I began to make video profiles for my artist friends as a favour. Then I realized that they are a great way to stay sharp and hone my storytelling skills. Nowadays I make shorts for clients in the cultural and education fields, using the tools of creative non-fiction such as anecdote and reflection. I like to think of them as my versions of my favourite radio show This American Life, sweet, intimate, not nessesarily cool, but smart.
Tara and I followed the progress of Shary Boyle’s White Elephant as she created a giant sculpture throughout the pandemic. The sculpture is a knockout and will be travelling across Canada to several museums and galleries. The short film gave us a chance to move to a new camera system which is always a little daunting.
Tara is the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in Fine Arts and a big part of that job is supporting the MFA students however she can—in this case by documenting the final thesis show by Maria Simmons. A real homerun if you ask me. Kudos to Ivan at UWAG for permitting the bonkers materials!
Tara and I were commissioned to film a series of artist bios for the 2020 winners of the Arts Awards of Waterloo Region. Filming during the ‘rona was tough, it limited our locations and made the whole kit and kaboodle a bit more work. But it was worth it—we met an intriguing group of community leaders, people who walk the walk when it comes to the local arts scene. They’re the reason the K-dub is a place worth living.
I’m on the board of the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery. In lieu of committee work, which I am just not cut out for, I make videos. Here’s the latest—a celebration of artist Joon Hee Kim’s 2020 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics.
The ‘rona virus has upended most artist’s studio practice. For those lucky enough to have a studio it’s a place of refuge. But for most artists you carve out a little space maybe in an apartment, maybe it’s the dining table, maybe the kitchen counter. Adaptability is key. Flexibility is a muscle. And being OK with a daily mess sure doesn’t hurt.
This past autumn I was lucky enough to be chosen to create a portrait of one of the winners of the 2019 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Art. I then hit the jackpot being paired with filmmaker and artist Ali Kazimi. He was a gem, and a joy to interview. Tara Cooper ran the interview and we both shot and edited the final piece.
The Giller Prize award ceremony had a problem—few attendees had read all of the books, making the whole endeavor an abstract exercise. Working with a small team I scripted, shot and edited a book trailer for each nominee. The trailers were a big hit at the ceremony and are now standard each year.
Benoit Maubrey is a real character, an old-school punk artist who created the fantastic art installation ARENA for CAFKA 18. Local art critic and writer Glodeane Browne interviewed Benoit as he put the finishing touches on the work. It's a crazy project, a giant array of found speakers that locals can sing into, call up and rant into, or just hang out on. One of the best projects I've seen at a CAFKA.
There’s something magical about artist residencies. Beyond the typical reasons of time and focus, there’s something deeper. It’s meeting new artists, learning new techniques, and exploring parts of the world you may not even think of. Here’s a couple of videos we made during our residencies at Anderson Ranch Art Center, and Ox-Bow School of Art.
In the summer of 2017 Tara and I were invited as Faculty in Residence at the Ox-Bow School of Art. It's kind of a big deal. Once we arrived we understood why—the grounds are magical, the artists are some of the best in America, and there is an infectious spirit that makes you want to make. For our artist's talk we made a portrait of the school—shot and cut in 2 days. We're pretty proud of it, and the informal quality and style is a direction we are going to follow more in our films to come.
A look into the story behind Jeremy Dean's new sculpture Everything Rises, created at Anderson Ranch in Snowmass Colorado.
How do you compete for future graduate students in a competitive landscape? Feature short stories of current grads telling really specific stories, not just the usual platitudes. I have made over a dozen shorts for Univeristy of Waterloo's Fine Arts Department.
Dollhouse is Anna van Milligen's MFA thesis installation, completed at the University of Waterloo Department of Fine Arts in spring 2016. The installation is a knockout, Barbie Modernism is what I'd call it
