Is the work of accomplished artists the result of unique talent, of inspired intent, of simple dogged effort – or some measure of all of those?
That question is at the heart of Gibsons Public Art Gallery (GPAG)’s new show, States of Art: Play and Process. The group exhibition, including artists Tzaddi Gordon, Jan Jensen, Marlene Lowden, and Kez Sherwood, “challenges the myth of artistic genius,” the gallery said in a release. The fact is, it said, artworks “tend to develop out of hours upon hours of practice and exploration.”
Gordon is a prime example of such persistence and what it can yield. The Roberts Creek mixed media artist has committed to practising art every day – mostly digital work on an iPad – no matter how inspired or deflated she’s feeling, or what else is going on in her life. She posts her work every day on Instagram. As of Jan. 15, she was on day 647. It’s a commitment she calls “don’t break the chain.”
“You take a calendar and mark an X on every day you practise,” Gordon said in an interview. “Because of the visual of that growing chain of Xs, you end up not wanting to break it.”
Painter Marlene Lowden agreed that there’s as at least much process to creating as there is any special ability, and as often as not, the original vision can get in the way.
“We try to get out of our heads as much as possible,” Lowden said. “We all might approach the canvas with an inspiration or intention, but we try to let the process itself create the meaning for the piece, or develop the piece.
“As a painter, right to the last brushstroke, we can have the painting sort of talk back to us as we’re working along – which can be freeing but also terrifying.”
To demonstrate their various creative processes, each artist will be holding a workshop during the exhibition. Gordon will be demonstrating what she’s learned about “iPad as Studio.” Lowden will give a talk about her homage series dedicated to Canadian woman artists, and hold a separate workshop on a technique called “Blind Contour,” which she says, “helps you see what’s actually in front of you rather than what you think you see.” Jan Jensen will give a talk and demonstration called “The Power of PLAY.” And metal artist Kez Sherwood will offer a talk on her process of morphing two-dimensional designs into three-dimensional aluminum pieces.
A simultaneous exhibition, Secrets of the Wilderness, will be staged in the Eve Smart Gallery at GPAG, featuring the work of textile and pastel artists Kaija Rautiainen.
Both shows run until Sunday Feb. 10, when all the artists, including Rautianen, will be in attendance from 12 to 2 p.m. Workshop dates and details can be found on the GPAG website.
