Art indulgence
24-hour art marathon showcases student work
Jeanne Fronda, Staff
Photo by David Lipnowski.
Thousands of straight pins. Eleven rolls of film. Thirty-eight feet of plastic vinyl. These are some of the elements used in the Gallery of Student Art’s (GoSA) first art marathon.
Starting on Nov. 21 and ending 24 hours later on Nov. 22, Do More, Make More: 24 hr marathon involved a group of artists who would produce art non-stop for 24 hours. The artists gathered materials and brought them into GOSA to create new works, but nothing else was arranged or prepared before the marathon began.
Three artists, Jenny Moore Koslowsky, Denise C. Miller and Alexis Dirks — produced the art, while the remaining two — Eryn Thorey MacKenzie and Mhelanni Gorre — documented the event by taking photographs. The pieces that resulted remain on display in the gallery for the public to view.
Photo by David Lipnowski.
Immediately upon walking into the gallery, the works seem connected. The pieces are monochromatic, featuring white, silver and black; the photos that documented the event, called “Document,” are also black and white. After seeing “It feels good, promise,” the large, clear vinyl curtain with thousands of pins imbedded in it, it’s clear that creating the piece demanded a lot of attention. One may find it irresistible to touch the work to feel the prickly pins, and Koslowsky said she intended for viewers to interact with the piece.
“People don’t experience things,” said the fourth-year student. “I wanted to produce something tactile. I wanted to produce something beautiful and subtle. I wanted it to be a little more provocative and blatant.”
Koslowsky explained that she wanted her work to revolve around relationships and how “memory is a representation of reality.” She added that she wanted the piece to make viewers question a journey and the meaning of that journey. For her, the journey during the creation of the art was to try a new type of art, as she usually uses patterns and colours in her work.
Another piece that involved meticulous attention was Denise C. Miller’s “White.” Beautiful long strands of white yarn are wrapped around a pillar and extend to the ceiling, as if to imply brain synapses or extended ideas. Silver beads were also placed on the yarn throughout the work.
“[‘White’] was more instinct-based,” said Miller, a School of Art student who used to study clothing and textiles in the faculty of human ecology. “[It was about the] the brain and different thoughts and [tying] it in together.”
Dirks’ “Trophies” also ties in nicely with the rest of the works. A series of ink drawings, “Trophies” features an image of a trophy and a narration on the trophy’s base. Most of the narration describes actions that deal with repetition and trying to achieve something.
Photo by David Lipnowski.
“I chose the trophy because it’s a useless object, but it’s your own marker to . . . try to achieve that goal or prize,” said Dirks. “It’s a struggle to reach that goal . . . and about the cycle of repeating that process . . . . I really like the process of repetition.”
She added that the idea of a marathon was important, as GOSA is a student gallery. “Staying up all night is something that all students do,” said Dirks.
So Do More, Make More is definitely an exhibit that even non-art majors will appreciate.
Do More, Make More: 24 hr marathon runs until Dec. 4 at the Gallery of Student Art, located at 105A University Centre. The gallery is open Monday to Friday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
