A Subversive Spring

In time to celebrate the third day of spring, I would like to share a few more pieces of my art with all of you. Spring, to me, signifies not only the blooming of flowers and the revival of culottes, but also time for new subversive collages, meant to inspire, dazzle and perplex.

I've been working here and there on a few new pieces but sadly haven't finished anything in time for display, so I'll share a few of the "classics."

"Scarlett Johannson"

I found Scarlett to be a great subversive collage subject, both due to her accessible media coverage and her widespread association with foreign diplomacy and the health care debate. Scarlett is one of my oldest collages-- I've had several offers for this piece and there's an ongoing bidding war between both Vancouver and craigslist for it. I will sell Scarlett to the highest bidder, as is my usual practice. Feel free to enter the war!

$750.00 CAN

"Heartthrob", close-up

This is a newer collage; pretty self-explanatory. I'm trying to explore the ties between society's idea of justice and beauty, and the space in between. What happens in that space? How deeply is justice intertwined with beauty, and vice versa? Which gender is more affected by this collage? Can we even be divided and defined into genders?

The answers may surprise you. Do John Krasinski, Tim Riggins and James Franco hold the answers? I'm not sure, but I enjoy looking at them.

Not for sale.

THE PROCESS

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a subversive collage. I like to seclude myself in my workspace and not be disturbed while I'm collaging. I will occasionally permit visits while I'm working but will rarely speak during them.

A little known fact is that I will, on occasion, collaborate with another artist for a piece. Here Zak works on a piece that we made over the summer and presented as a gift to a friend. Zak first became familiar with my work when I entered a fan art contest he and his boys at Family Contact were holding. Intrigued by the subversiveness of the piece, he decided to interview me. Since then, Zak and I have collaborated on many projects together (perhaps you've read about our work on Buffy), and while we have very different styles, they can sometimes merge together into a successful collage.

THE RESULTS

"Amy's Birthday"

I don't think Zak was entirely satisfied with the end result; like Angela Martin, he's a known perfectionist.

If we had not given this subversive collage to a friend, I would have priced it at $445.00 CAN.

On occasion, I will write to different art societies and present my work to them. Last year I wrote to the Ontario Crafts Council and sent them the below letter.

I of course also included pictures of the mentioned collages, including "Angelina Jolie/Jennifer Aniston" "Scarlett Johannson" and "Lost." To date, there has been no reply from the OCC. Oftentimes, I find that art societies and councils can become overwhelmed when viewing my work, as it reminds them of art's potential. Sometimes no reply is needed.

I hope these collages brighten up your first few days of spring. Which collage do YOU find the most inspiring? Do you dream of creating your own subversive collage? Who would you like to see featured next? As always, I'd love to hear it.

My First Gif

Have you ever dreamed of seeing yourself clad in red crushed velour, driving a wooden stake (or two) into the hearts of your vampiric enemies? Have you ever wanted to watch this scene again and again, in an endless loop of destruction and dusting? Have you ever thought that you were more deserving of a gif than anyone else that you know?

I have. And now my dreams have come true.

Thanks to my editor and cinematographer, Zak Tatham, I have been immortalized in gif form (this now marks one of my life goals complete). Check it out!

I've always been very intrigued by gifs and I think I'd like to use more of them and their hypnotic powers. My favorite gif-master can be found here, Rich from fourfour who has an awesome blog. He makes gifs even more fun by combining them with the ridiculousness that is Tyra Banks and America's Next Top Model (a show often overlooked by the Emmys, though it could be [but is not] described as the critic's darling for its innovative and often unflinching look into the fashion industry and society).

Now I challenge YOU to make your own gifs, whether they be gifs of me or gifs of things that aren't me.

Special thanks to Zak T., who I hope will have a long future in the gif-industry.