(Painting Brooke Reidt, “seeing without meeting, talking without hearing, smiling without feeling” Acrylic Diptych (2 oak panels) 2009)
Ever have so many ideas in your head that you don’t know where to start? Sometimes I get so excited about the possibilities of what could be created that I’m practically overwhelmed. When I get the chance to see all the sorts of incredible things people have already created- well, it gives me shivers sometimes.
While we were all spending our summer in Calgary wondering when the summer part was going to start, Jillian Logee was exploring half way around the world. By day she’s a photographer, archaeologist and journalist and by summer, well- you might just call her Indiana Jones, or uh- Jill (in fact she does in her blog, which I recommend you check out here).
“[In Petra, Jordan] we were given a special opportunity to go inside the Treasury building (the one that most people recognize from the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), which has been closed off to people for years. They opened the gates to it and we walked inside and it was just amazing to stand in something so old.” You know, all in an average archeologist/ journalist/ photographer’s days work.
Not that she wasn’t beyond bringing a little humour to such a once-in-a-lifetime Serious Moment: “I may or may not have had a birthday card in my journal that played the Indiana Jones theme and I may or may not have opened it up while we were all standing there looking at the amazing rock-cut walls…”
Humorous or serious, Jillian has always been fascinated by taking a deeper look at things in different ways, and that is what drew her to photography at an early age. She started to take pictures and still can’t get enough of it because she believes there is something fascinating to be found in any setting, from ancient ruins to your own backyard. Jillian loves photography because, she says, “I think there are a lot of details in our lives that we overlook. We’ll look at something, but maybe we won’t take in all the little bits that make it up. You can look at a photograph a thousand times and still pick out something new that you hadn’t noticed the last time.”
”The world is a remarkable place,” she believes, “and we should be savouring the beauty and oddities it presents for us daily.” The same goes for our busy, commerce-focused metropolis of Calgary— it just needs artists like Jillian and the many talented creatives we have here to help show those fascinating parts off. “Living in a city as business focused as this one just means there needs to be culture everywhere we look, if only to reduce the stress of our daily lives.” And perhaps to share an interesting point of view, or inspire, or fascinate, as Jillian’s photos do.
Calgary is known for it’s pioneering spirit and we’re lucky to have adventurous types like Jillian to keep us inspired and looking at the world in new ways. You can see even more of Jillian’s beautiful and provocative photography at PARKSALE 2010, as well as online at her professional website is http://www.phoenixis.ca, or though flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/phoenixis (edit: seriously take a wander through- not only can you see more, but you can see these photos without the unfortunate way Tumblr squished them). And to keep up to date with what adventure Jillian is off to next (or maybe what she did today), you can follower her on Twitter @Phoenixis.
(Rezatron, Scare Jordan, 2009.)
It seems zombies are all the rage right now. And I love them just as much as the next girl, especially when they’re Michael Jordan dunking a skull in vibrant watercolours and inking (seriously, check this guys work out- I’m talking zombie Kermit the Frog, zombie Marty McFly, zombie Forrest Gump). We love to see those creepy walking dead get mowed down, almost more than teen girls love vampires. But what’s up with the scare we get from the undead?
Maybe because we the living are worried about the future. Whether it’s what you’re going to do with your life (I’m still working on that one) or what you’re going to do for dinner (uh, that too), making decisions can be daunting because you never know if it’s going to come back to get you (all hungry for your braaaaaaainsss.)
But if you’re scared to take the chances, you pretty much risk becoming a zombie yourself. Every time you see a zombie killed, doesn’t it feels like the future is one step closer to being safe from some sort of apocalypse or maybe just your own personal drama? Ahhh, or maybe I’m reading too much into it… But, I say, in general: screw the zombies, and get yourself out there and slamdunk that skull, or decision, or whatever. You gotta live while you’re alive, because when you’re undead you’re pretty much preoccupied with only one thing.
At PARKSALE we’ve got all these cool young creatives taking chances and making risks to show what they’ve got to the city and now I’m all fired up. Fresh young BRRRAAAIINNNSSS- our city is full of them… and talent too. Yum.
If there’s one thing we have to know how to do in Calgary, it’s bundling up. (Usually, it’s just the winter… and fall… and spring we have to worry about… but with the weather we’ve been having this year, it seems it’s the summer too!) In Calgary, and most of this wonderful nation above the 49th parallel, any perfectly styled outfit has to include the potentially boring element of a coat, scarf, hood, hat- amiright or amiright?
Growing up in Calgary, Bridget Bergman did her fair share of putting on those layers. While she later went off around the world as a model and she now lives in the balmier climes of Vancouver where she enjoys summer nights on the beach (let’s try not to feel too jealous), Bridget never forgot all those cold Calgary winters, and she was inspired: “Just because we live in Canada, it doesn’t mean that we have to throw a lumpy parka over top of our carefully chosen outfits… I make the clothing I would want to wear.”
With sleek cuts and dramatic sleeves and collars, I find myself almost wanting to bring on the cold weather now, just so I can cut the perfect Romantic figure that Bridget’s designs suggest. You can tell she spent her time as a model observing how to best fit and structure garments perfectly to the body, because there is something graceful in how these beautiful coats fit, with clever ties, zippers and stitches that make you forget altogether what you’ve got on underneath.
Bridget’s coats are weatherproof, so you can count on looking stylish in any environment. And they’re good for the environment, too: all of her coats are made partially from recycled materials. Sustainability and striking sillhouettes- this girl’s designs strike me right in the heart! 
Bridget focuses mainly on outerwear, but she’s also begun to design beautiful frocks for underneath too. By nailing lightweight as well as she can do heavy fabrics, Bridget is proving herself to be much like Canadian weather- a force to be reckoned with!
You can see more of her designs, learn where you can purchase one of your own, and contact Bridget at her website: www.bridgetbergman.com We’ve gladly had her designs in our PARKSHOWs past, and we’re happy Bridget is bringing even more warmth to a hot day at PARKSALE 2010. Come down and see her designs in person so you can be ready the next time Calgary decides it’s going to be winter for a day (like tomorrow, maybe?)
(Fiona Ackerman, “Marginal Space.” Acrylic & spray paint on canvas, 72” x 36”, 2010)
The thing about summer that gets me all excited is the expanded amount of beautiful space that is open to play, explore and and dream in. It’s not that winter shuts you in, but when it’s nice and warm outside, day and night, and there aren’t six layers between you and the air, well, there’s a certain freedom to the great outdoors that totally gets me high.
Of course, there’s so much beauty to be discovered out there in any season really. But for me, there’s just something about being in a space surrounded by these bright summer colours, whether they’re on the crowded beach or in some tucked-away community garden or in your own backyard. It’s like the world has come alive again, “aaaaand the living’s easy….”
Summer isn’t all picnics and playdates, though. The title of Fiona Ackerman’s painting here, “Marginal Spaces” reminds me that beauty doesn’t always get access to the space it needs to express itself. It’s a labour of love to create the spaces where art and creativity can have the freedom to be seen and enjoyed.
When we started doing the PARKSALE two summers ago, we wanted to create a space where we could invite the city to share a beautiful, sunny day in a public park with us and a bunch of our city’s young and independent artists who didn’t always get many chances to show off their work for free. Beauty in a place of beauty, in beautiful summer… ahhh!
Giving the people of Calgary access to amazingly talented creators and giving those creators access to a public who can see and share their hard work is one of the perfect ways we could think of to use the type of great spaces that open up in the summertime. And we’re still doing it, with the third annual PARKSALE coming up on September 4th at the U of C.
Some people think they’ve got monsters in their closets, but if it were up to Davin Cheng, monsters wouldn’t have to hide in the shadows— they’d be all over the world. Through his project dreaMONSTER, Davin is starting with our city of Calgary, attempting to spread the monster on every type of surface possible.
But while a lot of people think monsters are pretty scary, Davin likes to explore the many types of monsters with the sometimes grimy, sometimes cute, and yeah- sometimes scary monsters that he puts on t-shirts, hats, canvas, vinyl records, wood and anything else that could make a monster “look fresh!”
This young artist is still in high school, but he’s been at it since 2007. Starting on the street with stickers, Davin says he is inspired by street art culture, and by day dreaming and imagining things. His sense of playfulness and yet the fast flow of a street artist is apparent in his use of pop colour and layering of characters, lines and brushstrokes. The world of dreaMONSTER is somewhere I’d maybe like to take a visit.
Working to forge his own place in Calgary’s art scene, Davin says he’s excited. “Calgary eh? It’s slowly picking up its game.” Young like him, he can see the potential of street art and independent artists changing our city’s artistic landscape. “The art scene in Calgary is getting pretty good now, a lot of really good graffiti artist out there like Grominate and Bolr that aren’t getting recognized that much in the public eye. Calgary’s Culture just needs more of these groups like PARKSALE to promote artists! There’s also Market Collective that does it as well.”
And as for summer 2010? Well, besides PARKSALE capping it off nicely September 4th, Davin has had quite the exciting season. “I had started my summer in Hong Kong and Korea; i had experienced a different vibe in culture and environment, also got to see different and amazing things as well.” Perhaps he’ll be bringing that new perspective with his next unleashing of monsters?
And you’ll have to see what he brings to PARKSALE 2010! To see more of Davin’s work online or to contact the artist, visit his facebook page here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/dreaMONSTER/130955380271723
“Roll away your stone I will roll away mine
Together we can see what we will find”
— Mumford and Sons, “Roll Away Your Stone” (this song has been getting me pumped all summer. Listen to it here)
Wakey wakey… After a long, long slumber- we’re baaaaack.
We’ve met even more inspiring, talented, creative and just plain awesome artists and designers in Calgary the last year, and with PARKSALE 2010 coming up, I want to take the chance to introduce some of you to them.
Art is more than just the thing of beauty- it’s a process: of development, of exploration and explosion and of exposure. And aren’t we lucky- here we have a whole treasure trove of people in the process of redefining culture in our city!
So take a stretch, rub your eyes, and mark your calendar for Saturday September 4th, because that’s where you get to see all these incredible creative types show you how they’re going to change the face of Calgary.
And hey- why not click on the picture to check out our Facebook event page all the more information you’d want while you’re at it?
(picture via Sunrise in Cappadocia)
(David Littlejohns, selections from records. 08-09 throughout)
Talk about exploding color- when it comes to celebrating the spectrum, the work of artist David Littlejohns is truly eye-catching. Mixing a graffiti style with old records for canvases and a rainbow’s worth of paint, David’s art pieces are more than mixed media, they also inspire a synesthesia of the senses: the bright colors of his designs suggest the kinetic spinning of the record and visually represent a unique take on the aural function the record once served.
It is apparent the flow of sight, sound and motion visible in his current work with records not only comes out of his graffiti oriented style, but David’s approach to artwork itself. Having been drawing since he can remember, David developed a taste and style oriented towards the urban art of graffiti when he was fourteen, and continued from there.
The improvisational style and use of surface in graffiti seems to suit how David develops his projects themselves, while he has turned to personal objects over alleyways and buildings. Choosing his canvas, he says, is a personal process: “Certain events transpired,” David cryptically explains, “and I was forced to adapt to decorating my own personal property.”
And he kept it even more personally to himself until recently. “Much of it hasn’t seen the light of day as I have only recently begun selling my work.” Good thing he is- his dynamic approach to mediums and decorative art is just what this city needs.
David is enthusiastic about the young and still in early-development stage that the Calgary art scene is in: it’s the perfect space for taking risks with the flow of new ideas. In David’s words, its “a huge advantage for artists to showcase their talents with little to no elitism or arrogance to scare them off. In Calgary there is almost a collective understanding among the artsy types that we all need to work together to establish a stronger sense of culture in our city. It’s almost as if we have a clean slate.”
And he’s bold to make some declarative assessments of Calgary and its potential to develop as a creatively respected city: “Calgary is often seen as an uninspiring congolmerate of conservative businesses and suburban sprawl, and this is unfortunately true for the most part. However as the development of more eclectic areas such as Kensington and Inglewood continue to progress so too will inspiration for younger generations of creatives. Calgary has a long way to go, and the allure of cities such as Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto tend to pull away much of our talent but I can already see the climate here changing. Events such as PARKSALE, The Market Collective, Factory Party, and the creative harbour that is Weeds Cafe are all relatively recent additions to the Calgary art scene, and I’m excited to see the ensuing ripple effect all of this will have.”
David has some bold opinions that are pretty in tune with the philosophy behind the PARKSALE- we’re a young and fairly independent pool of creative talent here in Calgary, but by collectively getting excited about the splashes made by each other amongst ourselves, we’re sure to turn these ripples into a tidal wave of colour and ideas.
To see more of David’s record artwork— and apparently, David promises, a live giraffe (if its working visa papers go through)— please come on down to the PARKSALE this Sunday. Join the flow.
You can also see more of his work on his flickr.
(Erika Somogyi, “Divining Light,” 2005, 30” x 36”, watercolor, gouache, color pencil on paper)
Ahhh, summer love. Love in summer. I love summer. There’s something about all that thick sunlight flowing through leaves and shooting into prisms of color when you lay on your back in the grass and squint your eyes up at the sky. It’s like seeing life through a new set of seasonally-tinted lenses, and it is all the more enhanced when you’re looking at something you love.
That’s how I’m feeling as this weekend gets closer with each wonderfully sunny day. The PARKSALE has been a labour of love for all of us over the past year and some, and as I look at it skipping closer through all those lovely leaves on the University of Calgary campus I can’t help feeling like I should burst into a rainfall of rainbow colour that sets the trees on fire.
The PARKSALE is something we’ve been passionate about, and that we’ve really thrown our hearts into in the hopes that we can spread that light and excitement and vibrancy through the Calgary community and amongst fellow creative minds. This is our big, fireworks kiss with the wonderful city we’re excited to contribute to, in the beautiful green space its provided, at the start of the best season there is.
It’s been a lot of good work, but we’re hoping this energy pays forward, through the networks we’re making and the people we hope get interested, inspired, and entertained by what they see, hear, and feel at our PARKSALE.
(PS- for more amazing images that look like the best dream you’ve ever had + the colour of your chakras + somewhere you should find the elves of Lord of the Rings put onto a canvas in vivid mixed mediums, have a peep at New York artist Erika Somogyi’s website.)