CATARACT

So Greg and I had our opening last friday.

It went really really well and I think we are going to try and do the same show in Montreal, possibly with our friend Dietrich Rostek (link is on my sidebar) although we haven't actually asked him yet.

CATARACT from jeremy shantz on Vimeo.

Here is the full length film that Greg made with Jeremy Shantz, which was premiered at the opening. My roommate Brendan said something about this film which I really liked and that I also think sort of goes along with and compliments Greg's artistic style in general.

He told me that the artist Sophie Calle once said that humour is the hardest thing to put into your work. You run the risk, with humour, of just being a 'funny' artist, in which case of course neither you or anyone else can take you seriously. Its a difficult thing to have a sense of humour while also being sincere about a possibly difficult and serious subject. And Brendan believed that the film managed to do both.

I'm going to have to strongly agree. This film makes me laugh and literally also makes me want to weep. Its about a specific personal experience but somehow I think can manage to hit a nerve in most of us, or at least I hope so. I have been in communication with Greg since he first concieved of the idea for this film until its completion, so maybe my bias is far too strong. I am interested in hearing what other people think, but so far, Brendan's opinion included, is that people were impressed with the technical skill with which the film was executed, but more importantly with its emotional content and impact.

I can't watch it anymore, because I will probably just cry again, but watch it, let me know what you think, if possible.

Dan Epstein took photos of the event, and as soon as I get them from that lovely man, I will post them up here and on facebook for people to see. I am also going to take a short video of the exhibit before I take it down from the White House, so that's another treat to look forward to.

Thanks to everyone who came out, who gave me the best feedback I have ever gotten on my work, ever, who supported both of us, and to the White House as well. You guys are just the fucking best.

I have lots of great plans for projects in the future... after a year of some serious self doubt and questioning, I finally feel like I am on a path, there is a purpose and that I can and will accomplish the things I dream about. Its a pretty amazing feeling, I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading, xoxo.

OH HI

Its been a while, huh?

I've been working on a lot of things, but haven't really felt the urge to post anything in a long time. Sometimes I just like to have the privacy to work things out without having to show anybody except maybe my non internet peers and teachers. Also, the constant struggle of 'why am I doing this with my life' continues as per usual. What else is new?

Maybe its important to question, within reason of course. You have to be able to push your work. I tend to get a little too bogged down in the questions of 'are you really cut out for this?' and 'does anybody actually care?' OH WAIT, I CARE. That is always what is important right?

Anyways, I have some news! I have a show (actually two) coming up in two weeks!

First, lets have a little life update: I lived at the Gibraltor Point Art Centre for a month in June and it was just the loveliest. Beach parties, great people, beautiful studio, so much kale. I'm a little sad to return to the city. BUT GUESS WHAT? I am going to register for next summer so don't worry, I'll be back. I wish I could just live there forever, its really as magical as everyone says it is.

Ok, so I took a little trip to Montreal back in April and that was real nice except for the weather but the best part about the trip was that I got reunited with my friend Greg Zenha. Greg is a photographer and he's a real good one, and we started talking about our ideas and things we were working on and I was all like 'hey! lets do a show together' and he was like 'ok!' and that was pretty much it.

Here's me talking about this show on the island with David Hanes (my studio mate):

The show is called 'CATARACT.' It features new drawings from myself, large photographs and a short film from Greg.

Cataract:
1) an eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eye
2) a large waterfall; violent rush of water over a precipice.


This exhibition of recent work from Julia Dickens and Greg Zenha, consists of drawings, paintings, photography and film, and initially began as a reunion of two friends. Developed as a means of individually documenting memory and personal experiences, the artists found a common dialogue within their ideas: a sense of frustration but also humour, a break down of significant events, the emotional cataract that follows, and the desire to create meaning of those events in hindsight.

The mirror that Greg and Julia hold up to each other reflects three thresholds. Initiating a conversation between the two artists but also with the viewer. The ambiguity of these three images triggers an emotional memory, ideally exposing the viewer to something within themselves and their own experiences.


Julia Dickens is currently completing a BA in Illustration with minors in Printmaking and Painting & Drawing. She is a former board member at the White House Studio Project, and has shown work in various group shows in Toronto and Ottawa.

Greg Zenha is a graduate of the School of Photographic Arts in Ottawa, specializing in large format film photography. He currently lives and has his studio in Montreal, Canada. This is Greg's first Toronto exhibition, and Greg and Julia's first time exhibiting work together."


Vernissage: July 15th, 7pm.
Gallery Open: July 16th and 17th, 1 - 5pm.


www.theotherwhitehouse.ca

I will post up our personal artist statments, as well as sneak peaks at the work, closer to the date. This is another show I am submitting a drawing to, at the Baitshop in Parkdale.

A Group exhibit of 25 local artists bring you the best in down right dirty murder mystery pleasure.

Come have a hoedown with us all as we celebrate the opening night of CAVES & THIEVES at THE BAITSHOP in lovely Parkdale.


JULY 8TH

7 pm - 12 am

Artists:

Erika Altosaar
Gordon Auld
Vicky Avramopoulos
Peter Beales
David Clarke
Arend Currie
Julia Dickens
Myra Dingley
Andru Doyle
Andrew Dunn Clarke (http://ow.ly/5jTLC )
Renee Dykeman
Mike Ellis (http://mikellis.com/)
Ro Garizurieta
Eryn Hill
Tiffany Huta (http://greycorduroy.tumblr.com/)
Jennifer Ilett (http://www.jenniferilett.com/)
Anna Kasko
Emily Kouri (http://www.emilykouri.com/)
Selena Lee (http://www.selenalee.ca/)
Vincent Luk
Andrea Manica
Matt Moreland
Hitoshi Murakami
Ewelina Pankowska

Next Level Art Collective (www.next-level-art.com)
Sylvia Waliczek
Eric Kostiuk Williams


★★☆★★☆★★☆★★☆★★☆★★☆★★


ROCKET MOOSE TO THE MOON
http://www.myspace.com/rocketmoosetothemoon

WOOD & LUNG
http://vimeo.com/user1062764

LOWLANDS
http://www.lowlandsmusic.com/

ADC
http://soundcloud.com/andrewdunnclarke


DJ BROCK MCLAUGHLIN

Bands start at 9pm

★★☆★★☆★★☆★★☆★★☆★★☆★★


Entrance to THE BAITSHOP Is off of Milky Way.

www.thebaitshop.ca

Hope you can make it to either! XO

i mean well, but my registration is still pretty sloppy

Hi dudes.

Its a crazy time and this week has been sort of sad for some reasons but today my print teacher Jack said that I did good work this semester and maybe he just says that to everyone but it made me feel pretty good! I'm a messy printer, I have to remind myself to slow down and be more careful sometimes.

These are two different versions of the same drawing. There's about 50 of each of them, so that makes like 100 prints!! WANNA TRADE?

Oh and also here is another thing I printed it will probably be the cover of a zine I want to make over christmas break.

And here's a little guy that I made. Its a manipulation of a photo my ex took on a trip where we went to Cape Breton Island. The colors sucked so I just made it black and white.

Later aligators.

Slowly but not so surely all the time

So here are some things. Some of them are a little on the old side.

This is a drawing I had in both the MirrOrrM show and the Fat City Wildcat II launch (both at the White House).

And this is a print that I made that was in the Fat City Wildcat II launch as well as Milk Thistle at Function 13.

Drawing for 'I Like What I Know' at the White House, curated by Lyndsey Cope.

Here is a picture of my painting from 99 Red Balloons at Canteen Gallery in Ottawa (see if you can spot mine).

Side note: Canteen is unfortunately closing its doors. Inaas, the owner, is going to keep pursuing artistic projects, but is giving up the Gallery/Store space. I'm sorry to hear that! You were a great addition to the marketplace art community and you will be missed!

Ok last but not least: here are some images of my piece for Ghost Hole II.
I made a print on japanese paper and then kind of dyed them and tore them up and made a little shrine around this cow skull that my friend Richard gave me (a hand - me - down from his old roomate and our mutual friend Michelle, who was going to use it for a photo project but instead decided to go teach english in Thailand).

Here's the drawing:

Here's the Skull:

Oh and here's some images of the installation. One with flash, the others without.

The last one is me. I asked Brandon to take a photo of me next to my art, but instead he just took a photo of me in front of it. Nice job, jerk.

I have spent the past few hours editing a new print, very similar to the one for Ghost Hole, on photoshop and it feels like my brain is bleeding. Or maybe I just think that's what is happening to my brain because that is what looks like what is happening in part of the drawing. And do you know what? I spend most of these hours (its around like 4 or 5 now) without listening to any music.

Today my prof was talking about art brut and how it was a term originally used to describe art created by mental patients. Then we watched a movie about a paranoid schizophrenic man who was from the UK but moved to New York to be a painter on the streets (not like live on the street but just take a easel out to the sidewalk and paint things). One of the experts, who was a former curator at MOMA (do you like how I don't remember ANYONE'S name?) talks about how outsider art often does not evolve because the works mostly have a similar repetitive quality to them that helps the artist sort of retain their sanity, like the repetitiveness is something calming to hold onto in the the midst of their madness. So I started thinking about the kind of art I make, and the kind of art many many people I know make and I pretty much concluded that we're all nuts.

Also, is it wrong that I really didn't like this guy's art? It had some qualities that I could appreciate for sure, and since he is 'self taught' and all (but I would argue that no one is really self taught/an outsider blabla) but on the whole I was all like this is not something that I like to look at all that much. Is that incredibly insensitive or not PC or something? Sometimes I just want to be a formalist about things and be all like 'I don't think the way that thing looks is good and that is that.'

I had a thought during my insane photoshop hours today that I would like it very much if artist statements were sometimes just a series of adjectives. Not for everyone, but for some people I think that would suit their work very nicely.

Here are the ones I came up with for my drawing today:
-gross, slimy, hairy, sharp, cold, stoney, moist, warm (it can be both things), silly, hard, squishy, slithery, tight, loose, soft, twisty.

I don't think this is coming out quite like I want it to, but its a nice idea and I will get better at this. Sometimes I just don't like writing out a full sentence, and I'm sure plenty of people feel the same way.

I'll post the print when its finished. Also, things are looking up since the last time I posted. I just get frustrated and discouraged and I think I am my own worst enemy most of the time. Which is just silly, because I have to live with myself until I die and I can't keep doing that forever.

XO

Drawings from the 'Crowded House' show.

In other news, I'm so anxious I feel like vomiting and am fighting a sometimes crippling fear of failure.

I'm almost 26 years old! When am I going to start being a reliable, responsible human? I feel like I've been unsuccessful for so long that its never going to happen?

David Hanes said that Ryan Trecartin said that life is just about maintaining. I'd like to maintain a little bit better, thank you very much.

Also, sometimes its really hard to justify having a purpose, especially when you are like me and you can't entirely identify what that purpose is. Sometimes I know it so well, and other times I look around and wonder what the hell I'm doing, like, anywhere? Maybe this sounds kind of narcissistic or something but I always feel very on the outside of things. Like I'm kind of just observing life but not really participating in it. Even in groups of friends, relationships, my family. Its pretty rare that I ever get a sense of really 'belonging' or something and even still when I do it feels like I cheated, like I'm some sort of impostor.

Its not about being better or worse than anyone, either. And its not for lack of appreciating my friends or family or lovers I've had or anything like that. I kind of just feel a little lost and on the outside.

Is this a universal thing? Are we all a little like that Mersault dude from L'Etranger (plus or minus kind of being a sociopath)? What does it feel like to 'belong', to be part of something, or to really connect with another person? Is it just a moment or does it actually last longer than that?

Anyways, I don't really know, but I have to read some Clement Greenberg now so there's no more time for this kind of speculative dilly dallying. Also, on a more positive note, go see Shary Boyle's exhibit at the AGO. That lady blows my goddamn mind. She's the whole package.

bean in the straw

Drawing I did for FCWC 2. I forgot that I forgot to put this up. I also did some colour screenprints of this image. I'll scan those later.

I've been ignoring this blog all summer. School starts tomorrow. I just got a fucking twitter account. I guess there's a lot to talk about, but I'm not into doing it right now.

Still serious about it all but fighting major life doubts, as per usual. Do you get blue in the summer? August blues?

I needed to sit in front of a lake for like at least a week. Read more books. Draw because I love to not because its my job. Call mom more often. Eat more fruit and less burritos. Learn how to fix my bike. Play an instrument and sing because I think maybe I could still be good at those things. Be on time for work regularly. Be better with money. Go to bed at a reasonable hour. Hang out with my sisters like they are the best friends they are, not like family members. Keep bugging my brother to talk to me, even if he doesn't want to. Put boys as last priority. Stay on top of correspondence. Cook food at home. Go for runs. Keep a journal, instead of random scraps of paper.

I can still do all this, right?

CROWDED HOUSE on Friday August 20th

Hey cool friends

So here's a thing...
I co -curated a show that I also have work in!
Its at the Baitshop Gallery in Parkdale, in the Milky Way alley by Queen and Dufferin.

You should come!

Well and Good presents...

CROWDED HOUSE
Opening August 20th, 2010
7PM to 11PM
...Show Runs August 16th to August 29th

A collective group exhibition of Toronto and non Toronto - based artists and Illustrators, curated by artists Andrew McKay and Julia Dickens.


Not in the clamour of the crowded street,
Not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng,
But in ourselves, are triumph and defeat.
--HW Longfellow


When we first embarked on this project, we had decided to produce a
series of portraiture early on, all of us in some way dealing with the
human form, ranging from highly realistic to the surreal. As
we set to work, it admittedly wasn't until some time later that we
came to the conclusion that through working alone in our studios, we
were building a mass work that would integrate our individual
capacities into a new and complete whole.

Presented here is a collection of portraits from nine artists working
across Canada. The individual faces depicted in the works shown here
as a single collection, are a more or less accurate respresentation of
'the crowd.' As is the case with actual crowds this exhibition may
appear welcoming or hostile, a number of individuals together, or the
teeming throngs of the faceless. The crowd and it's representation
here may attract or repulse the viewer--perhaps both
silmultaneously--leading one to consider what is the individual's role
in, and response to finding one's self in the midst of other
individuals.

Essentially 'Crowded House' is a reapprisal of crowds and the
conception of such. The ways the mass exert force on the indivdual;
the nature of individuality and collectivity; and ultimately,
the ways in which the one exerts a force in directing the collective.

Thank you,

Julia Dickens & Andrew McKay


Works by the following artists:

Dietrich Rostek (Montreal/Ottawa)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainrosteck/

Kirsten McCrea (Montreal)
http://www.hellokirsten.com/

Andy Borehol (Kitchener/Ottawa)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andy_borehol/
http://thedissatisfactory.blogspot.com/

Graham Robinson (Toronto/Ottawa)
www.beastwrong.blogspot.com

Ceilidh Stidwill (Toronto/Montreal)
http://ceilidhstidwill.blogspot.com/

Julia Dickens (Toronto/Ottawa)
http://juliadickens.blogspot.com/
http://fatcitywildcat.blogspot.com/
http://theotherwhitehouse.ca/

Vanessa Black (Vancouver/Ottawa)
http://vanessablack.wordpress.com/

Sherry Garcia (Ottawa)
http://www.myspace.com/sherrygarciaart

Theo Pelmus (Ottawa)

Opening show:
7 pm to 11 pm at the Baitshop Gallery

http://www.wellandgood.ca/
http://www.thebaitshop.ca/

(Photo cred on poster: Dimitri Karakostas)

SEE YOU THERE.