schools were created in hopes to repress Indigenous traditions to the extent that they would be non-existent. This had drastic affects on generations of First Nations people and their relationship with their culture and art traditions.

As an Arts of Canada student, I have studied a lot of Indigenous Northwest Coast art, especially traditional. Upon hearing about the Urban Thunderbirds/ Ravens In a Material World Exhibition at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV), I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to see it. This exhibition shows the reality of the Northwest Coast First Nations living in urban centres and what that experience is like with their cultural background coming through in their artwork. The exhibit contrasts between the traditional and modern art techniques as well, as the dual cultural existence of modern day native artists and the ways in which their art assists them to navigate both traditional responsibility and contemporary tradition. The works also touch on the harsh histories of First Nation people and follows the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's public recognition and reconciliation of the prejudice bestowed by Residential Schools. Preserving their history and tradition, as well as adding their own artistic style, this exhibition shows the world the power of art to make a statement; our culture is alive and well!

Urban Thunderbirds

When entering the exhibition beautiful large canvas works welcomed me. Coast Salish artists lessLIE, originally from Duncan, and Dylan Thomas, from Victoria use their work to transmit themes and symbols of intimate personal narratives and mainstream issues. One of the first works is lesLIE’s “Idle No More” which directly correlates with the Idle No More movement that began earlier this year to fight for the rights of Indigenous peoples. It was interesting to learn that lesLIE has also started an initiative with AGGV where this particular work will be reproduced and place in bus shelters around Victoria to get his message across even further. One piece I was surprised to see in the exhibit was the Starbucks logo, but upon closer examination lesLIE’s “conunDRUM” creates this icon using Coast Salish style salmon heads, trigons, and crescents. I really like how these artists incorporate the tradition of the spindle whorl (which was originally a wooden carving used to spin wool for weaving and knitting) using new media i.e. acrylic on canvas. Like traditional whorls, lesLIE’s and Thomas’ whorls have sophisticated and powerful designs. They both use captivating colours, usually bright, but other times more subtle. These works definitely incorporate the theme of mixing traditional with contemporary, and somewhat blur the boundary between the two.

Ravens in a Material World

Walking from the room designated for Urban Thunderbirds, the tone definitely shifted entering Ravens in a Material World. Filled with the amazing works of Kwakwaka’wakw artists Rande Cook and Francis Dick, the theme of traditional and contemporary is continued, but the subject matter seems to be much more deliberate at narrating personal experience and mainstream issues in comparison with the more subtle abstract pieces from Urban Thunderbirds. These works question the urban consumerist and commercial societies of today. In Rande Cook’s work “Ravenous” he uses traditional symbols and devices, such as the raven and the use of presences within presences. He seems to contrast between the wealthy and the poor as we see a traditional wolf head placed on a businessman’s body, staring at a homeless and alcohol consuming Mickey Mouse. The model-esque woman in the middle again shows the tradition of using humanoid figures and animals together as she is both wearing and holding raven images. Cook pokes fun at the modern day consumer as we again see the Starbucks icon ironically in place, with other advertisements to support this idea (poster, model, Disney symbols). Like lesLIE Cook also has a work titled “Idle No More” where traditional animal symbols are again connected to the human. Four figures weigh out the options in front of a small Prime Minister Harper looking man. Cook shows the use of new and mixed media as he also exhibits photography and woodcarving. Francis Dick also had very elaborate paintings using acrylic on canvas. Many of her works focus on personal experiences and historical narratives. For three of her works, headphones were available where either music or radio interviews were being played which added a lot to each individual work as a whole.

Conclusion

This exhibit was very well done. It was able to convey a strong message through the works, and the presentation only added to that. The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria was very accommodating, especially for someone on a student budget.

One thing I found interesting was the placement of another exhibit directly beside Urban Thunderbirds/Ravens in a Material World, called Crossing Channels. This exhibit is this seasons LAB gallery program focusing on media art from across the Province. They feature a different artist every month, and when I went Chris Bose’s “Savage/Heathen” was playing. This ten minute short film contrasts life of First Nations people before, during and after Residential Schools. The film definitely added to the messages and context of the Urban Thunderbirds/Raven in a Material World exhibit.

Although the exhibit was very well done, there were a few things that could have been changed. In the Urban Thunderbirds portion each work was lit with a spotlight. At times this really made some of the subtleties noticeable, but other times the light was too low to notice some details of the works.

On a few of Dylan Thomas’ works I noticed thick pencil lines he had tried to paint between. He unsuccessfully covered or erased these lines, which for me, took away from the works.

One other thing to note is the interactive portion of the exhibit where you are invited to create spindle whorl like designs using various blocks and patterns. I really enjoyed this portion as it helped me better understand the complexity of the works.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibit and encourage others to see it!

-Emma