#christopherboyne

[umamontreal]

“Vingt-trois jours en mer, chapitre un” 

Nour Bishouty, Christopher Boyne, Elisa Ferrari, Amaara Raheem

Du 28 mai au 16 juillet 2016

« Vingt-trois Jours en mer » est  une résidence d'artistes  non conventionnelle, produite par la Galerie Access en partenariat avec la Fondation d'Arts Burrard et la Galerie d’art contemporain. Elle permet à des artistes plasticiens émergents d’embarquer à bord des navires porte-conteneurs naviguant de Vancouver à Shanghai. Traverser  le Pacifique prend environ 23 jours : le temps de la résidence des artistes à bord du navire.

L'exposition « Vingt-trois Jours en mer, Chapitre un » présente les oeuvres réalisé pendant le temps passé en haute mer des quatre artistes de la résidence Christopher Boyne,  Nour Bishouty, Elisa Ferrari et Amaara Raheem.

Galerie Access

222 rue Georgia est

Vancouver BC V6A 1Z7

 http://accessgallery.ca

http://chrisboyne.com

 //

“Twenty-Three Days at Sea, Chapter One”

Christopher Boyne, Nour Bishouty, Elisa Ferrari, Amaara Raheem

May 28–July 16, 2016

Twenty-Three Days at Sea is an unconventional travelling artist residency, produced by Access Gallery in partnership with the Burrard Arts Foundation and the Contemporary Art Gallery, offering selected emergent visual artists passage aboard container ships sailing from Vancouver to Shanghai. Crossing the Pacific takes approximately 23 days, during which time the artists are considered “in residence” aboard the vessels.

The exhibition Twenty-Three Days at Sea, Chapter One presents new bodies of work by the residency’s inaugural four artists–Nour Bishouty, Christopher Boyne, Elisa Ferrari, and Amaara Raheem–produced in response to their time spent on the open sea.

 Acces Gallery

222 East Georgia Street

Vancouver BC V6A 1Z7

 http://accessgallery.ca

http://chrisboyne.com

[chrisboyne]

__18 reflection, Jamie Campbell

When Tom Boyne casts a story, you’ll surely get tangled all up in it. I mean this. He has charm, and a strong jaw line. He is an example of a confident man. You will not catch him hesitate.  He tells every story as if he has told it at least one-thousand times prior. Some, I am sure, he has. Each is delivered with perfect pauses, and flawless flow.  You’ll sink in, you’ll settle. He will reel you in.

If he was a fisherman and the story was his only bait, then it would be no great surprise that he caught so many god damn blue fin tuna in just three days.

Chris Boyne, however, is a different man than his father. His delivery is much more subtle. He depends on nuances, and inconsistencies, and fabrication, and exaggeration. Poetics are more important than facts. The sentiment of the story outweighs mere delivery. When Chris Boyne tells a story, it is lasting.

He is the hook - the object that represents the grandiose tale. His stories are the ones that sit on a shelf, overlooked by most. If you are not careful, or the type willing to seek them out, they are easily missed. I can assure you though, that they are some of the most thoughtful and honest around. I'll say it again, when Chris Boyne tells a story, it is lasting - but you must be prepared to listen.

  Jamie Campbell is an artist currently living in Toronto, Ontario.

Jamie's website & tumblr

[chrisboyne]

__17

Cape Island Boats The boat my dad was on when he caught the two bluefins was called Lucky Strike.  I did not have pictures of that boat or any specific information to base my design for the model on so I settled on the ‘every-boat’ of Atlantic Canada – the Cape Islander.

The Cape Island boat originated on Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia in the early part of the 20th century.  Two families claim credit over the design.  The Atkinson family of Clark’s Harbour, Nova Scotia is most commonly credited.  The family continues to build boats today for commecial and recreational use.  The other claim to the design of the boat comes from the Kenney family also of Clark’s Harbour.

Modern boats are made of fiberglass and have been updated through the years but interestingly, the overall hull model is really the same.  The boats are made to be tough and strong and last up to 20 years.  Cape Island style boats are sometimes referred to at ‘Novi’ boats.  The boats are traditionally painted in bright colours that sometimes coordinate with the colour of fisherman’s houses.  The boats are seen throughout the Maritime Provinces. 

[chrisboyne]

__16 North Lake, PEI I found this interesting picture of a 1248 lbs bluefin caught by Larry Manranksy in North Lake, PEI in .  I immediately recognized the structure the fish is hanging from and the ladder from the pictures of my dad with his tuna.

[chrisboyne]

__15 Blue fin fishing Nova Scotia- Sport fishing for tuna began in Nova Scotia in 1935 when Michael Lerner and his fishing guide Captain Tommy Gilford successfully landed five bluefin by rod and reel.  The two had heard about the abundance of tuna in the waters around Wedgeport.  Wedgeport became the Sport Tuna Fishing Capital of the World and attracted famous visitors including Babe Ruth, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ernest Hemmingway.

Sport fishing for bluefin continues in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.  Dwindling stocks or altered migration patterns has changed the fishing in the Wedgeport area.  Most sport fishing today is carried out in the waters between Eastern Prince Edward Island, Northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. 

The world record for bluefin fune was caught in 1979 by Ken Fraser off Auld’s Cove Nova Scotia.  The fish weighted a massive 1,496 lbs and was over 10.5’ in length.

The longest contest between man and bluefin occurred off Liverpool Nova Scotia in 1934 when six men taking turns fought a 796lbs tuna for sixty-two hours. 

Bluefin Rodeo Wedgeport, Nova Scotia 1950s

Tuna Fishing in Wedgeport, Nova Scotia 1940s

[chrisboyne]

__14 THE CRAFT WITH A PROVED REPUTATION!

EVERY MODEL IS GUARANTEED!

  Interesting old literature from Star Yacht. ‘Guaranteed to Sail’ but it is complicated.

Star Yacht boats are very simple but the principles of sailing still apply. Windward—sailing against the wind.  Reaching—sailing at right angles to the wind.  Trimming sails.  It is very important to me that these boats work in such a real way.

[chrisboyne]

__13

Atlantic bluefin tuna - Thunnus thynnus blue fin tuna, blue-fin tunny, Atlantic bluefin tuna, horse mackerels, northern bluefin tuna, squid hounds…

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is the largest of the tuna species.  They are found throughout the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas, including the Mediterranean Sea.  They are a migratory species that is pelagic meaning they spend their time in water that is neither close to the bottom nor near the shore.  They eat fish such as herring, anchovy, sand lance, sardine, sprat, bluefish and mackerel and as large predators, play an important role in pelagic ecosystems.  Fully mature adult specimens average 6.6-8.2 feet in length and weigh around 450-550 lbs.  It is believed they can grow in excess of 2010 lbs though the largest recorded specimen was just under 1500 lbs.  The average natural lifespan of an Atlantic bluefin is 15-30 years.

The body of the Atlantic blue fin is rhomboidal in profile and robust.  The head is conical and the mouth quite large.  The body is dark blue above and gray with gold sparkle below.  Bright yellow scutes or finlets line the dorsal (upper) and ventral (lower) sides of the fish between the dorsal and anal fins and the caudal (tail) fin.  The Atlantic bluefin possesses great muscular strength.  It channels this strength through a pair of tendons to its caudal fin.  Uniquely, the body stays nearly rigid while the caudal fin flicks back and forth.  This increases efficiency and allows the Atlantic bluefin to reach speeds of 60 km/h. 

Atlantic bluefin that grow in excess of 330 lbs are known at Giant bluefin tuna. 

[chrisboyne]

__12 production notes, the hook The hook itself is central to periwinkle blues.  As a kid, my dad kept the hook in the pine box on his bureau.  I would look at it sometimes and ask to hear the story of catching the two fish.  Later my dad gave the hook to me.

I have used the hook in two other projects.  The first project was called shore drive.  I photographed  objects of importance on the paint-stripped wood windowsills of the hundred year old Nova Scotia house I grew up in.  The house was in the process of being sold and the work became a way for me to cope with that reality.  In a sense, shore drive, because a cathartic memorial.  In exhibition, each of the images was accompanied by a small text.  For the hook:  “Tuna hook, pine box Tom Boyne’s bureau.  Hook used to catch seven hundred pound tuna.  Prince Edward Island.  1975.”

Others from the series__

For the silver sailboat:  “Silver sailboat upstairs bathroom.  Detachable and positionable sail with rusted spar and purposeless screw.”

For the knife:  “Carbon steel knife kitchen counter.  Sharpest knife and prone to rusting.  John Young’s uncle’s estate Windmill Road Dartmouth.  1977.

For Tug Boat:  “Tug boat under sink upstairs bathroom.  Loose smoke stack.  Made by Tom Boyne for his oldest son.  1976.”

The second time I used the hook was in a project called and save these bits.  The project started with the construction of a traditional machinists chest.  The chest was made to house what had become a large collection of small objects.  The project came from a practical place—a desire to safely store a collection of important objects that I was pulling from constantly for my work.  Before building the chest the collection was stored in little bits all over—some here and some there in tin boxes or drawers.  In the end, the chest itself and its contents became part of a new project.  Before storing each item in its new place I made a 1:1 facsimile using a standard black and white photocopier.  I then wrote a non-formulaic description of the object directly on the copy.  Sometimes these descriptions were very literal other times they provided greater levels of information.  For the hook:  “seven hundred and eighty pound tuna hook.  tom boyne prince Edward island 1975.  only seems sharp enough to pierce a fishes mouth when size of said fish is considered.”

Others from the series__

corroded spoon.  found at aunt katharines.  green.  found then thrown back then found again and kept.

unidentifiable crushed car.  fifty cents.  st. Lawrence market.  like uncle ron smashing the shit out of most of his toys.

japan cowboy pin with rusty nose.  st. michel.