Author: Diane

  • A BOOK ABOUT A BOOK

    Pop Quiz
    By Dave Dyment
    About the project: A near comprehensive collection of all of the questions posed in pop songs from the artist’s music collection.
    360-page softcover artist’s book
    5″ x 8″
    Edition of 500, numbered and signed by the artist (each with unique handwritten question)
    $50

    Experimental 2/3

    ARTIST BOOK PROJECT: A BOOK ABOUT A BOOK

    Note on Schedule:
    1. Book design workshop with Nathan

    2. WORK IN PROGRESS due for discussion

    3. ***Final works uploaded and submitted for printing deadline****

    4. Works will also be discussed in progress during class.

    Consider a book. Use any book you are interested in – a novel, a textbook, a book of essays, a field guide, a book of maps, a self-help book, an instruction manual, a cookbook, a memoir, a monograph… the possibilities are endless.

    Choose one book as the point of departure for a print-on-demand artist book that you will develop and design in class. Like examples of artist publications discussed in class, your artist book will emphasize image over text and be an artwork in its own right.  It can be any length or size available on Blurb.com under a budget of (total) $30 including taxes.

    Your work can be about the book, use the book’s images, respond to or engage the book in any way. Consider content, text, meaning, and image in your work. The original book may or may not be visible or obvious in your finished work – but the artist book will represent your own version of the ideas in the book, and your own responses. The work may be discursive and legible, or it may be austere, formalized or abstract.

    Strategies and motifs you may consider:

    Scanning and photocopying from books

    Using found photographs from the internet

    Taking photographs

    Working with appropriated text

    Using text as image

    Making a book from the past into the present

    Focusing/repeating one detail in a book

    Exploring visual references in the book

    Responding to cover art, diagrams or illustrations in a book

    Playing with scale

    Rearrangements and reorientations

    Drawing from books


    More student examples:

    See also: Dave Dyment and Nothing Else Press

    *Bring three possible books to work with and discuss on Thursday

  • Week 7

    Finish Environmental Video Art critiques

    Field Guide to North America, Shawna Dempsey and Lori Millan.

    Artist Book Collection and reading together in class

    Discuss book design/concepts

    ARTIST BOOK ASSIGNMENT:

    Pop Quiz
    By Dave Dyment
    About the project: A near comprehensive collection of all of the questions posed in pop songs from the artist’s music collection.
    360-page softcover artist’s book
    5″ x 8″
    Edition of 500, numbered and signed by the artist (each with unique handwritten question)
    $50

    Experimental 2/3

    ARTIST BOOK PROJECT: A BOOK ABOUT A BOOK

    Note on Schedule:
    1. Book design workshop with Nathan

    2. WORK IN PROGRESS due for discussion

    3. ***Final works uploaded and submitted for printing deadline****

    4. Works will also be discussed in progress during class.

    Consider a book. Use any book you are interested in – a novel, a textbook, a book of essays, a field guide, a book of maps, a self-help book, an instruction manual, a cookbook, a memoir, a monograph… the possibilities are endless.

    Choose one book as the point of departure for a print-on-demand artist book that you will develop and design in class. Like examples of artist publications discussed in class, your artist book will emphasize image over text and be an artwork in its own right.  It can be any length or size available on Blurb.com under a budget of (total) $30 including taxes.

    Your work can be about the book, use the book’s images, respond to or engage the book in any way. Consider content, text, meaning, and image in your work. The original book may or may not be visible or obvious in your finished work – but the artist book will represent your own version of the ideas in the book, and your own responses. The work may be discursive and legible, or it may be austere, formalized or abstract.

    Strategies and motifs you may consider:

    Scanning and photocopying from books

    Using found photographs from the internet

    Taking photographs

    Working with appropriated text

    Using text as image

    Making a book from the past into the present

    Focusing/repeating one detail in a book

    Exploring visual references in the book

    Responding to cover art, diagrams or illustrations in a book

    Playing with scale

    Rearrangements and reorientations

    Drawing from books

    See also: Dave Dyment and Nothing Else Press

    *Bring three possible books to work with and discuss on Thursday

    Student examples:


    More student examples:

    FIELD TRIP SATURDAY OCT 21 –

    Field Trip Itinerary

    Saturday Oct. 21, 2023

    ****BRING THIS ITINERARY WITH YOU. Share phone numbers with another classmate or class bus supervisor.

    Bus departs UC loop at 9:30 am

    Arrives at MOCA at 10:30 am

    *Under 18 admission is free

    * Student admission is $10 with ID

    158 Sterling Road, Toronto, Ontario.

    Admission PWYC (note main exhibit closed)

    Also: Art Metropole

    Bus departs MOCA at noon

    Bus arrives at TPW at 12:15pm

    170 St Helens Ave, Toronto, 

    Also: Daniel Faria Gallery/Clint Roenisch Gallery

    But departs TPW at 12:45

    Arrives at Kensington Market at 1:15

    Corner of Augusta and Baldwin

    Bus departs Kensington Market at 2:30pm

    Bus arrives at Mercer Union at 3pm

    1286 Bloor St. W

    Bus departs Mercer Union at 3:30 pm

    Bus arrives at U of Guelph UC Loop at approx. 5:00pm

  • Week 6

    Thanksgiving holiday

    Critiques for Environmental Video Art

  • Week 5

    TUESDAY and THURSDAY

    Work time in arboretum

    Editing and consultations in class*

    Show and discuss work in progress

  • Zozo

    Something that I feel is very important is the incorporation of the Earth in the art world, there is a deep connection between humanity and the environment that mothered us. With the abundance of resources our environment gives us, there is ample opportunity for creation.

    One of my favourite ways artists have used the environment is through the raw use of the Earth’s natural push and pull (wind). Tim Knowles’ Tree Drawings are my personal favourites. In this series of drawings, Knowles sets up plain white paper within reach of a drawing device attached to the branch of a tree. The tree branch is guided by the spontaneous nature of the wind to create unique and lively drawings. The idea that the artist steps away from doing work and gives a voice to natural elements gives the Earth a voice and a sentimental nod to its unpredictability and change.

    Another favourite environmental piece is a video art piece done by the Agricultural artist group Kultivator, titled Dinner with Cows. This video is one of many documentations of a group dinner with humans of all ages, some being toddlers some being elderly, and adult cows. There is not much documented on this piece, however, seeing these cows eat at the same table and from the same plates as humans is quite jarring. Beef consumption is very prominent in many people’s lives, having dinner with an animal most well known to be something humans eat is a humorous yet uncomfortable sight.

    Stacking books as an art form is akin to the likes off blackout poetry, in which one would search out prewritten words to form a completely new text. Since my book collection is fairly small and I lend literature to many people, I dug through the University of Guelph’s library to see what stacks I could make. I found this to be a meaningful exercise when using text with limited resources, digging and the art of “hunting and gathering” should be taught in art school.

    There were books which targeted my self-esteem and I made an effort to have both me and the books be insulted directly. Very punk.

    I dug into a very intimate part of my being and acknowledged my fear of letting go of things I need or crave.

    Good question.

    I am Generation Z, but broke Millennial’s are still a sad sight to see.

  • More Environmental Video Art

    See several projects by Sara Angelucci – Ghost Orchard, Mourning Chorus, The Twirl of a Butterfly’s Tongue… etc.

    https://sara-angelucci.ca/filter/Projects

    See the feature article and the video for FOSSORA:

    https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-bjorks-psychedelic-new-fossora-video/

    Corpus Dance Projects

    Natasha Lavdovsky

    http://www.natashalavdovsky.com/

    Atmosphere manipulation

    Primordial Safety Test

    Aislinn Thomas

    Rock Camoflauge

    Mountains Used To Be Ugly

    Darcy Wilson

    https://www.darcywilson.org/felia-and-1-fan

    https://www.darcywilson.org/protect-your-love

    AATOOQ:

    https://nac-cna.ca/en/video/dtl-aatooq-Ikumagialiit

  • Week 4

    TUESDAY:

    Research for Arboretum Videos – post on blog and present ideas in class.

    Video recording outdoors demo with Nathan

    THURSDAY:

    Video editing refresher demo with Nathan

    Discuss ideas for videos, work time in studio/ arboretum if needed

    Note – Next week will be all work time in arboretum/studio as needed. Videos are due Thursday Oct. 12th for critique.

  • Week 3

    Tuesday:

    Meet at the lab at 11:30 sharp!

    Together we will be walking to the Arboretum nature centre to participate in an environmental conservation activity: Bird Banding with Chris Earley.

    Please come dressed for weather and walking, and bring a water bottle and snacks if needed.

    Thursday:

    Please come to class – we will have a special guest artist: Megan Arnold

    See her video – Are We Human, Or Are We Skater

    Megan will be showing some of her own work in video – and introducing you to our local video art and media support centre: ED VIDEO

    https://www.edvideo.org/programming?/events

    During the final 1. 5 hours of in-class time – please develop loose video art ideas – related to an artist, and environmental subject of your choice. Make a blog post and prepare to discuss your research and ideas in the next class.

    Each student will make a blog post that includes some images/drawings/notes as needed – you must include research, images, and reflections on ways you might interpret and respond to the information in a video to be shot in the arboretum, or in controlled, studio conditions. Choose a partner to work with today – but each student will make their own blog post reflecting on the themes and ideas for working.

    This research and process notes are the foundation for your video art project. You must have a completed blog post due for show and tell during our next class – where we will be discussing your research, and video art ideas.

  • Week 2

    Tuesday:

    https://vimeo.com/863619325?share=copy

    Lecture and Upcoming Assignment

    Please view the following lecture, and read the upcoming assignment instructions. You will be working as partners in groups of 2 for this project. Read/scan relevant articles linked in the lecture, watch the videos linked, and explore the websites and larger ouevre of artists presented as examples. This should take approximately 1. 5 – 2 hours during class time.

    Please respond to the questions below on your blog during the rest of class time today. This should take 30- 45 minutes. Nathan will be available to assist with technicial difficiulties making blog posts.
    1. Follow up with a deeper dive into one of the artists presented in the lecture. Discuss your interest in their ideas and their works by using two examples of their works (they may or may not be included in the lecture, include images in your post). What are some of the strategies they use to make their work? Can you summarize their system/task they assigned themselves in a sentence?
    2. How does the artist you chose respond to nature, creatures, or environmental conditions in their work? What kind of fact-based research did they do to work in the environment? What kinds of ideas and values inform and motivate their work? How do these ideas resonate in their final works?

    Thursday:

    Book Stacks critique – post work on blog