Brian Grison on " Question Period "

Interview with Efren Quiroz
Exhibit  "Relics of Prester John"

What is the function of the Necker cube in most of the pieces? It is formal or does it is has any meaning?
Many of the drawings contain one or more cubes and some of these are Necker Cubes, either as frames or as solids. The optical illusion of the conventional linear Necker Cube is exploited in only a few of the drawings, and I was not particularly concerned with geometric accuracy for the sake of the Necker optical illusion when I made the drawings. The fact that some of these are Necker Cubes is coincidental.
I am more interested in other aspects of the cube, its structural, representational and symbolic meaning. The cube is the basic unit of a three-dimensional grid. Two-dimensional grids (sometimes disguised as patterns) have regularly though mostly spontaneously appeared in my drawings since I was a teenager, and most likely it has deep psychological meaning in my life and practice. The three-dimensional grid, out of which the cube arises, is therefore the portal or Pandora's Box through which the world flows, structurally, symbolically and artistically. In the history of my practice, the evolution of the grid from the plane to the volume (in the mid to late 1980s) allowed the conceptual shift away from the limited formal and thematic concerns of high-modernism.
I am interested in drawings of cubes as a kind of hyper-real metaphysical image. I don't remember seeing representations of cubes in De Chirico's paintings, but he included many forms derived from cubes. These missing cubes are both Platonic and mundane. Like the brick, it is one of humankind's earliest tools to grid, or control, the natural world. De Chirico's paintings depict a rationalized nature in the guise of a personal metaphysics of civilization.

Who is Preston John?
Pester John is, or was, a mythical ruler of a lost Christian kingdom speculated to be somewhere in North Africa, the Middle East or India. Before the invention of the inter-net information about Prester John was not easily accessible. Lots of information about him is now easy to reach.

Do these drawings reflect nostalgia for your childhood?
No, Relics of Prester John has little to do with my actual childhood. First of all, there was little about my childhood that I feel nostalgic about. Secondly, I think nostalgia is a negative, non-critical emotion and attitude, one that necessitates an essentially conservative attitude toward the present relative to the past. Thirdly, even if nostalgia were a positive emotion, it would always remain the victim of memory, and that mental activity is notoriously inaccurate.
However, because I discovered a particular version/invention of the person, Prester John, when I was a youngster, it is understandable that it would be assumed that the drawings reflect nostalgia. This is not the case. I first learned of the fictional person, Prester John when I read 1910 boys' adventure novel by John Buchan of the same title when I was about ten years old. The novel was thrilling for a young boy, and I have never forgotten certain hair-raising scenes.
(Coincidently, as part of the research for the project, Relics of Prester John, in 2007 or 08 I read the novel again, and I discovered all its weaknesses as a novel as well as its problematic attitudes. The particular scenes that have haunted me since about 1957 no longer seemed as thrilling as they were when I was ten years old. However, I have noticed that in the past few years, despite my more mature and critical insight into the novel, the emotional power of my original experience of the adventure has re-asserted itself in my memory.)
A few decades later I learned about the 'real' Prester John when I bought a rare scholarly book about him that I discovered in an antiquarian bookstore in Toronto. The book included a reproduction of the travel letter (I think in Latin) in which the character Prester John was invented; there was a modern English translation of the letter as well. While I enjoyed the new information about Prester John, my interest in the meaning of the personal and cultural impact of false knowledge did not surface in my drawings until about 1986.
Another commentator regarding these drawings, Christine Clark of the blog, Art in Victoria, suggests an association between Relics of Prester John and my childhood. It is not clear to me how this interpretation develops. I don't mind the association, though I am concerned about the linkage with nostalgia. I feel sdaness for my childhood; therefore perhaps the drawings are a kind of wish fulfillment of an idealized childhood; I would not object to this interpretation. In a way, therefore, it could be suggested that the drawings reflect an Arcadian yearning for a fictional and idealized childhood. This notion melds neatly with the meaning of the title of the series, which points to the condition of the drawings referring to the fictional remains of the life of a fictional character. However, these associations between my past and a fictional leader of a mythic kingdom are an armature on which the process and meaning of the drawings unfolds.
The drawings do refer to my history as an artist, but I am not nostalgic about that either. I am reworking many themes I have explored since the early 1960s. As a matter fact, as well as this conceptual exploration of a particular artistic history, the drawings accumulate collage elements in that I have recycled for works produced as much as twenty-fine years ago. In this sense there are actual relics in these drawings.

Why Do You Refer to these Drawings as Relics?
In the drawings Relics of Prester John, the notion of relics of a fictional person is a metaphor of the layering of factual inventions, intended or not, that constitutes personal knowledge and broader culture. Prester John might also be a stand-in for myself; in this case the relics are memories, invented as well as actual. At the same time, because these drawings always remain in a state of flux (I have already been reworking them since the exhibition), I am, in effect, constantly re-inventing the relic nature of the drawings.

These drawings are relics in another sense as well. Throughout our life, each of us is constantly producing and discarding relic material. The history of relics within Catholicism refers to hair, finger nails, fingers themselves, other parts of bodies, clothing, right up to The Holy Cross. But relics exist in the secular world as well; family photographs, heirlooms, a lock of a girlfriend's hair, travel postcards, letters, memories, knowledge, opinions, superstitions and misinformation.


Why Do You Describe the Drawings as Being Incomplete?
I enjoy the notion that while we spend our lives leaving behind relics of our existence, these relics are themselves constantly evolving, usually through recycling or, more often, through disintegration and loss.
However, I'm more interested in the idea that the art object ought to live as long as the artist lives, that the art object is complete when the artist dies, at least as far as the artist's direct contribution is concerned. I also like the idea that one of the reasons why artists continue to make art is that the core of their idea cannot be completed in a single work of art. Increasingly, I see my art as one vast, endless drawing, one long struggle to figure out my art. So, why should I consider a particular drawing to be completed?
I also distrust the completed work or art. It assumes a finality that is false. It means the artist has finished something, and has found an answer, and therefore achieved a sense of security. This is impossibility. Within the new series of drawings, I am deliberately forcing myself to rework each drawing as I discover/invent new layers of ideas, meaning, processes and materials. More important, through constant reworking, I dismantle the security of each drawing as I discover new questions about the meaning of life, as well as new questions about my life-long notion of finding any answer through art.

Why the presence of the scribbling, handwriting, collage material,, stamping and other material around the actual drawing?
All this stuff around the drawings can be called marginalia. It refers to the history of notation that has appeared in all the books and documents that have passed through my life. Marginalia reflects the relationship between the text, the reader and the reader's varied responses, much of which is beyond control. It represents the intervention of art, personal life and world in the relationship between the reader and the text, or in the case of these drawings, the viewer and the image.

Most art is made as if there is nothing intervening between the artist and the creative process or betwwen the art object and the viewer. Perhaps one could claim that the pristine nature of much art is the result of the artist's struggle to avoid the distraction of the 'outer' world. My current drawings are an attempt to acknowledge and appropriate the distractions that always distract a person trying to concentrate. Art is a conflict between daydreaming and intention.

At the same time, it is largely through the graphic relationship between the 'main' drawing and the marginalia that these works can be associated most closely with the relationship between the long history of the interaction between the image and the text. I was raised on the holy relationship between the image and the text.

Cam Reid in "Question Period "

1- What is more important to you? The subject matter or the composition or structure?

It all depends on the work, my idea, and what I want to accomplish formally. Much of my work is based in technical ability as a painter, with the composition and structure at the forefront, the subject matter just becomes a recognizable form for me to hang marks and brushstrokes on. A lot of my other works however, are purely about subject matter. I can only speak for myself, but I think work naturally becomes more about subject matter, as it becomes more conceptual (as oppose to formal). This is of course a generalization, but my sculptural works are a good example. They are plater and wax representations of books and journals, with screenprints and transfers on them. The composition and placement of the prints and transfers are fairly unimportant, and one could argue the need for sculptural realism is as well. The only things that matter are that they are recognizable as books, they can't be opened, and are heavy as hell.

2-Is the title important for you?

Title is important to me if it informs the work. If the title can give a bit of an "ah ha!" moment, or at least a push in that direction I will include it. Otherwise I give my works superficial titles based on the names of my subjects (when they have specific subjects) just so I can call them something when I talk about them, or else I will just leave them untitled.

3-Should art be created to withstand the test of time or is it more realistic to create works that eventually wears away?

This is another "that depends" answer. Many works like paintings, monumental sculpture and other, more traditional media are most often created with the intention of being archival, unless the medium doesn't allow it, or it's part of the artist's intention for the work to deteriorate in one way or another. A lot of other work however is meant to either be time based, deteriorate, or lose it's physical presence in one way or another. Performance art is a good example, as it only exists to people in documentation form (with obvious exception to those present at the performance). Photos and videos are not the work, and will never be able to represent it in a way that gives it justice. This certainly doesn't cheapen the work in any way, it's just not physically present through history. The same could also be said for other experiential works, Net.art, and many other media.

4-Do artists create art to have their ideas validated or so that they can be accepted?


I don’t really think these are the only two answers. I can only speak for myself, but I feel like many artists create work in order to acknowledge ideas in a creative way, thus illuminating them to their viewers. It is amazing how potent elements of our culture can become when simply repackaged and presented in a clever, original way with an artist saying “hey look at this part of our culture”. This is at least why I do what I do, which answers you final question I suppose.(5-Why do you do what you do ?)

bluecanvas.com/cam_reid

Wendy Skog in "Question Period "

1- What is more important to you? The subject matter or the composition or structure?
Subject matter doesn't exist in my work aside from the visual record of a journey without a forseeable destination evolving toward a point of harmony.
2-Is the title important for you?
Yes when I see that a piece feels like hopscotch on a hot summer day, that's what I call it.
3-Should art be created to withstand the test of time or is it more realistic to create works that eventually wears away?
Everything wears away in time but I try to create work with the best possible materials so that the artwork can live to a ripe old age.
4-Do artists create art to have their ideas validated or so that they can be accepted?
I try to avoid ideas in my artwork so that the work can be felt rather than interpreted intellectually.
5-Why do you do what you do ?
Because art is so very important. How often do we make something out of nothing?


www.wendyskog.com.

Dylan Thomas in " Question Period "

1)What is more important to you? The subject matter, the composition or structure? I believe that in visual art, composition and structure is generally more important than subject matter. In certain projects I have done the subject matter is very important in others it it is less, but I have never done a piece of art where the weight, flow and balance was not the most important aspects driving the creation of the art.

2)Is the title important for you? Yes. A title can determine the mood and depth of a piece of art as well as completely change the way it is viewed. The artist lessLIE uses poetic plays on words in alot of his titles and it keeps his audience intrigued by giving them more to think about. Even leaving an art piece untitled can be loud statement itself, suggesting that visual aspects of the art states everything the artist was trying to communicate.

3)Should art be created to withstand the test of time or is it more realistic to create works that eventually wears away? I think that there is a place for both timeless art and era specific art. There are types of music that are timeless and types of music that seemed to only be popular during certain periods and as peoples ideals and interests changed so did their taste in music. But that does not mean that the music was not important during its time of popularity. And I think the same can be said for visual art. But in traditional and indigenous arts such as Salish art I think the goal is to be timeless. The reason that people still practice indigenous arts is because the foundation left by our ancestors are still incredibly inspiring. And I hope that if people look at my art hundreds of years from now they will still be inspired to carry on the Salish traditions.

4)Do artists create art to have their ideas validated or so that they can be accepted? I can't speak for other artists but acceptance is not the driving force behind my creation. I would continue to do create art even if there was no one in the world to see it. But that being said it is still very pleasing for your art to be accepted and admired. And it is especially gratifying when an artisit you look to for inspiration enjoys your work.

5) Why do you do what you do ? The power that drives me to create seems to be beyond myself. It is something that has always been in me and never leaves my spirit. I think it is life itself. And if you let life flow through you, then creation is bound to happen.

www.dylan-thomas.ca

Willie Seo in " Question Period "

-What is your artist background?
born in Seoul, Korea studied Photography in Korea
-How do you describe your work? focused on human development and its surroundings: buildings, nature, and people.
-Who are the living artists you find more interesting?
Jeff Wall
-Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting?
Max Ernst/ Marcel Duchamp/
-Should art have a social/political message?
Yes. It should and yes, it shouldn't
-Why do you do art?
to find myself as a social being

Stephanie Harding in " Question Period "

1. I am a self taught artist from White Rock BC. There are other artists in my family, so I've always been exposed to it. I intend to keep exploring....

2. My painting style and medium change to suit the subject. This approach creates a big diversity in my work. I've been doing mostly oils on canvas lately because it's a pretty versatile medium. My paintings usually have something to do with relationships and nature but not always.

3.Living artists that inspire me would be Travis Shilling, Robert Genn and Nick Lepard.

4. Deceased Artists that inspire me are Sargeant, Walt Disney and The Wyeths.

5. I think art should engage the viewer. That can be done with or without a political agenda. Its a big 'free for all' and I love that about it.

6. I paint because I have a deep urge to. It may have come from the first time I felt pride in what I had created.I take that feeling and mix it with the smells of oil I grew up with and the endless possibilities of a blank canvas. It's irresistible to me.

www.stephensgallery.com

Liam Hanna-Lloyd in "Question Period"

What is your artistic background?
I started doing art as a child; I was encouraged to create and I was always around supplies and inspiration. I was influenced by local graffiti artists, comic books and creativity in general. I realized early in life that art was the most important way for me express my thoughts and feelings and interpret the world.

How do you describe your work?
My goal when creating a piece of art is, that in hundreds of years, if someone comes upon it, it will be a seen as a treasure with a humble timelessness. Often my pieces are collages, with found objects including strings, drift wood, ideas, images, paint, ink.

Who are the living artists you find most interesting?
Mark Sink, Maya Hayuk, Woodpile Collective.
Mark Sink right now has been interesting because I have been doing photography. He uses old techniques in his work, such as wet plates, and the images that are created are amazing.

Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting?
Man Ray, Ernst Heinkle, Max Ernst, Goya, Basquait.

Should art have a social/political message?
If you do, it should. If you are sincere, than the work is sincere.

Why do you do art?
I do art because there are things I want to see made, build or created. I have an overactive imagination, and I am constantly thinking of ideas.

Liam's website : http://liamhannalloyd.blogspot.com/

Cameron Kidd in "Question Period"

-What is your artistic background?

I've been a primarily self thought illustrator and painter since I was a child.

-How do you describe your work?

Inner thoughts visualized through various mediums

-Who are the living artists you find most interesting?

Frank Frazetta, Dale Chihuly

-Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting?

Max Ernst, Herbert Siebner, Frida Kahlo

-Should art have a social/political message?

I don't think politics need to be forced onto a viewer however I think social and political messages are reflected in all art depending on how deep you look into a piece.


-Why do you do art?

Doing art satisfies my life in a way nothing else does. It keeps me going day to day, month to month, year to year. I know it's the right thing for me to be doing when I'm doing it

http://cameronkidd.ca/

Peter Allen in "Question Period "

My background comes from graffiti art in the form of murals, many of which were painted on the Wildfire bakery. I have been part of many community art projects, and informal group shows, as well as some live painting at musical events. I have no formal training, other than being guided in highschool by my teacher, Bevin Bigalky at Oak Bay High.

My work is best described as a woven landscape of calligraphy strokes, fabric pattern, people, symbols, and nature. I draw on my graffiti style to give boldness and movement to my oil paintings. I also use the alchemy of abstract to form my pieces, which sometimes create themselves.

Living artists that I find interesting at the moment are Ben Van Netten, Aaron Marshall, Ian George, Andreas Tiedeman, and Adrienne Travis.

No longer living artists I find interesting right now are Modigliani, Tom Thomson, Keith Haring. I absolutely love Keith Haring. I really feel I need to start paying more attention to the names of Artists through history that I like. Often I will look at books and not remember any of the names; I just absorb the inspiration.

To me, art that has a social/political message is very powerful. It is great if it has something to say, but sometimes the simple beauty of a painting without a message can be powerful in the way that it can alter perception; just by the naked truth of itself existing.

I do art to process my life. To understand the world around me. To make something from nothing. To make people happy. I do art because it is my purpose.

Peter Allen
http://peterallen.ca/

Mie Akatsu in " Question Period "

-What is your artistic background?
BFA from Miami university ( Ohio, U.S.A )
MFA from Joshibi university ( Japan )

-How do you describe your work?
colorful and metaphorical

-Who are the living artists you find more interesting?
yoshitomo nara

-Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting?
milton avery

-Should art have a social/political message?
I don't think every art need to have a social/political message.
But I hope my art show social messages.

-Why do you do art?
I guess because I like to do it.

www.mieakatsu.com

Victoria, B.C. Canada

Ivan Meade in " Question Period "

-What is your artistic background?
Back in Mexico I took several courses in colour, composition, printmaking and painting with oils.

-How do you describe your work?
Clean, Emotional, Memorable

-Who are the living artists you find more interesting?
I really like the innovation and freshness of Sebastian Errazuriz's work, the contemporary style of the Mexicans Francisco Toledo, Pablo Amor and Jose Luis Cuevas.

-Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting?
I love the etchings of Goya and Rembrandt. Being Mexican I love the works of Rufino Tamayo, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Pedro Coronel, Remedios Varo, Dr.Atl. From colonial times I love Cabera's portraits and many more. I like the art that is memorable with great content and technique. Leonardo DaVinci's sketches have always been a great source of personal inspiration as well.

-Should art have a social/political message?
It should be the internal message of the artist - sometimes it can be social, sometimes political, other times personal. Art should always be beautiful. I am a firm believer that beauty and meaning can share the same place - call it canvas, paper, wall, or stone.

-Why do you do art?
It is a personal escape. It numbs my brain and lets me explain through emotion what I am feeling in that precise moment.

www.ivanmeade.com

Brandy Saturley in "Question Period"

-What is your artistic background?

I grew up with art in the blood. My grandmother painted landscapes of Victoria in heavy oils and had afternoon tea with Emily Carr. My mother has also explored her artistic genes and has now settled on exploring her passion for found art sculpture. I found too that I have art in my blood at a very young age and began exploring my options as an artist through Motion Picture School, the Visual Arts program at Camosun College in Victoria and with time in Chelsea New York and Las Vegas this past year. I had always been a portrait artist never straying from the black and white of graphite on paper....but eight years ago I was inspired to paint and once I discovered all the colors and textures life has to offer I never turned back...I am now pursuing my passion for painting full-time and am happy to say that I am enjoying success as an artist without having to work a part-time job, it is an amazing opportunity and I am very thankful.

-How do you describe your work?
Color & Curves - I have a very vibrant and curvaceous style and prefer curved lines and kinetic backgrounds. I paint abstract, surreal, conceptual and landscape pieces - sometimes hyper-real and sometimes in a POP Art style.

-Who are the living artists you find more interesting?

I am fascinated by the success and fearlessness of Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Murakami - I love their contemporary, POP and advertising induced work. The battle between marketing and art is an ongoing one, which I am fascinated by and will continue to explore with my forthcoming collections...

-Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting?

Ahhh, the ladies - Georgia O'Keefe, Tamara De Lempicka and Warhol are a few of my favourites - strong, simplified images with huge emotional impact - I love them all so much and only wish I could channel each just a little bit.

-Should art have a social/political message?
Some of the best art in the world comments on social and political issues, from the old masters to the new conceptualists. As an artist I am a vessel receiving information from all that surrounds me, so whether I realize it or not, what I process on a daily basis be it social, political or otherwise it is going to come out on my canvas. Some art makes more direct statements on SoPo and some art is what you read into it...

-Why do you do art?
I do art because I am art, I am surrounded by art, I breath art, I eat art, hear art, see art everywhere and in everything. I grew up making art from a very young age and seemed to have a talent for it and was more interested in it than anything else so it must be what I am supposed to do...

The Art of Brandy Saturley
Website: http://www.brandysaturley.com

Elizabeth Allen in " Question Period "

-What is your artistic background?
I have always had an interest in art and experimented for many years with various art forms, watercolours, pastels, sculpture, glass work, etc, but it was not until I tried acrylics on canvas that I felt I had finally found "my" medium. I found the best books I could on the subject and started to paint without really knowing what I was doing. In hindsight, it might have sped things up a bit if I had taken a couple of courses or workshops but I continued to experiment and made lots of mistakes until I really got a feel for what could be done with acrylics.

-How do you describe your work?
The main focus of my work is the play of light on the subject. Most of my paintings are abstracts "based in landscape" but even the pure abstracts will have some sense of light to create visual interest. Colour and composition, of course, are paramount and I do love some texture to pull it all together, using the palette knife to leave small hits of colour which add to the depth of an image.

-Who are the artists you find more interesting?
I greatly admire the work of Turner and Rothko. The colour vibration that both artists achieved by utilizing complementary colours next to each other sets up a visual treat for the eyes. Tanaka's works are always inspiring, I love the feeling of distance and the simplicity of his compositions. He is able to say so much with so little, something that I try to achieve in my paintings. Another contemporary artist I much admire is Edward Betts. His work is so free and fluid, it never fails to inspire me when I am feeling tight or blocked in my own work.

-Should art have a social/political message?
For myself, I do not believe art should necessarily have a social or political message. I am satisfied if I can create something that is visually pleasing to the eye, and perhaps something that stimulates some thought or discussion. I love it when a painting is ambiguous enough that viewers can provide their own interpretation of "what it is".

-Why do you do art?
I paint because, I can not "be" without the act of creating, whether it be a large landscape on canvas or a tiny abstract on an art card, it speaks to the essence of who I am as a person. I can not imagine my life without some sort of creative endeavor and I am very grateful for the ability to share my vision.



www.elizabethallen.ca

Lyle Schultz in " Question Period "

Lyle Schultz

artistic background-

graduated 2003 medicine hat college visual communications program
exhibiting since 2001

description of work-

I work in many media including painting, comics, animation, short film, and literature, my work reflects all aspects of my mind, depending on my mood, its best viewed than written about.

living artists-

Terry Gilliam, SAM Kieth, David Cronenberg, David lynch.

no longer living-

William s.Burroughs, Picasso, Van Gogh, Shiele, Munch.....

should art have social/political message?

I think it depends on the artist. The very act of doing art that's true to one self is a social and political act. I am not one that creates or is interested in very political art, well at least not art that crams it down your throat. I believe the true master can get the point across in a more subdued, or even humorous fashion. Like Terry Gilliam for example.

why do I do art?-

at first it was a way out of the work world, i went to art school not because I cared about art, but a way to temporarily escape hell, now its just a way of life, I am controlled by the bastard god "Art" I really have no say in the matter any more. I am bored by most art, and figured I should do something about it, so I have created work that entertains me.

websites

www.lyleart.com
www.oceanretarded.com

Susan Jones in "Question Period"

-What is your artistic background?
I attempted various artistic outlets nothing satisfied me until I found
photography.
I've been a photographer for 4 years and a professional photographer for
one.
-How do you describe your work?
My work, the subjects that I capture with my camera, is different from other
photography I've seen - possibly because I've not seen enough photography.
I don't stage anything, all my subjects are 'found' and as is. I do very
little with my photo's afterwards, I've played around with photoshop but
typically I will only sharpen up an image and leave it as is.
The lines are usually very strong, colors are usually very vibrant, gritty
and granular.

-Who are the living artists you find more interesting?
Living artist I find interesting Kim Kirkpatric
http://www.kimkirkpatrick.com/current_work/currentwork1.html
-Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting?
Dead - Alexander Rodchenko http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Rodchenko

-Should art have a social/political message?
Art should be whatever the artist wants it to be, if it is political it's
political.

-Why do you do photography?
I take pictures for two reasons - when I am in the 'zone', there is nothing
else, the world has stopped, only the subject and me, I like that place.
The other reason is I want people to see what I see - because I think most
people don't see enough of out of the way, off in the corner. Those things
which can cause us to pause, relfect, wonder...the photos are my invite or
window, to my zone that I enjoy so much and want to share.

Susan Jones
www.urbanpatina.ca

Heather Keenan in "Question Period"

-What is your artistic background?
I received a Diploma in Art and Design at MacEwan College in Edmonton, Alberta and have also taken many drawing and painting classes in San Francisco and Toronto. My artwork is on the covers of academic journals, books and publications. I’ve received a BC Arts Council award, won Best in Show at Sooke Fine Arts and the Winsor & Newton North American Artist's Competition. I am in the collections of the University of Victoria, Manitou Foundation, British Columbia's Children's Hospital as well as The Canada Council and British Columbia Art Banks.

-How do you describe your work?
I use oil pigment sticks as both a drawing and painting tool to create textured ethereal landscapes sometimes filled with figures.

-Who are the living artists you find more interesting?
I love so many living artists, but to name a few - Susan Point, John Marsden, John Felsing, Gerhard Richter, and Harold Klunder.

-Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting?
I would say J.M.W. Turner, Edward Hopper, and Willem de Kooning

-Should art have a social/political message?
I don't think all art has to have a political message, but I think it's a very important aspect of artmaking and I salute the artists doing this.

-Why do you do art?
I guess I do art because it's always been hardwired in me even as a kid. I have a need to express myself and painting has been it for awhile now, although I've also worked in a number of different mediums. Writing and photography also intrigue me. But for now it's painting, trying to capture some intangible, fleeting force.

Heather Keenan www.hkeenan.com

Wren Katzalay in " Question Period "

1. -What is your artistic background?
I started painting as a child in my Father's studio, and always "dabbled". it wasn't until I was an adult and had already had a career, that I decided to go to Art School. I gradated from the Victoria College of Art in 1997 and have been painting full-time ever since.

2. -How do you describe your work?
My work is completely process driven, I am interested in mark making and the layering of materials, I use many materials and objects to create the works,plaster, graphite, charcoal, and paint are layered, scratched into, scrapped away and added back, lines are intentionally obscured, hinting that a deeper meaning lies beneath the surface. Although the works are autobiographical in nature the symbols are often arcane.

3.-Who are the living artists you find more interesting?
Cy Twombly, Cecily Brown

4.-Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting?
Rauschenberg, de Kooning, Kandinsky, Durer, The Fauves and Cezanne

5. -Should art have a social/political message?
If what the artist is trying to say has a social of political message, then that is what the artist intended. Some very powerful art has had a social or political message.

6.-Why do you do art?
Because I have to!!! It's like breathing.

Wren Katzalay
www.wrenkatzalay.ca
Victoria BC, Canada

Robert Amos in " Question Period"

artistic background:
Graduate in Fine Art, York University, 1973
Practiced publishing with Coach House Press (Toronto), performance art with Western Front (Vancouver), mural painting.
Assistant to the Director of Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (1975-80), studied painting by my self and with Jack Wise in Victoria.
Travel to Japan and Thailand, 1980-81 and dedication as a professional artist.
Art writer for Victoria Times Colonist (since 1986).

how do you describe your work:
I paint representational pictures in watercolours and acrylics of the city of Victoria, a documentary project.
I am a self-employed artist specializing in commissioned paintings of homes and gardens.
A prominent public profile is important to my work, which may be seen as a form of performance art.
The documentary aspects are usually coincident with publishing - I have seven books about Victoria published, so far.
And then there is my parallel stream of ink paintings inspired by my study of Chinese and Japanese art...

living artist most interesting?:
My newspaper column every week deals with exactly that question.
Pat Martin Bates is always an inspiration. Zhang Bu sets an unreachable standard. David Hockney has a lot to say to me.

no longer living artists?
Stanley Spencer, Munakata Shiko, to name two.

social/political message?
On the surface I would say no - it gets in the way of the beauty of the well-made object.
But on further consideration I know that no artist can avoid being deeply dyed with the views and the atmosphere of the times.
My work surely has a political message, but I am not going to slow down long enough to find out what it is.

why do you do art?
It's my default-mechanism. when other responsibilities are put aside, I revert to it.

Robert Amos.
www.robertamos.com

David Ladmore in " Question Period :

What is your artist background? Self-taught by studying paintings by dead artists.

How do you describe your work? My work is a response to the beauty and
simplicity of the things I find around me. In figure and landscape, careful
study reveals the undercurrents and rhythms of existence.

Who are the living artists you find more interesting? Any artist who paints
with enthusiasm is inspiring.

Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting? Turner,Rembrandt, Corot, Sargent, Whistler, Waterhouse, Inness and especially Gainsborough.

Should art have a social/political message? It can have, but not necessarily. Everyone is different. I'm compelled to follow the creative process which begins and ends at the decimal point between the positive and
the negative. "At the still point of the turning world...there the dance is"
T.S. Elliot

Why do you do art? That's a very good question. I've thought about it, but I
still don't know. It's a compulsion.


David's web address is: www.davidladmore.com

Laurie Ladmore in " Question Period "

What is your artist background? I went to the Victoria College of Art from
1994-1996. My husband David is also an artist and has been a huge influence
on me.
How do you describe your work? semi-abstract, colourful, playful
Who are the living artists you find more interesting? Helen Frankenthaler
Who are the no longer living artists you find most interesting? Whistler,
Matisse, Monet, Bonnard, Chagall, Group of Seven, Emily Carr, Gustav Klimt,
Mondrian (his flowers), Van Gogh, Odilon Redon, Arthur Rackham, N.C. Wyeth
Should art have a social/political message? It can, but I think art purely
as an expression of beauty or any number of other things is also valid. I
think whatever the message is, the piece of art has to first work in an
abstract way in terms of colour, composition, etc in order to be an
effective vehicle for what you want to express.
Why do you do art? I feel driven to it. It’s a huge part of how I look at
world and process/interpret the experience of being human.

My web address is: www.laurieladmore.com