Truth or Lies: An Artist's Quest for Meaning

Published in FFWD Weekly, May 19, 2011
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/truth-and-lies-7464/

"Istoria" - New paintings by Carl White on view at Jarvis Hall Fine Art until June 25.

Calgary-based painter Carl White finds it amusing that Herodotus, a fifth century BC Greek historian, is known as both the father of history and, ironically, of lies. It is well known that he could not resist telling a good story, even — and, one suspects, especially — if it was not true.

White’s new body of work features fragments of different points in history, but like Herodotus, he’s no stickler for accuracy. “I am not so interested in whether the stories are true,” he says, “I’m interested in whether they resonate with us in some way.”

His disregard for facts seems contradictory considering his fascination with history, stemming from an intense curiosity as a child and a quest for truth. But the tactic of using lies to reveal a deeper human truth should not surprise us — after all, isn’t that what myths, legends, fables and folklore are for?

Istoria is an art historian’s treasure trove: Rich in iconography and mythological narratives, it has a way of teasing history buffs, providing them with visual cues and hints in the titles of what they are looking at, without giving it away. This level of ambiguity relieves his work of the pretentiousness that might normally be associated with this type of art.

Featuring what appears to be Greek or Roman portrait busts and majestic equestrian horses with ghostly remnants of the riders that once rode them, White’s paintings are essentially artifacts that speak to us through the layers of paint — ones that have become so intertwined it is almost impossible to determine where one begins and another one ends. 

Like walking through Roman ruins, one can imagine the artifacts in that heyday. But White has no interest in displaying them in a flattering light.

“Perfection is boring,” he says. “I came to the realization that there’s a difference between making pretty pictures and making art.”

Plato and Aristotle believed that for a piece of art to hold significance or persuasion for an audience, it must be grounded in “verisimilitude,” meaning how much something resembles truth, reality or likeness to nature. White’s art is certainly grounded in this, but he sees little merit in realism for realism’s sake:

“What’s the point of mimicking reality, when I can just go and see the real thing and it is so much better than a rendition of it?” Instead, he believes in creating images that transcend; in other words, images where the whole equals more than the sum of its parts.

Full of dualities and paradoxes — fantasy versus reality, evil versus good, historic versus modern, pristine versus tarnished, defeat versus triumph, aggressive versus fragile, White’s pieces serve as a reminder of what we are all capable of being. In his paintings’ frailty and imperfections, we see our own humanity, and in their beauty and grandeur, we see our — perhaps as of yet — undiscovered potential.

But despite the rich allegorical and historical references, White’s work is unmistakably contemporary in its execution. The subject matter may evoke painters of another era, but his expressive brushstrokes, spontaneous and at times violent splashes of exuberant colours, glossy finishes and drips of paint left to their own devices, along with his signature scriptural markings, are White’s — and White’s alone.

When asked about his process, the artist says he paints quickly. “Each layer feeds the next. I see the skin of the canvas as paint. Just as we humans pick up wrinkles, scars and bruises on our skin as we go through life, so do these works of art.”

Believing wholeheartedly in the integrity of the line, White strives to paint in an authentic way, but says this requires a willingness to not see the works as precious. For him, it is the act of painting that is important, not the painting itself. This explains his carefreeness in applying an almost Jackson Pollock approach in his final layers, without regard for spoiling the image beneath. Letting go of this attachment generates an authentic energy that would not be possible with even the slightest apprehension.

A pragmatist at heart, White acknowledges that true authenticity is tough to achieve, especially when you factor in real life and the fact that he has to be able to sell and live off his art, but nevertheless it’s that conscious intent that drives him to continually reinvent himself as an artist.

W - Daily Word Dose

Wean - 1. To accustom (a child or young animal) to food other than its mother's milk; cause to lose the need to suckle or turn to the mother food. 2. To withdraw (a person, the affections, one's dependency, etc) from some object, habit, form of enjoyment, or the like: The need to lose weight had weaned us from rich desserts.

Wield - 1. To exercise power, authority, influence, etc, as in ruling or dominating: The Governon wields much power over the legistlature 2. To use a weapon, instrument effectively; handle or employ actively: The brave knight wielded his shining sword in the battle; The mother wielded an egg whisk to stir her batter.

Wistful - 1. Characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning  2. Pensive, especially in a melancholy way.

Wreak - 1. To inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc): The angry mob wreaked havoc as it made its way downtown, attacking innocent bystanders. 2. To carry out the promptings of (one's rage, ill humour, will, desire, etc), as on a victim or object: He wreaked his anger out on his staff.

Wryly - 1. Produced by a distortion or lopsidedness of the facial features: The portrait has a wry grin.  2. Abnormally bent or turned to one side; twisted; crooked  3. Devious in course or purpose; misdirected

Does Patriotism Breed Ignorance?

Within 30 minutes of Osama bin Laden’s death, Americans flocked to symbolic sites including the White House, Ground Zero and town squares across the nation to join the festivities, as though it were Cinco de Mayo.

Not only is rejoicing in someone’s death – albeit an enemy – in bad taste, it points to an even more troubling reality. On the one hand, this reaction is to be expected given that for the past decade this man has been portrayed as the face of terrorism. Ironic considering that only 3 decades ago he would have been hailed by the same people as a “freedom fighter.” It’s also worth noting that his actions haven’t changed, only his target has. 

What is most perplexing to me about the premature bask in glory exhibited by the individuals who participated in the public celebrations is their relentless unwillingness to question why there is such a pronounced hostility towards their country, not just in the middle east, but worldwide.

While I acknowledge that there are many Americans who are wide-awake, a vast part of the population seems to be suffering from a case of blissful ignorance when it comes to their government’s imperialist actions in the world. 

I believe this is rooted in the excessive promotion of patriotism in the United States. There is nothing wrong with loving your country and being proud of where you come from, but when it inhibits you from objectively analyzing your government’s wrongdoings, it can border on dangerous. Being blinded to these realities perpetuates violence and terrorism and prevents society from taking measures to end the cycle of hatred.

Yes, Osama bin Laden was the mastermind behind an unspeakable, heinous crime. And yes, 9/11 was the worst attack ever carried out on American soil. But we cannot live in a bubble and think that everyone sees it the way the West does. We must acknowledge that while we regard it as an act of unequivocal “terrorism,” a great many others regard it as “retaliation.” This is not to say the perpetrators of 9/11 are excused or that their actions were justified, but until we take a hard look at how our government’s actions are festering this level of hatred among others, we cannot guarantee that American civilians will not have to endure another horrific attack.  

As to be expected by conglomerates, these types of discussions have not permeated mainstream media. A politician cannot even broach the subject unless they want to commit political suicide. An American who dares to think in these terms is automatically shunned as unpatriotic and any outsiders who speak this way are accused of being anti-American, conspiracy theorists, or worse, terrorist sympathizers. As a result, it has become the elephant in the room that no one can address. I suppose the reason it is such a taboo subject is because we feel that by admitting that we are perceived as the aggressors by a vast part of the world, we are somehow saying that we deserved the attacks. We must rid ourselves of this notion. No innocent person ever deserves to die, but if we do not understand why it happened in the first place, how can we possibly prevent it from happening again?

We need to open our eyes and see that there is a fundamental disconnect between the United States projecting itself as a democratic state that champions human rights and fundamental freedoms and the foreign policies it adopts that have led to genocide and human atrocities of greater magnitude than most of us can even conceive. 

Let us look very briefly at some of the possible reasons why others around the world, not just Muslim and Arab countries would see the United States in a less than favorable light:

• Regarded as a symbol of oppression – The US government has trained and armed dictators and supported racist and brutal regimes and have displayed indifference to the pain and suffering these actions have caused. They have armed groups with notorious records of atrocities including the Taliban. Additionally they contribute to the political and commercial stifling of developing nations by selling them arms and profiting obscenely from the instability and perpetual states of warfare in these countries.
•  Placed sanctions with dire consequences – The US government has maintained murderous sanctions, not least of which was a sanction placed on Iraq in the 1990’s, resulting in at least partial responsibility for the death of thousands of children (the number depends on the source, but ranges anywhere from 170,000 to half a million).

• Irreverence towards the U.N. – When it comes to the UN, the United States seems to regard itself beyond International Law. The most blatant instance of this is the illegal war on Iraq.

• Domestic priorities before global obligations – The US was the only world leader that rejected the Kyoto protocol, an international agreement to reduce green house gases despite the fact that it is the world’s greatest polluter by a large margin: it contains only 5% of the world population but produces 25% of all carbon emissions. President Bush said it did not want to participate because it would cause serious harm to the US economy.

• Unwilling to contribute their fair share – When it comes to foreign aid, the United States ranks the lowest out of all developed nations. It designates a mere 0.1% of its GDP to foreign aid. Current UN target is set at 0.7% GDP. Additionally, out of the 0.1%, 50% is designated towards the middle income countries in the Middle East with Israel being the greatest recipient.

• Unwavering support for Israel – The US is highly criticized in the Arab world and elsewhere for backing up Israel’s illegal military occupation on the West Bank and Gaza through billions of dollars in military support.

So while the attacks on the US were misguided and just plain wrong, we must acknowledge that there are some legitimate reasons why people would resort to such desperate acts of retribution. Unlike what the media likes to tell us, the sites that were attacked were not chosen for their emblems of freedom and democracy, rather they are symbols of American commerce and American foreign policies, both of which have caused heaps of tragedy and ordeal to the developing world.

If we profess to respect human life and we rightfully mourn the loss of the thousands of people who died innocently on September 11^th, shouldn’t we place equal lament on the countless who have lost their lives at the hands of American injustices?

Just to re-iterate, I am not in any way trying to justify the attacks of 9/11 or excusing this evil crime against innocent civilians, but to think killing the leader of Al-Qaeda has brought us closer to safety is nothing short of delusional and short-sighted.  If anything, it has only served to exacerbate the problem in that it has given people a new impetus to attack the US. Even moderate Arabs are condemning the murder and the disposal of the body at sea and have elevated bin Laden to the state of martyrdom. As difficult as it is for us to conceive, we cannot ignore the fact that just because he is deeply hated by us, there is just as many, if not more, who regard him a hero. And not just extremists, but regular people who simply identify with this criticisms of the United States (perhaps they have lost a family member of their own in this fight). Until we acknowledge their suffering, as a result of America’s policies, no amount of diplomacy and no amount of money spent on the military will keep Americans from harm’s way.

Think of it this way, as individuals in society, most of us adhere to a set of moral principles. Whether we follow any religion or not, there is a kind of unspoken moral standard that we aim to follow, and we know, just based on experience that if we deviate from that, there will likely be negative consequences or what some people might call “karma.” Even children know the basic principle of “do onto others as you would have done onto you.” But being that we are flawed, many of us will commit an immoral act at one time or another, some more harmful and frowned upon by society than others. But generally, we understand that our behavior is wrong and although we do not wish to be punished or for anything bad to happen to us, we understand the laws of nature enough to know that it is a probable consequence. If I for instance murder someone, I expect their loved ones to hate me. I expect them to want to punish me. I may not like it, but it is perfectly natural for them to feel that way towards me. So why then, when we speak of immoral actions between governments and nations, do we not apply the same laws of nature? Why are we surprised when we are hated by our victims? When we commit acts of violence and oppression, it is preposterous to expect anything but a backlash. And the longer we engage in wars with other countries, the more long-term that resentment becomes.

As citizens, we can react one of two ways. 1) We can decide that we are not to blame because it is the government making these decisions, not us or 2) We can decide that not only do we have a right to hold our government accountable for its immoral actions upon others, we have an obligation not only to those who will be on the receiving end, but ultimately to ourselves, for as we have seen these things have a tendency to blow up in our face. And isn’t protecting our civilians the ultimate act of patriotism?

V - Daily Word Dose

Veto - 1. The power or right vested in one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the decisions, enactments, etc of another branch, esp. the right of a president, governor or other chief executive to reject bills passed by the legislature  2. The exercise of this right.

Vilify - 1. To speak ill of; defame; slander: The Republicans attempted to vilify President Obama, claiming he is a Muslim and not an America Citizen, but most voters did not accept the baseless claims.

Virulent - 1. Actively poisonous; intensely noxious: A virulent insect bite. 2. (Medicine) Highly infective; malignant or deadly: He came down with a virulent type of disease.

Vociferous - 1. Crying out noisily; clamorous  2. Characterized with or uttered with vociferation: The superintendent was a vociferous opponent of enlarging the school gymnasium.

Volition - 1. The act of willing, choosing or resolving; exercise of willing: He decided to enter rehab of his own volition.  2. A choice or decision made by the will

U - Daily Word Dose

Ubiquity - 1. The state or capacity of being everywhere, esp. at the same time; omnipresence: Many household appliances have become ubiquitous, such as the washing machine, fridge and tv set. Tourists with cameras are ubiquitous in Europe every summer.

Underlings - A subordinate, esp. one of slight importance: He asked his underling to do the dirty work for him.

Unduly - 1. Excessively: His mother was unduly worried when she didn't come home on time.  2. In an inappropriate, unjustifiable, or improper manner: The press was unduly critical of her speech.

Unequivocal -1. Not equivocal; unambiguous; clear; having only one possible meaning or interpretation: There was unequivocal proof that he committed the crime  2. Absolute; unqualified; not subject to conditions or exceptions: The dormitory curfew was unequivocal.

Unassailable - 1. Not open to attack or assault, as by military force or argument, unassailable logic, unassailable fortifications.  2. Not subject to denial or dispute: Shakespeare's genius gives his works an unassailable position in world literature.

T- Daily Word Dose

Tenuous - 1. Thin or slender in form: The threads of the spiderweb were tenuous. 2. Lacking a sound basis, as in reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: He had a tenuous grip on reality. 3. Thin in consistency; rare or rarefied: The air at high altitudes is tenuous.

Toil - 1. Hard or continuous work; exhausting labor or effort: He toiled in the field day after day. 2. A laborious task.

Trove - A collection of objects: She dug through her treasure trove in hopes of finding her long lost earrings.

Trepidation - 1. Tremulous fear, alarm or agitation; perturbation: I felt another earthquake coming and I was overcome with trepidation. 2. Trembling or quivering movement; tremor.

Tumultuous - 1. Full of tumult or riotousness; marked by disturbance and uproar: The fand became wild and tumultuous as a result of teh game results.  2. Raising a great clatter and commotion; disorderly or noisy  3. Highly agitated, as the mind or emotions; distraught; turbulent.

S- Daily Word Dose

Scourge - 1. a whip or lash, esp. for the infliction for punishment or torture. 2. A person or thing that applies or administers punishment or severe criticism: The new police chief became the scourge of local drug dealers.  3. A cause of affliction or calamity: Disease and famine are scourges of humanity.

Shrewd - 1. Astute or sharp in practical matters: The shrewd businessman cannot be trusted. 2. Keen, piercing.

Sleight -1. Skill; dexterity  2.  A clever or skillful trick or deception; an artifice or stratagem: Illusion magic is also called sleight of hand.

Stranglehold - 1. (in wrestling) an illegal by which an opponent's breath is chocked off  2.Any force or influence that restricts the free actions or development of a person or group: The stranglehold of poverty prevented them from advancing their society.

Sully -1. To soil, stain or tarnish.  2. To mar the purity or luster of: defile: The politician sullied his opponent's reputation with that remark.

Q, R - Daily Word Dose

Quell - 1. To suppress, put an end to; extiguish: The Troops quelled the rebellion.  2. To vanquish; subdue.  3. To quiet or allay (emotions, anxieties, etc): The mother quelled her child's fear of the thunder.

Rampage- 1. Violent or excited behaviour that is reckless, uncontrolled or destructive: The river has gone on a rampage and flooded the countryside. 2. A state of violent anger or agitation: The smallest mistake sends him into a rampage.

Reckon - 1. To count, compute or calculate, as in number or amount.  2. To esteem or consider; regard as  3. To think or suppose.

Repudiate - 1. To reject as having no authority or binding force: The media repudiated Donald Trump's claim that Obama was not born in America.  2. To cast off or disown: His family repudiated him after he became a criminal  3. To reject with disapproval or condemnation.

Rife - 1. Of common or frequent occurence; prevalent; in widespread existence, activity or use: Crime is rife in the slum areas of  our cities. 2. Current in speech or reports: Rumor are rife that the government is in financial difficulty. 3. abundant, plentiful or numerous.

P - Daily Word Dose

Palatable - 1. Acceptable or agreeable to the palate or taste; savory: John thought the food at the buffet was so palatable that he ate until he felt like he was going to explode. 2. Acceptable or agreeable to the mind or feeling: We met with our supervisor to discuss some palatable solutions to the problem.

Pander - 1. A person who furnishes clients for a prostitute; pimp  2. To satisfy the ignoble ambitions, desires, vices, etc of another: The smarter public officials will not pander to the needs of the corrupt mayor, regardless of his powerful influence. 3. A go-between in amorous intrigues.

Paucity - 1. Smallness of quantity; scarcity; scantness; lack. 2. smallness or insufficiency of number; fewness: There was a paucity of intelligent answers to that question. 

Peddling - 1. To travel about with wares for sale; to go from place to place, or from house to house for the purpose of retailing goods, as to peddle without a license. 2. to deal out, distribute or dispense, esp. in small quantities; 3. To see (drugs) illicitly.

Pompous -1. Characterized by an ostentatious display of dignity or importance: He gave us a pompous speech about paying our taxes.  2. Ostentatiously lofty or high flown  3. Characterized by pomp, stately splendor, or magnificence.

Latest Art Review

Colouring Outside the Lines: Two Artists Challenge Ideals

Published April 28, 2011 in FFWD Magazine

 http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/colouring-outside-the-lines-7352/

Newzones Gallery - Franco DeFrancesca's "Furniture Music"  and Virginia Mak's "Of One's Own"

These days it seems artists are less inclined to stay within the confines of one medium. Blurring the boundaries between photography and painting, two solo exhibitions currently at Newzones Gallery dispel the notion that an artist must fit neatly into one category.

Franco DeFrancesca would neither categorize himself a painter nor a photographer, preferring the term “multimedia artist.” This label proves apt for DeFrancesca,as his art covers the gamut from sculpture-installation to photography, digital art and sound art. 

“Furniture Music” features glossy, brightly coloured, candy-like digital images. Using a mouse rather than a paint brush, DeFrancesca’s works are created on the computer,then printed onto photographic paper. Somewhere along the way, he has discovered that applying a top coat of liquid resin produces the lustre and depth he seeks when creating these high-tech images.

This, along with the decision to mount them on plywood panels, gives them a painterly object-like quality that he would not get had he simply chosen to frame them. What is more, choosing to print only one of each, rather than producing multiple editions, automatically elevates the prints to a higher status than is typically awarded to photographs.

DeFrancesca’s carpentry background yields beautifully crafted plywood panels, an aspect of the work that one must be careful not to neglect amidst the seductive appeal of the image. This impeccable workmanship complements the highly technical, computerized images.

“Furniture Music” refers to a term coined by French composer Erik Satie in 1917 to describe background or ambient music. DeFrancesca’s images vibrate and interact with the viewer, and it is easy to see how they are visual depictions of sound waves. Being that music is the art of time, and visual art is that of space, these objects can be conceived as time capsules locking and sealing a fleeting moment in visual form.

Although Sabrina Pittoello, assistant director of Newzones, says there is no connection to the neighbouring artist, Virginia Mak, she maintains the gallery tries to pair artists that complement one another in stimulating ways. When viewing Mak’s “Of One’s Own,” the polarities between the two artists couldn’t be more stark.

DeFrancesca employs vivid, intense colours, while Mak applies a more subdued, toned-down palette. Although both artists have adopted a blurring effect that make their final works disorienting, almost to the point of dizzying, DeFrancesca’s images, especially those consisting of concentric circles, appear to have crisp lines, while Mak seems to evade delineations altogether. The reference to painting is obvious in DeFrancesca’s works, which recall colour-field and minimalist paintings of the late 20^th century; conversely, Mak’s works are figurative.

Mak’s portraits consist of women gazing through a window in pensive, meditative poses. The fact that the subjects are out of focus — a technique achieved by projecting her photographs onto rice paper — renders their identities obscure and mysterious, and focuses our attention on their state of mind rather than on particulars. The pronounced ambiguity of the subjects (there is one subject that could pass for a man or woman given the short hair and collar shirt) seems appropriate given that the activities these women are engaged in are introspective in nature and do not belong to the public realm.

Born in Hong Kong and currently residing in Toronto, Mak is a photographer. However, the technique she employs in these works gives them a texture more emblematic of painting, easily misleading anyone who does not venture to look up close. Mak’s mounting treatment is equally important as DeFrancesca’s with respect to the works’ final impact. Her decision to opt out of framing the large 120 centimetre-by-120 centimetre prints at the risk of making them more fragile and exposed to the elements, is an attempt to give an immediacy, again more reminiscent of painting, that would have been lost had they been placed behind glass. Her work thus has a push-pull quality, pushing the viewer closer through the omission of an added layer, while simultaneously pulling the viewer back through its foggy, elusive esthetic. All the while, they serve to challenge traditional notions of photography and in particular portraiture, known for its increased accessibility relative to other art forms.

Pushing boundaries and challenging the mainstream is not just about creating art that is shocking or abrasive in nature — sometimes all it takes is being willing to colour outside the lines. Whether you prefer art that is exuberant and loud like DeFrancesca’s or tranquil and self-reflective like Mak’s, we can appreciate artists who look beyond self-imposed limitations.

N - Daily Word Dose

Ok, I slacked off again, so here are 3 daily word doses in a row (I am skipping L and N for now). I only have 4 "O" words for now.

Obsequious - 1. Characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning: He was so obsequious when the boss was present that his coworkers shunned him in disgrace.  2. Servilely compliant or deferential  3. Obedient; dutiful.

Onerous - 1. Burdensome, oppressive or troublesome; causing hardship: Some felt that the twelve tasks of Hercules were too onerous, even for him. 2. Having or involving obligations or responsibilities, esp. legal ones that outweigh the advantages.

Ostensible - 1. Outwardly appearing as such; pretended; professed: His ostensible cheerfulness concealed his sadness. 2. Apparent, evident or conspicuous.

Ostentatious- 1. Characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others: He was an ostentatious dresser. 2. Intended to attract notice: Bill Gates' ostentatious charity.

M - Daily Word Dose

I currently don't have any "L" words to learn, so I'll skip L for now and come back to it later.


Menial - 1. Lowly and sometimes degrading work: She has a menial, part-time cleaning job and only gets 50 cents more than minimum wage. 2. Servile, submissive: Menial attitudes. 3. Pertaining to or suitable for domestic servants; humble.

Minion - 1. A servile follower or subordinate of a person in power: The Minister always appeared surrounded by his minion. 2. A favored or highly regarded person  3. A minor official.

Misbegotten -1. Unlawfully or irregularly begotten; illegitimate: His misbegotten son.  2. Badly conceived, made or carried out: This is by far the most shamelessly, misbegotten legislation to pass into law.

Mirth - 1. Gaiety or jollity, especially when accompanied by laughter: With the holiday season approaching, he was unable to control his mirth.  2. Amusement or laughter: The joke that the teacher told left the whole class in mirth.

Myopic - 1. Pertaining to or having myopic (nearsighted) 2. Unable or unwilling to act prudently; shortsighted: Leaving her child alone while she went shopping was dangerously self-centered and myopic.  3. Lacking tolerance or understanding; narrow-minded: She is so myopic, she is not willing to try any cuisine other than French and Italian.

K - Daily Word Dose

I only have 2 "k" words right now, I'll come back to them later.
 
Killjoy - A person who spoils the joy or pleasure of others; spoilsport; party pooper

Kinship - 1. The state of fact of being of kin; family, relationship: You can sometimes feel a kinship to people you are not actually related to. 2. Related by nature, qualities, etc; affinity. The overworked assistant felt a kinship with the workers in the office mailroom.

Book Review - Do It Any-way: The New Generation of Activists

I recently read the book Do it Any-Way: The New Generation of Activists by the young author Courtney E. Martin. It is an easy read of 193 pages. I read it in a week, and trust me for an extremely slow reader like myself, that’s saying a lot.

I first saw it on the www.rabble.ca website when I was trying to get a good idea of what would be a good political book to read. My husband and I often talk hours on end about all the problems facing America (and by extension Canada and the rest of the world). Perhaps every generation egotistically thinks their obstacles are insurmountable and unprecedented in the history of time, but to me, it really does feel like our generation has tremendous burdens to cope with, not least of which is a planet in peril:

1. For starters we are less financially independent than our parents were at our age – many of us live at home well into our 30’s. 
2. The boomers are called the “sandwich generation” because they are simultaneously taking care of their children and their aging parents due to cuts in retirement programs, and as the retirement age and cuts continue to increase, there’s no reason to believe this will solve itself in the near future.
3.  Many of us are graduating with fewer job prospects and are forced to settle for jobs that under utilize our education and underpaid us; meanwhile the saturation in education is forcing us to surpass previously expected credentials forcing us to get endless degrees and work in unpaid internships, putting us deeper into debt and further from financial freedom.

The following is a list of things that are affecting us less directly, but are nonetheless threatening our quality of life. I’m speaking of the US here specifically, but as we all know policies in the US affect the rest of us, especially Canada considering we have a puppet Prime Minister in office (oops, did I just say that?). The following points were taken from a book called Dismantling the Empire: America’s Last Best Hope by Chalmers Johnson, which I’m currently reading.

1. The US spends insane amounts of money on “defense” projects that bear no relationship to the national security of the US.
2.  Income tax burdens on the richest segments of the American population are kept at strikingly low levels.
3. The US has enabled the erosion of their manufacturing base and loss of jobs to foreign countries.
4. Because of the massive military expenditures, the US has failed to invest in social infrastructure – the money for universal health care and other social programs is there, it is just being spent in the wrong places.
5. The public education in the country has deteriorated.
6. The US (and Canada as one of its greatest allies) has neglected their responsibility in being the world’s number one polluter.

So that about sums up everything that will directly or indirectly affect us within our lifetime. Oh and not to mention our heavy dependence on a non-renewable resource, the eruption of wars and numerous uprisings on the other side of the globe, and the pervasive natural disasters due to global warming. Still with me? Have I scared you yet? I mean seriously, where do you being? Ini-mini-mani mo, I will take on this monster if you take that one? 

In addition to wanting to release a big sigh by now, you will also probably want to ask yourself: “Why aren’t more people in outrage? Why aren’t we protesting and starting rebellions when we see wealthy bank investors bailed out, like the people in London or elsewhere in Europe do at the first sight of government spending cuts?” I mean, sure there are sporadic instances of protests here and there (recall the recent protests regarding unions in Wisconsin that did gain considerable momentum), but why aren’t they more widespread? Why aren’t we more united?”

The thing that appealed to me about this book was that the author begs to differ with the well established notion that our generation simply doesn’t care. That we are too self-absorbed and caught up in our latest technological gadgets and distracted by consumerism and celebrity gossip to stop to consider what we can do.

“I think they’ve got it wrong,” she says, “We are not, on the whole, entitled, self-absorbed, and apathetic. We’re overwhelmed, empathic, and paralyzed.”

In other words, the book’s appeal to me was that somewhere, someone out there thought that our generation was not doomed, that there is light at the end of the tunnel. If anything good came out of the recent uprising in the Middle East, it is that a tool like social media can be used for things other than bragging to our peers about our latest vacation – that it is a democratizing tool that has the capacity to mobilize people into action.

But if you’re looking for some sort of solution, the book will prove to be a disappointment, for it doesn’t attempt to do that. Rather it is a collection of stories about 8 young activists who are out there, on the front lines every day, attempting to make their mark in the world, however insignificant it may seem.  Their missions vary from attempting to instill world piece, to fighting the education system to environmental justice and many more worthy causes. Most importantly, they do not allow minor setbacks to discourage them back into despair and inaction. 

It provides an honest account that activism and does not attempt to glamorize or sugar-coat the realities that is not just about the warm and fuzzy feelings one gets at the end of the day; but rather it is a path of constant struggle, testing your resilience on a daily basis. Whether you are a philanthropist, a full-time employee at a nonprofit organization, or working as a public servant, there is no way of knowing whether what you are doing is really the most efficient, more viable, more direct way to make a difference. It is this doubt and the reality that your work is never finished in the way that say a corporate project might finish, that prevents many people from getting into that line of work in the first place, but it is also this doubt that drives those who are committed and allow them to continuously question themselves and change their tactics accordingly.

The thing I took away from the book in light of these eight very different yet inspirational accounts of the aforementioned is that if we want to make a difference in this world, we first have to align ourselves and our energies appropriately. You can be the most intelligent person on earth, but if you are fighting for a cause you feel zero connection to, it won’t matter. The book illustrates this with one particular character who started working as a social worker, a very selfless and worthy career path by anyone's account, but finds herslef absolutely miserable, and therefore her efforts to help others are futile. Through a series of serendipitous events, she discovers that her true calling is filmmaking and when she succumbs herself to following that path, she realizes her ability to help others is much more effective. Not only is she able help more people through her brutally honest documentaries about social issues than she did as a social worker, she  gained notoriety and recognition among her peers in doing so, a not so easy feat in an industry that is heavily male dominated. It is my assertion that her success is owed to the fact that her talents/interests/skills (filmmaking) became perfectly aligned with her passion to help others.

The moral of the story is: if you are lucky enough to find this alignment in your lifetime, go for it, without giving it a second thought, the financials (if that’s what you’re worried about) will solve themselves.

But getting back to the book – it is definitely worth the short amount of time it takes to read. If anything it will reinvigorate you into thinking about the possibilities. There is a great quote in the book that quotes another book, Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer:  “We are whiplashed between an arrogant overestimation of ourselves and a servile underestimation of ourselves..." that I think nicely captures our generation's conundrum.

I - Daily Word Dose

Imperil -To put in peril or in danger; endanger: Censorship imperils our freedom of expression.

Impudent  - Of, pertaining to impertinence (unmannerly intrusion or presumption; insolence); effrontery: For once his impudence paid off, as the officers were reluctant to arrest a friend of the mayor.

Indelible - 1. Making marks that cannot be erased, removed or the like: Indelible ink. 2. That cannot be eliminated, forgotten or changed: My fifth grade teacher had an indelible influence on me.

Insatiable - 1. Not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased: She had an insatiable hunger for knowledge.

Inordinate - 1. Not within proper or reasonable limits; immoderate; excessive: He drank an inordinate amount of wine.

Art Gallery of Alberta

I was doing some research on AGA today and found this really good blog with some thoughtful criticism of the building.

http://inthreedimensions.blogspot.com/2010/02/art-gallery-of-alberta.html

Art Review by a FFWD Collegaue

This has to be one of the most solid reviews I have read in FFWD to date. It flows so well and concludes nicely, which I find is often the hardest part.

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/snapshots-of-the-soul-7321/

Nancy Tousley, Art Critic

http://communities.canada.com/calgaryherald/blogs/impressions/default.aspx

I aspire to one day write art reviews this good!

This particular one shows the power of ending with a really good quote.

H - Daily Word Dose

Since I missed a few days, I'm doing 3 sets of words today:

I currently don't have any G words that I want to learn, so I will skip it and go to H.

Havoc - 1. Great destruction or devastation; ruinous damage: The tragic events of September 11th wreaked havoc on the people of New York City. 2. Disorder or chaos: They had a wild party that created havoc in the house, Stress and long hours can cause havoc on your health, Idioms: cry havoc, to warn of danger or disaster; play havoc with, to create confusion or disorder in.

Heady - 1. Intoxicating: A heady wine. 2. Affecting the mind or senses greatly:  A heady perfume. 3. Exhilarating; Exciting  4. Rashly impetuous: heady conduct  5. Violent, destructive: heady winds.  6. Clever; shrewd: He employed a heady scheme to win the election.

Heed - 1. To give careful attention to: He did not heed the warning. 2. To take notice, observation.

Heist - 1. A robbery or holdup: Four were involved in the armored car heist. 2. To take unlawfully, esp. in a robbery or holdup; steal: There seems to be a bit of a trend for large jewelry heists lately.

Heyday - The stage or period of greatest vigor, strength, success, etc; prime: Even prior to its Victorian heyday, Dundee was a town of considerable importance.

F- Daily Word Dose

I could only think of 4 words for "F," when I find a fifth, I will add to this.

Feeble - 1. Physically weak as from age or illness; frail  2. Weak intellectually or morally: A feeble mind. 3. Lacking in volume, loudness, brightness, distinctness, etc: A feeble voice, a feeble light. 4. Lacking in force, strength or effectiveness: Feeble resistance, feeble arguments. 

Feign - 1. To represent fictitiously; put an appearance of: She feigned illness to skip school. 2. To invent fictitiously or deceptively, as a story or an excuse 3. To imitate deceptively: To feign someone's voice.

Flagrant - 1. Shockingly noticeable or evident; obvious; glaring: Bush flagrantly lied to the American public. 2. Notorious; scandalous: A flagrant crime, a flagrant offender.

Fraudulent - 1. Characterized by, involving or proceeding from fraud, as actions, enterprise, methods, or gains: He performed a fraudulent scheme to evade taxes. 2. Given to or using fraud, as a person cheating; dishonest.

E - Daily Word Dose

Egregious - Extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant: It was an egregious mistake to wear jeans to the formal wedding.

Emblazon- 1. To depict, as in a escutcheon in heraldry 2. To decorate with brilliant colours: His emblazoned T-shirt got a mixed reaction.  3. To proclaim, celebrate or extol.

Entrench - 1. To place in a position of strength, establish firmly or solidly: There was entrenched religious division in the Province. 2. To build trenches for defensive purposes around oneself, a military position, etc.

Ethos - 1. The fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that forms the beliefs, customs or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek Ethos, the individual was highly valued. 2. The character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc: For creativity to flourish, it needs to be build into the whole-school ethos. 3. The moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character's action rather than his or her thought or emotion.

Extol - To praise highly, laud; eulogize: During an election year, we should all extol the virtue of honesty.

D - Word Dose

Decry - 1. To speak disparagingly of; denounce as faulty or worthless; express censure of: She decried the lack of support for the arts in the country. 2. To condemn or depreciate or condemn by proclamation.

Denigrate - 1. to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully defame: Donald Trump denigrated Obama's health care policies. 2. To treat or represent as lacking in value or importance; belittle; disparage: To denigrate someone's contributions to a project.

Destitute - 1. Without means of supporting life; lacking food, clothing and shelter: She was left destitute after the death of her husband. 2. Deprived of; devoid of; or lacking.

Dissent - 1. To differ in sentiment or opinion, esp. from the majority; withhold assent; disagree. In the Republican party, there has been a lot of dissent, most notably from Tea Party members. 2. To disagree with the methods, goals, etc. of a political party or government; take an opposing view. 3. To disagree or reject the doctrines or authority of an established church.

Divest - 1. To strip of clothing or ornament: The wind divested the trees from their leaves. 2. To strip or deprive (someone or something), esp. of property, rights or authority; dispossess: Millions of Americans were divested of home ownership because of the financial collapse in wall street.

How to Write a Great Newspaper Article

Good article on how to properly structure newspaper articles.
http://www.squidoo.com/newspaper-article

My Most Recent Art Review

More than Meets the Eye: Conceptual Works Make People Look Twice
Published April 14, 2011
Trepanier Baer -- The Durable Idiom: Eric Cameron, Christian Eckart and Stephane La Rue
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/more-than-meets-the-eye-7286/

They say good things come to those who wait. If you extend that logic to art, take your time viewing the conceptual works currently at TrépanierBaer and you will be rewarded.

The Durable Idiom features works by Eric Cameron, Christian Eckart and Stéphane La Rue. Inextricably bound by their interest in existentialism, a willingness to let the material take the spotlight and a relentless aim to blur the boundaries between image and object, their works straddle a fine line between painting and sculpture.

Upon entering the gallery, the first observation is Cameron’s beautifully suspended, colourful array of latex-covered Remembrance Day poppies. One is immediately struck by the contradiction of this whimsical piece and its sinister title, “Thenatos,” which in Greek Mythology is the personification of death. For those unfamiliar with Cameron’s work, the piece might be interpreted as a commentary on war — perhaps the poppies are a symbol of the soldiers overseas — and by extension a reflection on the current political turmoil. This hypothesis, however logical, would be incorrect. In his own words, Cameron asserts his work has never been about external reconciliation, but rather a meditative view on “human frailty, desire and dread and the transience of life.”

A self-proclaimed obsessive personality, Cameron is best known for his Thick Painting series, which he persisted with for three decades. The series involved taking mundane household objects and systematically brushing them with layers upon layers of gesso, keeping detailed documentation each time he added a new layer. Although his works are as complex as the layers bestowed upon them, if you were forced to define them in a nutshell, they are about relinquishing control to the forces of nature.

“Nature has much more creative potential than my imagination. Nature can produce a range of forms, colours and patterns much more interesting than I could possibly contrive myself,” he says.

In the case of his Thick Paintings, it was the chemical process of drying gesso and the mechanical process of brushing the paint that ultimately determined the final shape. His new series keeps to that tradition, but rather than brushing the objects with gesso, he has dipped them in layers of paint. Unlike his previous series, he has let go of the strenuous record keeping.

“There was an aspect of trying to free myself from the arduousness of that.”

Equally uninterested in expression, Christian Eckart employs a rigorously impersonal approach. The most seductive of the three artists, he uses contemporary industrial materials such as Plexiglas, Formica and industrial paint to create pristine finishes (the paint process was developed by Rolls Royce and is based on Chinese lacquer ware techniques).

Eckart’s multiple series all have one thing in common — they are hypnotic in their immaculate craftsmanship. Exhibiting no signs of the artist’s “hand” at work, they in fact have an almost factory-like, mass-produced flawlessness to them. Unlike Cameron, he seems to be in control of his works from start to finish, but similar to Cameron, he does not start with an idea at the epicentre. In fact, he is at once fascinated and troubled by the inherent problems in representing abstract ideas like beauty, calm, sensuality and simplicity in a visual form. Rather than attempting to represent what he deems ineffable, he produces works that embody these characteristics. Eckart’s ability to transform an industrial material into a slick and beautifully finished product challenges our arbitrary definitions of beauty.

The lack of interest in painting an image without representation also extends to Montreal artist Stéphane La Rue, who similarly to Cameron and Eckart, is preoccupied with making space in his paintings and bringing the material to the forefront. In fact, this is not the first time his work has been exhibited alongside Cameron’s, although the first time it was more because of their mutual interest in white — Cameron’s use of white through gesso, and La Rue through his monochrome paintings, one of which is featured in this show.

Conceptual art is not for everybody and certainly not for those who enjoy art that reveals itself instantaneously,. But for those who are up to the challenge, there’s a lot to be gained from thought-provoking artists like those in the The Durable Idiom.

C - Daily Word Dose

Capitulate - 1. To surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms. 2. To give up resistance: He finally capitulated to do things my way.

Caprice - 1. Subject to unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather. 2. A tendency to change one's mind without apparent or adequate motive; impulsive. Fashion is subject to irregularity and caprices; He is such a capricious boss, I never know how he'll react.

Caveat - 1. A warning or caution; admonition: They sold the cabin with the caveat that the roof would need repairs before winter. 2. A legal notice to a court or public officer to suspend a certain proceeding until the notifier is given a hearing.

Clout - 1. A blow, esp. with the hand: The bully gave him a painful clout on the head. 2. Pull, strong influence, muscle, esp. political power: A wealthy campaign contributor with great clout at City Hall.

Coerce - 1. To compel by force, intimidation or authority, esp. without regard for individual desire or volition: They coerced him into signing the document. 2. To bring about through the use of force or other forms of compulsion: To coerce obedience. 3. To dominate or control, esp. by exploiting fear, anxiety: The State is based on successfully coercing the individual.

Other Published Articles

Book Review:
Rethinking Our Stance on Billionaires: Linda McQuaig Argues Against Extreme Inequality
Published in FFWD Weekly on October 21, 2010
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/books/rethinking-our-stance-on-billionaires-6480/

Comedy:
The Success Gene: A Look at the Wayans Through Shawn and Marlon
Published in FFWD Weekly November 4, 2010
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/comedy/the-success-gene-6558/

Urban Living:

This V-Day Step Outside the Heart-Shaped-Box: Dinner, Roses, How About Something Different
Published in FFWD Weekly February 10, 2011
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/life-style/urban-living/this-v-day-step-outside-the-heart-shaped-box-6997/

Past Art Reviews Featured in FFWD Weekly

A Place of Word-Ship: Logotopia Celebrates the Library in a Bastion of Visual Arts
Published September 9, 2010 
Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts Exhibition -- Logotopia: The Library in Architecture, Art and the Imagination
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/a-place-of-word-ship-6256/

 A Tale of Two Cities: Los Angeles and Calgary Artists Bring Abstract Art Down to Earth
Published September 23, 2010
Art Gallery of Calgary -- Soft Core HARD EDGE
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/a-tale-of-two-cities-6325/ 

Frozen Music, Liquid Art: Rhapsody in Colour Explores the Connection Between Art and Sound
Published December 9, 2010
Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts -- Centennial Celebrations of Abstract Art
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/frozen-music-liquid-art-6729/

Brushing up on Canadian History: A Glimpse of Quebec Art in the 50's
Published February 10, 2011
Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts -- Quiet Mutinies: Art in Quebec in the 1950's
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/brushing-up-on-canadian-history-7017/

A Cultural Mosaic: Celebrating Canadian Immigrant Artists Through Creativity
Published March 31, 2011
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/visual-arts/a-cultural-mosaic-of-art-7218/

B - Daily Word Dose

Barring - Excepting; Except for: Barring losing the $40, I had a good time at the Casino.

Bemoan - 1. To express distress or grief over, lament: The farmer bemoaned his loss. 2. To regard with regret or disapproval: The teacher bemoaned that David cheated on his test.

Benign - 1. Having a kind disposition; gracious. 2. Showing or expressive of gentleness or kindness: A benign smile. 3. Favorable; propitious: A series of benign omens. 4. non-malignant; self-limiting.

Brazen - 1. Shameless or impudent: Sarah brazenly screamed at her boss. 2. made of brass 3. like brass as in sound, colour or strength.


Bulwark - 1. A wall of earth or other material built for defense, rampart. The great wall of China was built as a bulwark against the Mongolians. 2. Any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement: My best friend was my bulwark during those tough times.

A - Daily Word Dose

As part of my goal to become a self-taught journalist, I will be posting 5 words per day that I would like to incorporate into my vocabulary. This means that in a year I should know nearly 2,000 more words than I do now. I will work my way down the alphabet from A-Z.

Today's words:

• Aberration: 1. The act of departing from the right, normal or usual course. 2. The act of deviating from the ordinary, usual or normal type: Her willingness to speak out in front of the class marked an aberration from her quiet and introverted ways. 3. Mental irregularity or disorder, esp. of a minor or temporary nature; lapse from a sound mental state.
• Amiss: 1. Out of the right, proper course, order or condition; improperly, wrongly, astray: Did I speak amiss? 2. Improper, wrong, faulty: I think something is amiss in your calculations. 3. Take amiss, to be offended at or resentful (something not meant to cause offense or resentment); misunderstanding: I was afraid my point of view would be taken amiss.
• Aggregate: 1. Formed by the conjunction or collection of particulars into a whole mass or sum; total; combined. 2. To bring together; collect into one sum, mass or body. 3. to amount to: The guns captured will aggregate five or six hundred.
• Avarice: Insatiable greed for riches, inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth:  I was the only one who knew that her avarice was a symptom of her pathological fear of being poor.
• 
  
  /ˌæbəˈreɪʃən/ Show Spelled

  Adulate: 1. To show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or admire servilely: In Junior High and High School, Marcella adulated the Rock Star Chris Cornell.

  
  

Contemplating A Career in Journalism

As was indicated in the previous entry, I'm seeking a career that will give me that intangible feeling of satisfaction. Ever since obtaining my freelance gig at FFWD magazine, I've been contemplating a career in journalism. Part of me wants to pursue a journalism degree after my husband graduates from his Master's program in two years. But as he reminded me, I don't need another degree. At this stage, it would only serve to give me the superficial confidence of being able to point to a piece of paper to say to the world, "hey, I can do this job.". But if I can find it within myself to have this confidence, I can save myself a lot of money and time. There's no doubt that it would be nice to learn how to properly structure an article, and have proper interview skills training among the other valuable things that such a degree would train me in, but I think these are all things I could easily teach myself and that would come naturally with experience. Of course, I would never look down on anyone for getting a degree, but in my case it would be the easy way out. By that I mean that school is a sheltered environment, and at some point if you're just spending your time getting one degree after another, it starts to become an excellent excuse to not be doing something of value to society. And then of course, there's the question that if I do take a degree in journalism, is that going to be the end of it, or will I decide in those 2 years, that it is not for me as well? I do not want to become trapped in that cycle. I have learned that in this world, there are two kinds of people: those who talk a lot and those who do, and I want to start becoming the latter.

While your 20's might be a good time to live out your dreams and desires selfishly, your 30's, especially if you are like me and want to start a family should be at least somewhat marked by stability. That's not to say that the career I choose today is set in stone for the rest of my life, but at some point I have to start thinking about others and not just my own self-fulfillment.

So if I'm not going to go to school for it, how am I prepared to pursue this avenue? Well, I know for a fact that I like writing and that I'm pretty good at it. So that right there is half the battle. I still have a long way to go when it comes to becoming excellent at it, but I have been told by many over the course of my education that this is a skill I possess and should do something with. I have always excelled at papers in University, and while I tend to be a slow writer, I didn't find them to be a chore like others did.

Journalism seems like a good avenue for me because while it would allow me the opportunity to utilize this skill/talent, it would present me with many challenges and opportunities to grow which are key ingredients for avoiding boredom, a benefit that cannot be overstated given my attention deficit tendencies. From the research I have done, it seems to possess all that I value in a prospective career: it is dynamic, demands working in a high-pressure, deadline driven environment (a work style which seems to suit me well), and it would enable me to voice my opinion on a mass scale. The latter brings with it a tremendous responsibility and honor in that it has the potential to affect people's lives, hopefully for the better.

To become a self-taught journalist, I will have to work that much harder. It will require tenacity and persistence, and this blog will be one vehicle towards making this happen. I will post any progress towards this realization, and just as importantly any setbacks that may occur along the way. The reason for doing this in public rather than in a private journal is that it will force me to have some accountability. Additionally, writing ones goals, and having a central place where you can refer to your progress will be a powerful tool to reflect and to alter my goals accordingly.

Below are my explicit goals relative to this blog:

1) Daily Word Dose -- I would like to post 5 words per day that I would like to incorporate into my vocabulary. This means that in one year, I should have added nearly 2,000 words to my vocabulary. I will work my way down from A-Z.

2) Read A Book A Month and Write a Review of it -- I am a slow reader, so I think that one book a month is realistic for me. I plan to write a review of the books I read as way to capture what I took away from the book, as well as to practice writing reviews.

3) Continue to Write Articles for FFWD --  Continue proposing ideas to FFWD and writing not only art reviews, but also venturing into other topics of interest, and stepping outside of my comfort zone.

4) Spend 45 minutes to 1 hours a Day Reading the News and Once a Week Post Links to Articles I Enjoyed Reading -- One thing I'm currently not very good at is reading news on a daily basis. This is absolutely essential for me to do as someone who wants to one day be writing them, and particularly as someone who is not planning to go to school, it is important for me to learn from those who have had proper training. I will compile a list of articles I really enjoyed or that were inspirational in some way, or were just technically good articles at the end of the week.

5) Make My blog Public -- As terrifying as it may be to air your dirty laundry to the public and have it be open to scrutiny, I must be willing to put my vulnerabilities out there to the world if I want to be a journalist. This is a profession that requires thick skin in the sense that there will always be someone out there who bashes what you write and I might as well get used to it now.