leave your skin at the door

ufv bfa grad exhibition 2011

all of our lives are connected by the fact that they will one day end. Death is the one barrier that we as humans have been unable to curb, and remains the most unifying aspect of our individual lives.

Despite this, the end of the corporeal substance is only the most definite death that we can point to in our collective and subjective experience.

Our lives encompass countless deaths every day – the death of cells in our body, the death of memories, the death of remembrance of a given time or place. A defining aspect of our modern Western societies is our proficiency at manufacturing means by which we attempt to ignore the fact of our mortality. By immersing ourselves in memory, by building monuments to our passing, by accident or design, we figuratively and literally leave pieces of ourselves behind every day. Some are tiny pieces that are lost as soon as they are discarded, some capture the attention on one, many or possibly millions, and some live in the hearts of friends, lovers, family and passers-by for years. Leave Your Skin At The Door is an attempt to document this process; it is an elegant, direct, slow-burning and emotional show that is innately human at its core. The many and varied pieces within depict facets of humanity that are universal and intensely personal, and the questions it poses are far-reaching and ambitious, yet succinct: What is death? When does life end and death begin? What is memory and how can it be captured? What do we do – and what can we do – to stop this procession towards death?

In the same way that the individual life makes more sense when placed in its societal con-text, this show is more than the sum of its considerable parts. The pieces individually and collectively take the uniquely individual and the demonstrably universal and utilises them to depict a remarkable insight into the inner, outer and in-between machinations of human relationships, fears, memories and death. Leave Your Skin At The Door takes eternal themes and makes them immediate, fresh and urgent, and it will hold a mirror up to your life that may lead you to assess your very existence. Just don’t forget your skin on the way out.

Paul E. BrammerApril 2011

hannah bennettrebekah brackettmichelle carlson

warren davisscott douglas

carla millersandy moulton

amy powersparker reid

melanie rogershaley smith

leave your skin at the door2

dip

possibilities.

sea,into the

— patti smith

the sea of

“

“

3

bennetthannah

aTime for Everything is a sculpture installation which is concerned with the collection of

memories, the gathering of experi-ence and the passage of time. The use of vintage, hard-shelled suitcases with their connotations of a personalpast and personal ‘baggage’ set up a nostalgic matrix onto which projected images of everyday people are cast. The projections are created by setting up slideprojectors in front of open suitcases placed on the floor. The wires and other parts of the analogue equip-ment spread freely, connecting the cases and the humming projectors. The smell and heat emitted by the burning bulbs is an integral part of

A TimE for EvEryThingmixEd mEdiA | insTAllATion | 2011

........................................................................................

........................................................................................

this installation as well as the use of low lighting within the gallery space. By integrating elements that interact with more than one sense, the installation creates an environment steeped in nostalgia for what has passed and for what will inevitably come to pass. The colour, shape and texture of the fabric lining inside the suitcases creates a non-neutral base onto which the projections are cast. Shaped like caskets, these cases and their linings allude to death, and this sense of loss seeps into the unknown narratives of the projected images.


bennetthannah

in this series memory is expressed through layering and collaging images of everyday materials and paper ephemera. Coloured and patterned paper, ink and chalks are

used to build-up the surface of large digital prints, representing the layering of memories. Recent memories tend to distort and obscure those from an earlier time. Rather like looking into a still pool, the viewer can recognize imagery at various depths.

mEmorAndAdigiTAl PrinT | 22” x 30” | 2011

...............................................................

...............................................................

5

— friedrich nietzsche

don’t come to mindwhen we

them.

has never been proven.we only know that some things

the existence of

forgetting

want

“

“


bennetthannah

this series of works is concerned with the materiality and directness of mark-making as well as evoking the tradition of landscape painting in Canada. This series began with the creation of many small

coloured chalk drawings that were used as thumbnails for the larger paintings. The work distils the components of a ‘landscape’ down to basic shapes and colours, highlighting the fact that a landscape painting is made up of materialsof representation: pigment, gesture and ground as opposed to earth, water, clouds and sky. The intention of these works set up a dialogue between reality and the abstracted/re-presented images that sits within the gallery.

CAnAdiAn lAndsCAPEs 1-9ACryliC PAinT | 9’ x 12’ | 2011

........................................................................

........................................................................

7

“

“

i like a canvas to

let`s see if i can do it

and, as the limitationsare something called

be alive is theand bebreathe

pigment & canvas,

— lee krasner

alive.

point.


brackettrebekah

The bridge may also symbolically resonate with the uncertainties of life. Personally, this aspect of transition is particularly meaningful for me as I reach the end of my undergraduate studies.

ThE BridgEink, wATErColour & PolysTyrEnE | insTAllATion | 2011

....................................................................................

....................................................................................

this series of ink and watercolour drawings encapsulates the re-search, design, and

construction of the iconic Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, BritishColumbia. Having studied HartCranes poem, ‘To Brooklyn Bridge’,I have gathered informationregarding the psychological, literary, symbolic and personal aspects of the Lions Gate Bridge and have infused his romantic approach conceptually in the drawings and paintings. Theinstallation of the frames echoes the drawings of the bridge itself – supporting the research for this particular bridge. Through this series, I am questioning the symbol-ism and the notion of transition, which can awaken a state of anxiety on a subconscious level.

9

o

god

sleepless as the river under thee,

unto ussometime sweep, descend

— hart crane

the sea, the prairies’

and of the curveship lend

a myth to

dreaming sod, lowliestvaulting

“

“


brackettrebekah

26 ConvErsATions (and then some)PEn And ink on PAPEr | 8.5” x 10” | 2011

....................................................................................

....................................................................................

26 Conversations (and then some) is a compilation of individual pages of con-versations recalled from

memory in the style of panels, collectively a graphic novel printed and drawn with pen and ink. I have randomly selected conversations that I’ve had throughout my life that, for some reason or another, have stayed in my memory. Through theuse of imagery and text I am looking between the subconscious and the conscious state, to select certain seg-ments of conversations that I’ve had. Though these conversations may seem to have little connection, I am questioning the process of selective memory and why we retain such seemingly random thoughts.

11

you can do

— harvey pekar

there is no limit to what

it’s not the fault of comics. i haveto the same choice of words as

order you put ‘em in orwhat kind of

with words and pictures.

you use.

anything

shakespheareaccess

illustration

“

“


carlsonmichelle

the domestic interior is imbued with human presence. Often, a personal connection is formed between a house and its inhabitants;it is a repository of belongings, memories,

aspirations and records.

An abandoned home wrought with decay and neglect may signify a sense of loss and unfulfilled dreams. Images such as these act as a metaphor for any number of life’s transitions such as changing careers, growing a family, or enduring financial hard-ship. They may even symbolize the experiencing of declining health or the passing of a life. For human existence is constantly in flux—metamorphosing and transforming—in which the means of passage could very possibly be as simple as a door.

PAssAgEACryliC on sAlvAgEd doors

20.75” x 74” | 24” x 70.5” | 28” x 74” | 2011

..................................................................

..................................................................


carlsonmichelle

clothing is an appropriate medium with which to explore the inevitability of human mortality. Most importantly, it is a vital component in funerary rituals all over the world. For some cultures, it is customary for the deceased to be

buried in extravagant cloth, ensuring that their soul will be granted access into the afterlife. For others, it is common for the bereaved to dress in a specific colour, sometimes for extended periods, as a way of publicly announcing their personal loss.

As part of our everyday existence, however, an individual’s gar-ments act as an interface between their private and public image. Clothing may communicate one’s personality, social status, and occupation, embodying a person’s identity.

With the application of semi-transparent clothing, I am creating a space in limbo, located somewhere between the materiality of the garments and that of human absence. This is a feeling that may be familiar to those who have experienced loss. During this process, many individuals find consolation in the belief of a non-physical self that exists apart from the corporeal body, and this piece invites such contemplation.

BEings wiThouT BodiEsgAuzE, ThrEAd, fABriC sTArCh, TEA | 34” x 9” x 9” | 2011

..............................................................................

..............................................................................

15

what is

— ray charles

but it’s a force that can light a room.

it’s like

we don’t really know what it is,

electricity-soul?“

“


carlsonmichelle

imprints of decaying, transparent clothing function as a trace or a remnant — fossils

that speak to the existence of life from a previous era. When we bear witness to these past lives, personal connections, narratives, and memories can percolate through our senses,evoking feelings of loss, longing or perhaps regret.

humAn rEmAinsrC PrinT | 25” x 36” | 2011

...................................................................................

...................................................................................

17

with its flickering lampstumbles along the trail

its scenes, to

and kindle with pale gleams theits echoes,

of former days.

— winston churchill

trying toof the past,

revivereconstruct

passion

history“

“


at any rate,nothing just

— jean baudrillard

when everything has

of everything that disappearsthere remains traces.

the problem is what remains

but the grinwithout the cat...

a cat’s grin is already something terryifying,

it’s a bit like

vanishes;

lewis carroll’scheshire cat...

disappeared.

“

“

19

douglasscott

this fear through referencing the disappearance of the Cheshire Cat from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland which leaves nothingbut a ghost, a narcissistic grin still hanging in its place. With a sub-ject’s rational thought disappearing,Baudrillard describes an entity that remains, a mindless irrational resemblance to the subject.Sigmund Freud talks about the aesthetics of the disturbing,including the ‘other’, in his con-cept of “The Uncanny”, a subtleevent of finding somethingfamiliar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.

I seek structures that are empty, purely functional and mechanical without humanpresence – a rotting world that isnot meant for our eyes. In these

fear is a natural response to threats in our environ-ment. It is an instinct that has kept us safe from

dangers in our primal past. From infancy to death, we are gene-tically programmed to feel fear. Taking visual information from our environment, our brain assesses and responds accordingly toensure our personal survival.

There are many different layers and interpretations of how and why we fear certain things. The fear of the unknown often leads to a projection onto a figure that is alien to our perception. This alien, or rather ‘the other’, is a concept, situation, or figure thatwe cannot understand or empa-thise with. French philosopher, Jean Baudrillard, briefly discusses

Corridor_01 / fArm_01PigmEnTEd ink on ArChivAl PAPEr | 23” x 35” | 2011

...................................................................................

...................................................................................

areas, uncanny figures stand to confront or observe the viewer that has entered a space that is as empty as the figures them-selves. I strive for the creation of something that is not just animage but a presence, something that haunts the space. Through understanding emptiness andirrationality, I will continue to sculpt my imagery to become the eerie presence that lingers and unnerves all that see it.


theitself has

— jean baurdrillard

enddisappeared

““

21

moultonsandy

When people become aware of their mortality, they tend to search for deeper meanings within them-selves in the attempt to understand the complexities of their past andthe worth of their presence. This work reflects how the heart can grow into a distressed state over the ideals of love and romance.

these pieces investigate as-pects of the human heartfocusing on the psychological and the social influences that

trigger negative self-talk and defeatist attitudes. The physicality of the heart is affected by these emotional percep-tions. The black polyurethane rubber of the frames, signify loss and suffering or as Curtis White states in The Barbaric Heart that “tragically we have become eager participants in our own defeat, slaves to our own destruction.”

frEE floATing hosTiliTylino CuT PrinTs on CAnvAs, sCulPTEd frAmEs CAsT in PolyurEThAnE ruBBErliquid lATEx, PAPEr And ACryliC PAinTing | 5” x 7” | 2011

................................................................................................

................................................................................................


millercarla

The meaning of filth is varied. It defines the dirty, unclean, gross, offensive, and impure. Corpses are feared for the belief that they will spread disease. There also exists the need to spiritually purify the deceased body as well as the living who have come into contact with the dead, as is evident in the vast number of cleansing rituals that exist globally. It appears that there is something inherently filthy about death, regardless of whether the term is being used to define the diseased or the evil. By combining soap with biological materials this installation questions the origin of these beliefs and practices by essentially skewing the boundary between filth and cleanliness.

in relation to the living human body, filth is produced when sub-stances become de-

tached from it. This includes secretions such as saliva or blood and solid materialssuch as hair, fingernails or dead skin cells. After death the entire corpse is consi-dered unclean. It appears that filth is not createdbecause a substance has crossed the boundarybetween the body and the outside world, but rather the boundary between theliving and the dead.

soAP sCulPTurEsoAP, hAir, fingErnAils And BonE | insTAllATion | 2011

....................................................................................

....................................................................................

23

filth

jettisoned

boundarybut

a margin.

is not a quality in itself,

— julia kristeva

its other side,

represents the object

applies only towhat relates to a

and, more particularly,

out of that boundary,

“

“


powersamy

making art is an act of ex-pression; it is the unleashing of one’s inner self, a physi-cal manifestation of private

thoughts and emotions through which viewer can catch a glimpse of the way in which the artist perceives the world. This is intriguing because perception is an isolatedexperience, ordinarily confined to the mind of the perceiver. It is this subjectivityof perception which continues to influ-ence my work. One’s sense of self isaffected by the way in which one perceivesthe world. Yet the way the world is viewed differs for each and every individual. The minds of others become like blind spots while the individual peers egocentrically at the world. My work approaches these ideas with a philosophical sense of aweinspired by an episode of the CBCpodcast “Ideas” with producer Frank Faulk, who muses over the ineffable, that

wiThouT wordsoil PAinTings | 24” x 30” | 2011 | PhoTogrAPhiCEmulsion on CAnvAs, PlExiglAss, zinC, woodPAnEl, And CErAmiC TilE | 48.5” x 42.5” | 2011

...................................................................................

...................................................................................

which cannot be expressed with words. Faulk believes the sense of the ineffable is as common as sight. Since art is pre-dominantly visual, it follows then that my sense of the ineffable might best becaptured with art.

Through an intuitive process of layering paint and stylistic line work, the abstract paintings reveal the way in which one’sinner reality influences one’s outlook. Off-setting the abstract nature of the paintings, layered photographic representations of cityscapes printed on various materials are intended to dwarf the overwhelming sense of inner self. The cityscapes serve as reminders of how isolating perception can be, and beyond that is a vast worldwhich can diminish one’s sense ofself-importance.

25

we can

fictive models because

they makea reality that we can neither

— gerhard richter

see nor describe,

visible

but whose existencepostulate.

““

abstract pictures are


reidparker

This series of paintings explore the details that disintegrate in theattempt to recall particular facial features of individuals I have known. Time and age also play a role in the act of portrayingnostalgia onto a two dimensional surface. Through this process, questions are raised about the longevity of a nostalgic thought and how and how itaddresses our fears and unknown desires, if at all.

nostalgia is an inevita-ble experience that occurs when one is self reflective of the

past, usually longing for a lostfeeling, experience or event. When my own nostalgic mem-ories are critically analyzed, I dis-cover the experiences to be hazy, avoiding any linear narratives. The emotional resonance is vivid but the visual surface is layered and out of focus. Without the longing to recall moments from the past, the image that constructs familiar faces, locations, or even random thoughts diminishes over time.

PAinTing TiTlE 1-5oil And ACryiliC on CAnvAs | 3’ x 4’ | 2011

...................................................................................

...................................................................................

27

— jacques cousteau

“

“

when one person,for whatever reason,

he has no right to keep itto himself.

has a chance tolead an exceptional

life,


— germain st-onge

myself in the

sometime, somewhere,i should retrace my way,

but there is no hurry.

i don`t know

i don`t know

path ofi lost

who i am,where to go,

dreams.“

“

29

rogersmelanie

ThE irrATionAl BodydigiTAl PrinTs | 2’ x 3’ | 2011

...................................................................................

...................................................................................

We are not

invincible,bulletproof,impassable,

or firm.Bones breakdisintegrate,

diminishand burn.

Skin tears,ruptures,

bruisesand weeps,

invincible is the mindwith

irrational belief.

For Deathis swift,abrupt,suddenand sweet,Not unaware,aloof,blindedor discreet.

So vital,conscious,alive is the human,Unaware ofthe Deaththat tip-toesbehind them.


smithhaley

To cleanse and purge is to express my own emotions associated in the past that have not been adequately acknowledged. Surroundings are often blurred and dis-torted; uncomfortable memories are repressed. Only when the taboo is shed can the prejudices of this disease be understood. Ultimately, the work addresses a desire to transform this incurable condition into something with which to be at peace, thus, embracing this painful disease to the point that it becomes bearable.

for Catharsis there is a desire to show intimate spaces in the hu-man body unseen until parts of it have gone awry. On a personal

level, this subject matter has affected members of my family and has impacted my life much more than I could ever have imagined. To discuss a difficult illness like Crohn’s Disease is to empathize with the pain of the other and to comprehend the intricate model of the human body. By rendering the colonoscopy stills through an abstract painterly style, the moment of the inactive or active diseased tissues are adequately exposed, symbolizing either a state of repulsion or intrigue.

CAThArsisACryliC PAinTing & mixEd mEdiA | 5’ x 10’ | 2011

...................................................................................

...................................................................................

31

the only time

i am painting

— andy warhol

i feel alive is when““


daviswarren

beginning with a fog of algebraic equations and a personal interest in relative explanations of our inter-dependent reality, I thought to play

with a Quantum Mechanic equation and use its clinical abstractive design as a jump to form images.

What is most important to me is the integrity of the image and I found it difficult to stay within the prerequisite boundaries I had set for myself. Numbers and mathematical symbols do not lend themselves easily to me as creative images but I imagined the possibility of those symbols rebounded as an emotional figurative image containing the gist of the equation. The work was to be as spontaneous as possible while being tacked to the severity of algebraic motifswhich describe how suggestion affects possibility, and how a single action creates infinite realities.

1955 — 2010

33

unTiTlEdACryliC on CAnvAs | 4’ x 4’ | 2009

unTiTlEdACryliC on CAnvAs | 2’ x 2’ | 2008

We are indebted to many people for thisexhibition. First, this show would not havebeen possible without the generous spon-sorship of the UFV Student Union Society.This is the third year SUS has supported theBFA Grad Show, and we gratefully honourtheir commitment towards making thisevent a success.

We also wish to acknowledge the spon-sorship of the UFV Alumni Association. Your assistance and role in promoting theexhibition has been of enormous value,and for this we thank you.

To the numerous organizations and localbusinesses, we are deeply grateful foryour contributions to the fundraising ofthis event. Without your support for thestudents’ work here in the Visual ArtsDepartment, the Fraser Valley communitywould not benefit from this rich, culturalexchange celebrating the arts and thecreative talents of these graduates. Tothe University of the Fraser Valley, and tothe faculty and support staff of the VisualArts Department in particular, your selflessdedication to the success of this exhibitionhas been invaluable; thank you.

Lastly, to all the individuals, including familyand friends, whose expertise is manifestedin many aspects of this exhibition, we whole-heartedly express our gratitude for yourunwavering support.

— BfA grad Committee

Best Buy (david Collier)The Cheaper show

Civl radioChilliwack Arts Council

Chilliwack Cultural CentreEverything wine

BC Pest Control (grace van)greendale Pottery

meadow gardens (frank Asin)mission springs

Brewing Companyopus framing & Art supplies (langley)

scott meadus - The huber meadus groupsafeway (ocean Park)

schellenberg Potterystarbucks (Clearbrook Town Centre)

ufv facilities

ufv graphics Class: Concepts & systemsin Communication designABC restaurant (langley)Cheryl dahlAlex duffdavid EvansDeb Greenfieldvicki manz, Personal Chefmichael lavermichelle stubbeminter gardensAaron moranPat TaddyTyler lanzotto nurseryman & landscaper ltd.Paul Brammerrevolution Cigars and fine gifts

acknowledgements

..................................................

catalogue design : VIJIT keOMISY

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

NOTeS