Issue #03 – Grounded in History.

Contemporary art rose out of the 1960s and 70s and with it Conceptual art – art based heavily on ideas rather than aesthetics or materials. This significant shift away from classic subject matter and accepted forms of expression changed the way art was perceived by the public. Viewers were challenged to redefine the boundaries of the gallery and reconsider what materials and methods could validly be used in art. Art had a new range of possibilities.

Yet through these transitions, artists also continued to work in a traditional fashion, creating art grounded in history, using materials, methods and subject matter passed down through generations. In this issue of Square2, we showcase artists who work in this realm – marble sculptors, ceramicists, landscape photographers, painters and storytellers.

Playing with Shadows, by Krista Dalby, with photography by Marc Polidoro

Make no mistake: puppetry is serious business. If watching theatre requires a leap of the imagination, then puppetry is the long jump of the theatre world. It is in this leap that the magic of puppetry occurs, where our hearts can be broken by the careful manipulation of sticks or fabric, where we can cheer for a heroic piece of cardboard, and where we can speak truthfully about things we couldn’t say otherwise.

Julian Harris Brown, by Bryan Bondy

Julian’s isn’t a household name, but he is a known quantity in Canadian indie rock, connected with the likes of Feist and Stars, respected as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer, and performer, playing on top ten records, touring Europe, and appearing at festivals and in stadiums, clubs, and living rooms. He was with the trio, Apostle of Hustle for ten years while sidelining as bassist – session and live – for Matthew Barber and Feist, and he played on a few tracks from Jason Collett’s Idols of Exile.

The Snowflakes’ Waltz, by Colin Frizzell

Julian’s isn’t a household name, but he is a known quantity in Canadian indie rock, connected with the likes of Feist and Stars, respected as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer, and performer, playing on top ten records, touring Europe, and appearing at festivals and in stadiums, clubs, and living rooms. He was with the trio, Apostle of Hustle for ten years while sidelining as bassist – session and live – for Matthew Barber and Feist, and he played on a few tracks from Jason Collett’s Idols of Exile.Thoughts of turning back had cluttered my mind since the first sound of the snow crunching beneath my feet filled my right ear, my left one reserved for the cowardly little voice of fear that tried to get me to retreat. But even with winter throwing its worst at me, cutting through my clothes and leaving me feeling naked to the gales, I forged on. What I’d lose by turning back was greater than what I risked by moving forward.

From Mud to Magic, the art of Janna Burford with an interview by Chrissy Poitras

Janna Burford’s wheel-thrown pottery reflects her personality and interest in the history of functional ceramics. Her work is both a nod to playful kitsch and an exploration of the textural qualities achievable through clay. In a culture where most homes boast the wares of Wal-Mart and HomeSense, Burford’s work stands in sharp contrast, a testament to the richness of the handmade.

Alex Simons, by Kyle Topping

I came across Simons’ work at a local gallery and asked her to volunteer at Spark Box. Like so many young artists, she works mostly in a representational manner but takes artistic licence by adding her own insights, emotions and character. She enjoys the immediate connections that can be made when working from life.

Otto Rogers, by Carlyn Moulton with Hri Neil

Otto Donald Rogers is one of Prince Edward County’s best kept secrets. In 1998, Rogers decided to make his home in South Marysburgh, after returning from 10 years living in Haifa, Israel. One of Canada’s most distinctive abstract painters, his work can be found in over 1,500 collections around the world.

Dennis Poitras, by Chrissy Poitras with photography by Michael Grills

Self-taught sculptor Dennis Poitras has devoted his life to exposing the natural beauty of the human form through stone. His work is created through a process much like the old masters; a laborious process of intense drawing, clay maquettes and, finally, chisels to stone. The desire to work with the human figure stems from Dennis’ interest in the stories and emotions expressed in a pose, relishing the endless possibilities the figure presents with is limitless positions, expressions and compositions.

Mad Mennacher, the artwork of Peter Mennacher

When we think of etching, we think of the great black and white works of Rembrandt and Goya, the detailed nudes of Durer, the fine line prints of Piranesi and Tiepolo. But etching began in the 15th century when the same method was used for incising armour and swords, burning decoration with acid to deepen the drawing. It was only a century later, when Daniel Hopfer adapted this method to make works on paper in Augsburg, Germany, that etching became accessible to artists.

The Hogsback, by Paul Hubble

I was born here—at this farmhouse window, looking out, up to the hogsback on the south mountain. The old mountain—worn down so that its profile looks like the shoulders and haunch of a great sleeping beast, my hogsback—and the hidden brook that it carries and that carves it, these were with me at my birth. Or, the memory is as old as I am, because I was nothing before that perception.