I tend to stay away from blogging about my work or overly explaining the process or meaning behind things I’ve created, not because of any secretive reasons (well maybe some technical ones) but because I truly believe that songs, art, movies, and things in general can be interpreted in and on so many different levels. This can coincide with the creators intensions or be completely detached from them. As individuals we interpret things according to our experiences and our subjective bias. That is where the beauty lies. In multiple interpretations. If every Beatles song came with a defined back story, that would most likely have a negative impact on my personal experience and the meaning/memories that I have associated towards certain songs. Having said this, here is a brief synopsis of the ‘m/f’ series and the recent sculptural addition, the ‘Fuk-Shu’
The ‘m\f’ series is an exploration of masculinity and femininity and the unique parallel between them. It is a play on the duality and ambiguity of things, specifically objects that typically symbolize traditional male or female gender characteristics. By unifying and merging these two opposites a unique relationship is formed creating a new object that questions where the cultural definition of gender exists. You can view the newly updated ‘m/f’ series here.
Further more. Having just received my 4th rejection from the Canada Council for the Arts regarding a new project that is underway I felt it appropriate to state a few things. I like nothing more than putting a large amount of effort into the preparation of a project proposal. Completing numerous forms, meeting very specific guid lines and submission policies in regards to CV’s, support material information, budget outlines, essays, etc. only to receive a single sheet of paper stating a generic NO. No further information regarding the reasoning or recommendations on how to improve future submissions is given. Unfortunately this is the only response that is issued after 4 months of processing. Truly unbelievable. And proof of why recognition and support beyond the lean government grant funding is not only essential but the only way to get anything done. The fact that the Canada Council for the Arts demands very specific submission adherence, yet cares very little about their treatment of the applicants afterwards is clearly disrespectful. It is hard to comprehend the justification for continually funding previous recipients while not providing any help to other artists. After all, funding a landscape painter for the 3rd time to further their exploration into the various grass tones of the great planes of Saskatchewan is a must.
Having stated this there are a few things that need clarifying. To create things takes money. For equipment and material. It also involves a lot of time, and a shit load of trial and error. Whether you enjoy the things I have created or not, I have forged through a lot of shit and tortured myself beyond belief to learn and hone the skills that I have today. On top of this, there is a huge disconnect between someone spending months creating something and someone else briefly viewing the final result and either “liking” it or simply ignoring it all together. The attention span of the observer these days is so minimal, and the amount of content being created is so vast. It is next to impossible for people to fully grasp and absorb the meaning and time needed to produce things with such a superficial experience. Things take time and a lot of effort, if you have ever built a website, shot or edited a photo or video project, manually screen printed multi colour prints, or tried to set up a studio space overseas, maybe you should try it. Then fail, try again, fail, and repeat. See if you have the desire and drive to pick yourself up and keep on going. And when you do get there and no one gives a shit, please let me know how you would rate your experience.
One rule that should be remembered is that “no one is coming”, as in ‘no one is coming to help or save you’. If you enjoy waiting for others, desperately hoping that someone will take your hand and lead you towards your goals, make sure to get very comfortable, because you will be waiting a long time. If I took at face value and believed all of the ‘noes’ that have been thrown at me throughout the years, while waiting patiently and politely, anticipating approval and support from someone else ie. the government, a gallery owner, other artists, etc. I would still be waiting. Setting up a studio in Norway and South Korea would not have happened. Projects such as ‘vex 13 000’ would still be an idea. Exhibiting work overseas would not have come to fruition. So in closing it is with great pleasure that I would like to dedicate this ‘Fuk-Shu’ to all of the past, present and future ‘noes’. The adverse feeling of rejection is a universally unpleasant experience, that could either make you cower in the corner, or piss you off and make you say ‘fuck it’, lets find another way to get this done.
Below is a 360º view of the black ‘Fuk-Shu’
Please enjoy :)
-May 2nd 2015