Ok, so, listen up people. I somehow stumbled into organizing an exhibit at Graffiti Gallery that is opening in EXACTLY ONE MONTH! Thursday, March 18.
The original idea was a show of word-art, text, language, bi-and-tri-lingualism, etc, but the logistics of that will require much more time to organize. It will still happen, but probably in late fall.
So... I think a Label/Alfa exhibit might be in order. A consideration of those two projects, how they brought a community of diverse artists and strangers together, what kind of work they generated, how they influenced us, etc.
Now that both the Label and Alfa can be considered "finished", in that they're no longer active per se, it might be a good time to start using some of that massive volume of work we generated for our mutual (material) benefit-- not financially, necessarily, but just in terms of promoting a big, important body of work.
If you're reading this, you're part of that community, and I'd like you in the show.
I'm not super concerned about having brand new work, or even necessarily about themes beyond some kind of idea of cross-pollenation, i.e. here's work i created for the XXX exhibit in October '06 which then led to this body of work by me, which then led me to blah blah blah...
This is't going to be a big giant exhibit, in that i don't imagine i'll do much to market it or try to get much media coverage or whatever. That will come eventually. Nor do I intend for it to be a definitive kind of thing that calls us a group (a la 2-6) or that tries to show some specific cohesive thread that runs through all our work. For me, it's just sort of a first attempt at us all exhibiting publicly together again, at re-learning the mechanics of organizing an art show, and at reminding ourselves and the world of, uh, i dunno. Something. That we're awesome, I guess.
Feedback? Title?
Title:
Participants:
42 comments:
I could lend you my Izzy Asper that I made one week after his death for the Dead Show.
I think this is a nice idea Lorne. I hope that you can get Dan involved too, don't know if he visits BETA or not.
Im in. James, Lorne et al.......Art band?
word ver: untail
cooooool. art band! the great peppermint impossible!
looks like we're going to be able to push back the actual opening a bit, too, which is good. pat's going to keep me posted as far as a date goes.
lorne, will you be here for this show/set-up?
word verif:format
I feel like the name should be "Dutch Rudders: An explanation on the inside of the Mask"
or
"LABEL: A Retrospective: Putting the Consensual Back in Non- Consensual."
No spelling mistakes on above
or
Peter Piper Picked A Painters Pecker
OR
"Label: The Basement Paints"
OR
"Fiends For Decency"
OR
"Never Mind the Mollusks Heres the Poop Whistles
Word Ver: bletied
ha ha! nice. i like the dutch rudders one.
i don't know if i'll be there, though i would certainly like to. i don't know exactly when it will be, so...
This overlaps with my solo show at Piano Nobile, so I won't have any substantial work to put in. Maybe I can raid a sketchbook or something. If you won't be here who will hang the show and do all that curator stuff? GG?
i'll do my best to organize from here, and then hopefully arrive in time to curate/hang, though hanging work is certainly not my forte.
i'm the type of curator who doesn't like to get his hands dirty-- and in that regard, damien hirst is a big inspiration for me... heh. just kidding.
as i said, the opening date is now uncertain (pat thought i had cancelled, so filled that slot, but there will be others available in the next few months). which is good. gives a bit more planning time.
word verif: wories. as in, have none. :)
if there´s going to be a show. May as well make it ginormous. This is a special year. pull no punches. Everything should be pushed to the tits. Full page spreads. We should get leo grohl and the masons in on it
veri- culab
as in culaborate
hmmm. Might be limiting to have it a retro-spect, I suspect. Can't really retro new members in...and who wants to see a show of old art.
I liked your first show idea about 'the word'. I think we could pull alot of people into it, including the alfa-mites. It's been rumored that Dan is also making a gi-normous goat out of paper mache!(not to be confused with the golden calf) To tie into word maybe he could right on it "GOTE" or I am not a calf or something. hehe. I promise I won't burnt it.
Might also be able to get the abzurbs to play/show, they are a riot. Get that date nailed down buddy!
The more artists in the bigger the turnout. Start collecting, makje a facebook group, etc, etc. etc.
if lorne and you and nij are in town we should definetly have a spot playing music at the thing. And I like the word idea too.
We still on for tommorow there culleton?
Perhaps we should champion the MANITOBA theme. It being the cultural capitol this year. Actually Im not even sure what Im referring to. Could someone help me out? Is Winnipeg the cultural city of Canada this year? What does that entail? Maybe if we allign the theme with that we can drum up more attention provincial funding etc. Also, when we played the big show at halloween for Niki Trotsky an M trainer. they have some kind of art brigade or something like that which specializes in art parties promotion etc. Perhaps we should reunite with her clan. There were lots of people there. Is it rude to charge at the door at an art opening? I think that would be sweet so that the artists get a scrap of $ for once.
word veri; molytox
as in molytox coctail.
i've already been working with artists out here about the "word" theme. that's a show that will happen when i can organize funding, etc.
for me, i like the MB theme. denis' piece, for e.g. would fit nicely in that regard.
as far as the inclusion of groups like abzurbs or whoever, i'm pretty set on making this a "label/alfa/beta and friends" kind of show. that doesn't mean others can't get in on it somehow, but it means that the core of the show and any performances associated with it should be by us and label/beta/alfa-ites.
and the giant goat is already in.
p.s. re the "word" thing. that will involve artists from several provinces, etc, so i don't think it's a great idea to sort of "use up" the idea in advance.
The 9" Burt is in.
Lorne..sounds awesome...Manitoba theme-ish, a giant goat, a mini burt, art band, asper piece....it's the makings of a show. got a date yet?
yep Krahnie, we're on.
I'm with Smoky, get Trosky in on it, and that Andrina person as well.
I'm not sure what I'll put in...maybe a few paintings/landscapes, maybe some drawings...hmmm...I'll talk with pancoe & Jennie too.
What about Reader, Morrison, Jill, Morrisette? you don't want it to turn into a sausage party.
Hey carlos, shoudl we rebuild the BLACKBOX? hahahah
word verif: plenoo
maybe this is where 'editions' could be used. The artists put in a piece from the past tha reflects a direction in newer work. Yes, yes, yes! I wonder if we can get a hold of a projector/overhead for the performance?
great idea!
what about Plischke and Zurzolo, Massicotte, Sharma?
is there a place for words too or just visual?
maybe I'll round up some pottery
have you considered including the comments as text panels?
actually, i had thought as well about a possible chapbook to be launched with the show as well, including selected blog work. like tgr said, might as well make it ultra-grand, and celebrate/promote everything at once, no?
yes!
can whoever wants design some kind of show flyer, and then we'll all edit, pick and choose, etc?
pat wants a prototype show flyer for the package i'm sending him/the board.
if you make a flyer, try to think of a title if you can/want.
ALSO, i told him it was likely that workshops, book launches, weird film/video/music/word shows, art events, CD's, towers of babel and golden goats, etc, will all form part of it.
remember our proposal for the Harbourfront, in Toronto? to construct and burn a giant idol on Lake Ontario?
i would like to humbly request a "home cooked meals" or "athletics" show if such a thing is possible.
ehem!
Lorne has let me know about the show and I am all over it.
I can do the flyer/poster thingy
if no one else is interested yet in that job.
I can also help out with 'the dirty work' hanging etc.
I would like to suggest a then and now type of thing -members include at least two works (one from then... and uhhhh one from NOW!)
cool kids
***I'm fucking JENNI REEEEEEEDERRRR
heh. nice.
leave the date blank for now, and we can fill that in when graffiti confirms it for us.
word verification: upers.
the "then and now" idea has been suggested a few times now. so we go with that? and manitoba?
Is there a general 'look' we would like the flyer to convey... retro? contemporary?
The title is a very important thing -and also has a lot to do with the contributors (of which I am assuming will most likely include at least a few artists that had not participated in ALFA when it was alive in the physical building sense) as with most titles is 'summing up' the shows subject.
I really like Jo's titles and here are some of mine:
Label REVIVAL! and the veins of a new monster
or
Outside of the building [BOX]
or
ALFA: Made in Manitoba
or
Together Again, and friends
I dunno... some are better then others.
Hi J.R.
I'm not sure what to say about this sudden and rapid development of a show, and publication, ideas are interesting so far, but...
The word verification for this comment is "fismshan", haha. Say it. "fismshan". Funny word.
it'd be even cooler to push the date further...more time to plan.
Then and now? hmmm, that IS interesting.
How about "That was Then, This is Now" and more. ha
How do we make progress? who's in this show? I'm not sure what I'd add...I think we have a whole slew of collabs that need to be shown.
And what about a skit?
I just moved the post up...it look like we have a date!
if possible two shows. A warm up and then the real thing in the middle of the summer. Is the gallery available some time after folk fest?
the date was from my original post, before i had talked to pat again.
so March 18 isn't the date. i'm guessing more like may/june.
i like all those suggested titles. AlfA: Made in Manitoba is a good one. but i think they're all good.
as far as who's in the show, i don't mind being a bit exclusive on this, in that i'd like it to include those who participated actively, over a period of time, in either the Label building/community, or in the AlfA blog. my main reasons for that are:
A: it gives a specific, direct basis for the show. rather than being "a bunch of people showing art", it's "a specific, quantifiable community, with a quantifiable and shared body of work."
B: it makes it much easier to promote/apply for funding.
C: this one's the most important to me--- i think we have a solid enough, active enough, competent enough group that we can do this on our own, start to finish.
but of course nothing's written in stone. dialogue always welcome on all points.
is after folk fest better? a few months of planning/strategizing/fundraising wouldn't hurt, eh?
i guess we'll wait to see what pat the graffiti people have to say too.
i guess the giant goat being in sort of contradicts my "Label/AlfA only" idea, but it fits the "then and now" because it falls under the category of saidman's latest work.
Of course it does. Wouldn't anything we are all currently doing be related to ALFA roots?
good pt.
reeder-- you're the artist (oh gawd, this falls so much under "make sure your words are always nice and sweet because some day you might have to eat them" category, doesn't it?), so i'll leave it up to you. retro is kind of cool, though. maybe throw one of your "Label Sam" in there, with some new/old variation? i dunno. just a thought.
also, pat was interested in the idea of murals, if people wanted to do them. graffiti is always awesome for the unlimited potential to do whatever you want to the space, so...
july is better. just after folkfest
Word Ver: dragon
nothing much to say yuet except coo word verification me.
more time more better...more advertising, more chances to get money(still probably too late), more time to make art, more time to figure it all out.
Lorne, what are you contributing?
I think I would like to get an overhead projector and do some drawings during the perfomances.
JC wrote: "I think I would like to get an overhead projector and do some drawings during the perfomances."
We still won't nominate you for a Sobey award!
hahahhaha, don't tell shary noyle or that other guy who reminds me Krispin Glover.
but this will blind contour!
video presention is also a must.
I'm in
We win
wrd vrf = reptoo
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