Issue #02 – Reconstruction.

The hardest thing to see is what is in front of your eyes. – Goethe

Artists have always had a knack for representing the world as they see it; taking pieces, here and there, from their environment to create images that elicit interest and prompt questioning from their viewers.

In this issue, Square² looks at artists who reflect on the relationships between life and art by using everyday objects, manipulating media imagery, and reconstructing the world around them. We commend the artists who take these small pieces of life and turn them into something new, in the process, giving us the chance to reflect, analyze, and sometimes even newly appreciate, their existence.

Emily Fennell, by Brent Bodrug and Emily Fennell

When I first came to Prince Edward County, one name repeatedly came up in discussions about music: Emily Fennell. She is somewhat of a legend in these parts, for good reason. Her talent is formidable. As a performer, she captivates absolutely, and while not quite 30 years of age, Emily’s voice sounds defiantly seasoned, as though she’s been on the road touring for decades.

Constructing Context, by Peter Blendell

The paintings succeed as pictures of bark, and if that’s what you’re looking for, there’s no requirement to go past that point. But there is more to see, and not to see all you can is to short-change yourself. The omission of the original setting means that a viewer may also use the process of association to imagine “contexts” suggested by the painting. The particular information within the painting points to more general bodies of information, in a manner analogous to the story telling logic of traditional narrative illustration. In this way, Wiens has put a spin on the tradition of illustration, and the reinvention adds vigour and challenge to the older method.

Pictures of Pictures, by Miranda Bouchard

The photographic image is ubiquitous. Throughout its history, photography has pushed the boundaries of what we define as fine art, and has challenged the relevance of the time-honoured mediums of painting and drawing. Its designation as a fine art medium was questioned, but photography’s perceived objectivity and ability to tell the “truth”, especially when compared to the subjectivity of other fine art media such as painting, was rarely doubted. In a world where photographic images pervade our day-to-day lives, it’s no surprise that these images have crept into contemporary painting and drawing.

Copyrights and Wrongs, by Hri Neil

My artistic practice centres on editing as art, collecting samples from TV and digital media, as well as footage I shoot myself, and building new narratives from those fragments. Each sample has its own immediate symbolic value and associations based on its original context. The way I juxtapose samples and contrast them with one another changes the viewer’s perception of their original context and meaning. Through careful selection, arrangement and style of presentation, I am able to convey my own meanings, messages and narratives. I often treat and process my footage, either to unify clips from disparate sources, or to suggest a different mood or intensity.

Chris Bonham-Carter, by Brent Bodrug

At a mere 17 years of age this musical tour-de-force has technique that dazzles. He aspires to be a full-time touring musician within the next decade, which seems feasible since the majority of the guys in his band Moira, Darling are nearly 10 years his senior. Maybe it’s his philosophical approach.

Fur on Fur on Fur, by Lisa Visser

Combining performance and a biographical narrative, Lisa Visser evokes tenuous human-animal relationships, addressing questions of the everyday and the obvious with deliberate miscommunication, hu-?mour, and irony. Visser seeks meaning and a sense of understanding about ourselves, and the concerns and conditions of being animal or human, through her artwork. To accomplish this, Visser looks to models of tension and affection between human and non-human species.

Eco-Fashion, the designs of Koren Bellman, by Laura Hart, photography of Michael Grills

Her name is Koren Bellman. Her M.O. is creating structured, well-tailored, beautifully crafted clothing for women of all shapes, sizes and ages. Her true passion is ensuring that her label, KB Designs, upholds the traditions of true eco-friendly fashion: her magician-like ability to turn something old and dated into something new and brilliant.

Assemblage, by Becky Lane

“Assemblage” is the term often used to describe works of art that are composed of three dimensional non-art objects. Early assemblage is frequently grouped with surrealism and abstract expressionism as some of the first steps into what would eventually become a decidedly subjective art scene. In spite of this alliance with other subjectivist art movements, assemblage is inescapably a composition of pre-existing, socially meaningful, non-art objects that cannot be completely removed from their histories. The decision to assemble, then, is a conscious decision on the part of the artist to acknowledge a history of meaning, even if only to question, subvert, or dissolve notions of interpretation and context.

Eliza-Jane Scott, by Bryan Bondy

Watching Eliza-Jane Scott on stage, I am transfixed by her vulnerability and professionalism. On Scott’s Emulsion her voice can sound first fragile, hesitant, near to breaking, then forceful and controlled. On stage, she exposes herself bravely as in Amelia, in which, as she notes, “three characters are actively trying to sway the audience to their version of events,” while maintaining a reassuring grace and presence.

Relentless & Necessary, Short Story by Zoe Whittall

Every day I wake up under the sandy brown quilt my mother made for me when I got married. I’ve dropped down to 10 milligrams. Everything is louder and lighter and brighter. I used to have a job, a place to be every day. Now I notice the space between things. I arrange objects in the house by their colour. My week is comprised of Sundays. On actual Sundays, I can finally relax.

Interview with Tammy Love, by Chrissy Poitras

Tammy Love is an artist. She is spontaneous, energetic, skilled and unafraid. Surrounded by paint, canvas and an unbelievable amount of scavenged goods Love finds inspiration to create her new body of work. Love has been down many roads in her artistic career. She has worked with the landscape, the figure, text, fruit and animals but these new works are something else completely. These pieces hold no bounds. The paint is applied with vigor, elements fall off the edges, pieces of information are covered and uncovered; Love has found the fearless road to painting.