Concepto de práctica docente 24 

Artists: Jen Aitken, Josée Aubin Ouellette, Liza Eurich, Jenine Marsh, Derrick Piens and Beth Stuart

May 2 – June 13, 2015 at Hamilton Artists Inc. Hamilton, Ontario

There is no There, curated by Stefan Hancherow, is an exhibition that lends itself to deeper questions of industry and livelihood. The show’s title refers to a Gertrude Stein quote, “there is no there, there,” which reflects upon Oakland, California’s relationship to San Francisco in respect to concepts of suburban expansion and loss of industry. These themes are fitting for an exhibition held in Hamilton, Ontario given that Hamilton is known as the “Steel City” for its past as a leading producer of steel. This theme is relatable to many different cities in the area, including London, Leamington and Detroit, all of whom have seen recent and radical changes to their local industries. This act of removing and covering up the city’s industrial infrastructure is something with which most people are familiar but which most of the time goes unnoticed. The Hamilton Artists Inc. is a prime example of this type of act for the original gallery was torn down and rebuilt into what it is today. The artists in There is no There bring the unnoticed to the forefront by creating work that is exactly that – a result of covering and uncovering.

This covering and uncovering is intriguing to me for it is something that I constantly witness in my environment, physically and metaphorically. The Hamilton escarpment is a natural landscape; it uncovers and presents natural events such as the many waterfalls that run down the rock and sediment, the ancient trees, and the wildlife that thrive within it. But it is also covered up and blown out by asphalt-covered roads, highways and trails that required the clearing of trees in order for them to be made. The works in There is no There bring this construction of our environment, and the human’s role within it to the forefront by referencing both “natural” elements and biomorphic shapes. In doing so, it reminds the viewer of these more organic entities that are manicured and processed to fit the needs of the human. These works made me further consider what is “natural”. The interferences in the works speak to the interferences in the human body and the environment, questioning their role and acknowledging their

! $$! existence. The works in There is no There begs the viewer to take a closer look at their environment and to question, observe, and to live within and through the in-between spaces. These acts have altered my perception of my environment and have made me aware of different constructs of nature that threw me forward to observing my

surroundings in a different light.

Hamilton has gone through many transformations, from a bustling leading city in industry and manufacturing to an innovative leader in the arts and community building. Hamilton is all too familiar with loss of industry; the Steel Company of Canada (Stelco) was founded there in 1910 and not too long after became the largest producer of steel in Canada in the 1920’s. Fast-forward to 2015 and Stelco no longer exists as a domestic company, but is now known as U.S. Steel Canada and although it still produces coke and steel finishing, steel is no longer part of their production line.i _{This removal leaves the} identity of the Steel City in a tenuous place. Like many cities in Southwestern Ontario, Hamilton’s rich history is regularly covered and uncovered through renovation and construction. The Baptist Church on James Street South in the center of the city was a landmark, standing since 1878. Only two-thirds of the church now remain for a current construction project is turning the space into a thirty-story condo tower. Only the front façade of the church remains as a gesture towards the city’s history.ii Just as the front façade of the Baptist Church is a reminder of Hamilton’s history, as well as a form of uncovering, so are the tall dark smoke stacks belching black clouds from the old Stelco plant a somewhat unpleasant visual symbol of the hard work and industry that formed this city.

This sense of uncovering and covering is strongly represented in specific pieces in the exhibition, such as Jen Aitken’s work Potakin Min (2015), which first caught my attention. This piece crawls along the first exterior gallery wall over onto the interior gallery wall, as if guiding you, welcoming you into the space, which features six diverse artists. The bright neon yellow/green colour of the resin, combined with the raw gray concrete and foam, hugs the corner of the wall in an intricate geometrical form. For a form that comprises such mathematical dimensions and precision, it seemingly has no purpose. Perhaps it once had a purpose, a more pronounced shape that has now been deconstructed or seemingly abandoned. Potakin Min elongates itself across the wall,

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fanning out to the other side and forming holes and in-between spaces. It seems to have been expanded, but it has lost something in the process. The manufacturer’s stamp on the foam reveals the material’s origin and industrial purpose, but its role in its present form is enticingly unclear. Construction, design and manipulation are strongly referenced in this piece: it has been precisely measured to fit around the wall and to its counterparts. It builds upon itself one building block at a time, making it seem like there are more blocks to come but instead, it has stopped production and sits at a standstill. It sits uneasily as a subtle reference to growing and expanding construction. Construction on a road, for example, may be finished and ready to withhold the weight of continuous transportation and traffic but over time this same road will need some patch work or will even need to be repaved completely. Like the constructed environment, the human age is constantly in flux with continuous layers of the past embedded in the ground – building on top of one another.

Jen Aitken Potakin Min (2015) concrete, foam, and resin. © 2015; Simone Sciascetti By comparison, Josée Aubin Ouellette’s BODY BLOCKS (2015) appear as posters despite the manner in which the inkjet print on paper works are installed. These seven

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pieces are strewn across the gallery floor in the farthest right-hand back corner of the gallery space, with some only half or three quarters mounted on the wall and the rest curving to the floor. Faceless models pose with these “body blocks,” illustrating how they are to be used. With their leggings and tights the models look as though they have been cut out of an American Apparel ad. These body blocks act as an extension of the body perfectly conforming to certain body parts (thighs, calves, neck, forearm, hand, and elbow). The filling and surrounding of space is apparent in this work as some look as though the foam would be quite comfortable while others look constricting and foreign. The structured foam and the seemingly random installation of the prints are taken together, making a strange yet convincing juxtaposition. These body blocks bring

attention to the in-between spaces surrounding body parts otherwise overlooked, bringing forth an awareness of the space the human body takes up in its environment, and how the human’s environment is molded to form to the human. The pieces of foam bring the viewer’s attention to the in-between spaces, uncovering those nooks and crannies and bringing the unnoticed to the forefront. The shapes and positions of the blocks are very successful in questioning space, shape and everyday objects such as a computer mouse or a pillow. The human body adapts to its environment, BODY BLOCKS is commenting on

how humans make their environment conform to them.These blocks are specifically

made to form to the human body, putting emphasis on the human form. These blocks do not appear to be all that necessary to support a clear utilitarian function or movement. They appear to be stand ins for a new fad or product that is made with the purpose of making your life easier, more comfortable or better in your environment (but perhaps this fad or product will soon be forgotten).

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Josée Aubin Ouellette BODY BLOCKS (2015) inkjet print on paper. © 2015; Simone Sciascetti

The works in this exhibition sprawls evenly throughout the gallery space, allowing the viewers to encounter each piece in their own time according to their interest, but the theatrical, spotlight-style lighting in an otherwise darkened space is distracting and is more of a hindrance than an aid to the viewing experience. Pieces like Aitken’s Potakin Min (2015) and Ouellette’s BODY BLOCKS (2015) deal with space and function within the works themselves as well as in how they are situated in the gallery. The placement of the pieces produces an electrical surge that makes the space come alive, bringing in to question how art can be installed while conveying new ideas to the viewer. Just when I thought I had finished viewing the exhibition and made my way to the exit, there, behind the ramp leading to the doorway on my left, were two more of Ouellette’s prints slumped to the floor, this was a nice surprise and reminder to constantly observe your surroundings for they will forever evolve and transgress. This holds true whether you are in a

refurbished industrial park or you are witnessing the reconstituting of the human body. The important question is: will you notice when change happens in the space you occupy?

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I kept this question in mind as I stepped out of the gallery and into the bustling James Street North, more mindful of the old storefronts with apartments up top – some

businesses had been here for generations, but how long will they last before they become the unnoticed?

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i _{Deborah C. Sawyer, “The Canadian Encyclopedia”, Stelco Inc., February 7, 2006,} http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/stelco-inc/.

ii _{CBC Hamilton, Developer Hopes to Save Windswept James Baptist Church Window,} November 27, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/developer-hopes-to-save-

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Bibliography

CBC Hamilton. Developer Hopes to Save Windswept James Baptist Church Window. November 27, 2014. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/developer- hopes-to-save-windswept-james-baptist-church-window-1.2851455.

Sawyer, Deborah C. “The Canadian Encyclopedia.” Stelco Inc. February 7, 2006. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/stelco-inc/.

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Curriculum Vitae

Born: 21 April 1990 Hamilton,Ontario,Canada !

Education:

2016 Master of Fine Arts, University of Western Ontario, London, ON

2013 Bachelor of Arts with Honours and Minor in English, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

Exhibitions:

2016 Symbiotic, The Artlab Gallery, University of Western Ontario, London, ON 2016 Mushroom Festival, The Bookcase, University of Western Ontario, London, ON 2015 SECOND WIND, The Artlab Gallery, University of Western Ontario, London, ON 2015 Fresh Paint / New Construction - 11th edition, Art Mûr Gallery, Montreal, QC 2014 Member’s Exhibition, Blue Angel Gallery, Hamilton, ON

2013 Bookmarkers, McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, ON 2013 TEDx, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

2013 President’s Corridor of McMaster, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON 2013 SWARM, Hamilton Artist Inc., Hamilton, ON

2012 Annual Member’s Show, Hamilton Artist Inc., Hamilton, ON 2012 Liuna Station, Hamilton, ON

2012 Thou Art Party, Hamilton, ON

2012 Fusion, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON 2012 The Balloon Hoax, Baltimore House, Hamilton, ON 2012 Hello Stranger, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON 2011 TEDx, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

Collections:

2011 – Present The Centre for Leadership in Learning, Mills Memorial Library, Hamilton, ON

Publications:

2015 Exhibition Catalogue, Fresh Paint / New Construction – 11th edition Catalogue, Art Mûr Gallery. Print.

2013 Exhibition Catalogue, Bookmarkers Catalogue, McMaster Museum of Art. Print. 2013 President's Corridor Adds Some Local Colour, Daily News, By Andrew

Baulcomb, 30 January 2013. Web.

Scholarships & Grants

2014-16 Western Graduate Travel Grant, Western University

2014 University of Western Ontario Entrance Scholarship, University of Western Ontario

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Related Work Experience:

2014 – 2016 Foundations of Visual Arts Teaching Assistant, University of Western Ontario, London, ON

2012 Drawing Teaching Assistant, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

2011 – 2013 Studio Assistant, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

2011 – 2013 School of the Arts Office Assistant, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

2009 Co-Op, Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton, ON

Volunteer Experience:

2015-16 Member at Large Board Member at Forest City Gallery, London, ON

2015-16 Chair of the Visual Art Graduate Student Association at Western

University, London, ON