Thursday, June 24, 2010

Even When Strawberries are Falling From the Sky, We are Sad

"Technology is ethos, not devices" - Jeanne Randolph
In the present day, technology is not the iPhones, iPads, eBook readers nor computers. Technology as ethos is the god everybody firmly believes in (well aside from money I suppose). We are always pushed to become more efficient and productive. What should be applied to the machines are being applied to human beings. We are told, "Do time management, make plans, be efficient, and for god sakes, do not show any emotion! It's nothing personal that I have to fire you." We live in this repetitive, boxed-in daily lives and come home to a boxed apartment. Is this just current phenomena, or has it been like this ever since we discovered fire. I have no idea. One thing for sure is that most people are unhappy with their daily boxed lives. We cannot be efficient and on schedule all the time. Shit happens. We are not machines after all.

Someone very close to me is chronically depressed. Not many people understand her as she seems to have everything. A beautiful place to live, a good job with benefits, lots of fun travels and lots of money. But as my friend once told me, material things are not a path to happiness, I suppose. I thought of printing her a t-shirt that says "Severely Depressed" with a quirky smiley. But I don't think she'll find that very funny. So here it is, an art work instead for her and for all of us who has to run the rat race. We are sad in our boxed lives. And even when good things are happening; even when strawberries are falling from the sky, we are sad.

This art is for the Strawberry Festival at Port Hope with my collective Not an Octagon. It's far (near Peterborough) but guaranteed good time with tonnes of strawberries. Let's defy productivity and eat some strawberries under the hot summer moon.
This Saturday June 26th at 6pm
Facebook Invitation

We Mop!

I am having a group show, "Just Act Natural" in Kingston. My piece here is called "We Mop!". These bunnies look like mops and they are sweeping the forest ground. Yeah, I know. I am not too happy with this work either. However, I just didn't have enough time. *cry* My plan to have a painting & illustration focused summer has been shattered. I'm teaching 4 classes this summer (fun classes, I promise!), working as a research assistant, writing thesis paper and auditing a summer printing class. I also work at my parents' store on the weekends. I'd like to live in a world where I can just happily paint, but what can I say. We all gotta pay the bills. Anyways, here it is. Haters gonna hate.

Here is the info if you in the Kingston area:

Studio22
320 King St. East (2nd Floor), Kingston, ON K7L 3B4
Creative Directors: Ally and Hirsch Jacob
613.842.9895    map   studio22 homepage
Exhibition: June 25–27th, 2010, 1–5pm daily
Reception: Saturday, June 26th, 2010, 7-10pm


You can view my artist statement for the piece.