C:\NEWS>
AUGUST 13, 2008
On Monday, August 18 from 4 - 8 pm, on the front lawn of 93 Gore Vale Avenue, Toronto (just east of Trinity Bellwoods Park), I'm going to be taking over the Knock on Woods International Residency
Knock on Woods is made up of a portable tent-cabin, which will be flanked by a a forest of 'tree flags'. It has already traveled to The Netherlands, France, Portugal and British Columbia and is actually an offshoot of This Neck of the Woods Artist Residency in Rotterdam, Holland. My book 'not going anywhere any way' spent a brief period there in 2006 as a part of The McCleave Gallery of Fine Art Lineage Tour.
This Monday, join me for the official unveiling of The Sum of Their Parts (it's in progress…I've made a dozen sculptures so far). I'll also have a camera and tripod there for anyone interested in creating a photograph for Insert Yourself Here. Be sure to stop by and say hi if you have a moment!
MAY 25, 2008
I'm starting up a new art project, this one's called The Sum of Their Parts
I grew up in a household that put a great importance on genealogy, which has led me to contemplate why knowing simple facts about my ancestors (such as their names, hometowns and dates of significant life events) provides me with a sense of belonging and a sense of who I am. To bring this sensation to the forefront, I've started to create a collection of clay imprints of the tombstones belonging to my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents (and so on!). At the completion of the project, it will consist of more than 50 individual sculptures stemming from the lives of people who genetically have played a part in my existence.
It seemed a shame to put all this work into the project and have it sit in a box in my apartment, so as I gradually accumulate imprints, they'll be shown in "The Sum of Their Parts Tour of Parks", where the imprints will be displayed in the grass in various public parks, available for viewing by families, dog walkers and sun-seekers.
If anyone's interested in knowing such details, I'll send out an email a day or two before I plan to bring The Sum of Their Parts to a park, letting you know when and where you can find us. If you'd like to be a part of this email list, just let me know.
So far, I've made 6 imprints at Chesterfield Cemetery near my Mom's house. It will probably be a matter of weeks until they're fired and glazed…and then off to the parks! A big thank you goes to Steve for lending his strength to the project.
APRIL 24, 2008
It's spring, which means that's almost time for the CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival to take over the city for the month of May. And Chris Simonen's photographic collaboration from Insert Yourself Here has been selected to be a part of a group exhibit at The Toronto School of Art during the festival! It would be fabulous if you joined us at the opening on Thursday May 1st from 4-7 pm, or made the trip to the Toronto School of Art (410 Adelaide St. West, 3rd floor, Toronto) to check out the exhibition on your own.
MARCH 2, 2008
Proof of Ghosts' self-titled CD will be officially released March 4 on (weewerk) records: guess who worked on the design? It was me! I think the CDs look fantastic, almost as good as the music sounds.
NOVEMBER 15, 2007
After a one-day show on November 2 at Hope Lounge in Williamsburg, the LA MOUSTACHE exhibition will be making its last stop in Toronto at Sublime Cafe in Kensington Market (219 Augusta Ave). You'll find all the drawings there from December 6 - 19.
JULY 25, 2007
Very soon, I'll be taking part in a travelling group exhibition entitled LA MOUSTACHE (organized by Methinks), which will made up of works on paper examining the many philosophical, social and spritual aspects of moustaches. The first stop will be opening in Montreal on August 23 at Boa Taverne Moderne (5301 St-Laurent), with future shows in Toronto and Brooklyn. I'll keep you posted.
MAY 31, 2007
I' like to thank the folks at MONDOmagazine (and especially the always wonderful Kerry Freek) for featuring me as their first Artist of the Week! Read my interview below or on the MONDO website (be sure to check out MONDOmagazine either way, it's a good read)
Artist of the Week
Julia Baird
By Kerry Freek
Posted May 28th, 2007
This week marks the online debut of MONDO's "Artist of the Week" column. Tada! Our first artist is Julia Baird, whose current work explores the ways we document and preserve ourselves. Through the cold, impersonal medium of email, I interviewed Julia about her thoughts on unique gallery spaces, preservation, and the importance of documentation, and received a warm, personal response. Here's what she had to say.
MONDO: You mention that your work involves exploring the ways we document ourselves. With your not going anywhere any way artist's book, you used parts of your Grandmother's journal from 1986. With Insert Yourself Here, you're documenting yourself with the people in your life. Why is preservation of such interest to you?
Julia Baird: Man, when I was growing up, I was surrounded by it! My parents hardly ever threw anything out. Other people knew this too, so somehow ancient books of sheet music owned by my recently-deceased neighbour would end up at our house. Family members wanted to save heirlooms and old photographs, but I don't think they actually wanted to store them at their own home, so those would also end up at our house. My Mom is also fascinated by genealogy. We have pretty extensive family trees for most branches of my ancestry.
For a couple of years, I developed photographs at a Mom-and-Pop photo shop (this was when digital was in its early years), so I got to witness first hand the very personal attachment people have with their photographs. It was a very thought-provoking experience.
Combine all that with me just dealing with death and the end of relationships in my own life…and I think you've got your answer.
MONDO: In a site-specific component of not going anywhere any way, you plastered fragments of your Grandmother's journal around her old Markham neighbourhood. What was your motivation? What did it feel like putting her private thoughts into the public sphere? Did you receive any feedback from neighbours or people who knew your grandparents?
JB: My motivation? My father passed away from cancer about six months before I started this project, so in retrospect, I was probably dealing with his death through facing my Grandmother's death and creating a tribute to her life. I asked permission of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings before I went ahead with it and no one in my family felt like the posters were disrespectful to my Grandmother's privacy. She wasn't one to write down her personal thoughts in her journals. Each entry was like a very short list of what she did that day and I think that in itself says a lot about her practical, humble personality and the differences between people who were raised in her era as opposed to later years. If she were still alive today, I think she would be supportive about the project, but she probably would wonder why I'd choose to devote the project to her life instead of the life of someone else more "important"!
I don't think that things like this happen very often in a quiet neighbourhood in downtown Markham, so people stopped and talked to me all the time when I was putting up the posters. A few people complained about the litter, but for the most part, the response was positive. It was interesting to see how the posters became integrated into the lives of the people who lived in the community. One mother told me that her and her preschool daughter would go on a walk every week, read the posters and use their imaginations to try to figure out what they were about. Another man told me that right after I put up the posters each week, the same lady would ride her bike down her street and take all the posters down with a razor blade (I figure this meant either she hated the posters and didn't want to look at them, or she loved them and she wanted to keep copies for herself!). I didn't run into anyone who remembered my Grandparents (nineteen years had passed since the journals were written), but I did have a really nice long chat with the man who bought my Grandparents' old apartment building after they moved out.
MONDO: You have a history of exhibiting in (or on) some unique venues, such as the Alopecia Gallery (actually Gordon B. Isnor's face) and the McCleave Gallery (a travelling suitcase) - how did you come to be involved with these projects? What attracts you to these venues? Are you against traditional galleries?
JB: I'm always on the lookout for alternative gallery spaces. Working with unconventional galleries is a challenge and I find them conceptually intriguing. I've created work that I probably wouldn't have otherwise because of the unusual parameters of the galleries and so far the people involved in running the spaces have been very supportive and accommodating. I'd recommend exhibiting at both Alopecia and McCleave to anyone!
I'm definitely not against traditional galleries, but I do acknowledge their limitations in terms of reaching most people out there. For a large chunk of the population, I don't think that visiting art galleries is on their list of priorities or within their comfort zone. That's why most of my art has an online component - because the internet is easily accessible from home and is a format that most people are comfortable with.
And to be perfectly honest, my focus on "unique venues" at least partially has to do with the fact that I'm an emerging artist and it's much easier to land an exhibition in a grassroots-run gallery space than in an established public or commercial gallery or artist-run centre!
MONDO: You work in a variety of media. Books, stickers, paint, etc. Is there a draw (shoot, pardon the pun) to any particular medium? If so, why?
JB: When I was in art school, I mostly studied traditional two-dimensional media: printmaking, drawing and painting. But then I started to get ideas that wouldn't have been fully addressed if I stuck with those three, so I started to branch out. Really, I come up with an idea that I'd like to explore first and foremost, then I try to figure out the best way to bring that concept to a physical form. Most of the time, the best solution is something that I've never tried before. I've learned SO MUCH since I've started working in that vein: web design, digital photography, bookmaking…and soon I'll hopefully be branching out into ceramics.
MONDO: Tell us about your current/future project(s). Do you have grand schemes for what's next?
JB: I'm always full of ideas - it's sitting down and making them happen which is the struggle for me. I have two projects that I'm probably going to start this summer. The first one has to do with genealogy and will be my foray into the world of ceramic sculpture and the second will be a story created by exploring a relationship between two people entirely through written correspondence (which is slowly becoming endangered, I fear).
AUGUST 2, 2006
Some people have been asking me for more details, so here's the scoop on the ALLEYJAUNT:
You can find out all the details about the festival itself by going to the ALLEYJAUNT website, but here's a little bit more about my involvement. On Saturday August 12th and Sunday August 13th from 11 am to 6 pm, I'll be walking around the ALLEYJAUNT grounds taking photographs for Insert Yourself Here. I will, however, be altering the project slightly that weekend. One of the aims of ALLEYJAUNT is to create an environment conducive to reflecting upon the "urban experience". With that in mind, I proposed to only ask people if they'd like to participate in Insert Yourself Here if they talked to me first, be it a "Good Morning", "Excuse Me" or a full-blown conversation.
One of the striking differences I've found between living in Toronto and living in a smaller city or community is that in most places, people usually look at you, talk to you and acknowledge your presence, whereas in Toronto, eye contact and interaction with strangers is something that doesn't normally happen. I hope that altering the project in this manner will provide a chance for those who collaborate to think about their interactions with the other human beings who walk the streets of Toronto with them and perhaps they will come to the conclusion that being a bit more respectfully friendly isn't so scary or difficult after all.
That being said, I also want people to be able to find me if they're looking for me, so I'll be wearing a shirt that says 'Insert Yourself Here'. The fact that I'm lugging around a tripod might also clue some people in that something is going on!
If you find yourself in Toronto on the weekend of August 12 & 13, by all means head down to Trinity Bellwoods Park, search me out and take a photograph! And while you're there, take the time to check out the rest of the fabulous art - it's sure to be a wonderful weekend.
JUNE 21, 2006
More very exciting news:
In August, I'll be a part of Toronto's ALLEYJAUNT! This festival takes place in the back alleys and garages of the neighbourhood surrounding Trinity Bellwoods park and I'll be wandering the ALLEYJAUNT grounds, taking photos for Insert Yourself Here as one of the 'Surprise' art interventions. It should be a lot of fun - I'm really looking forward to it!
MAY 21, 2006
It's been a month (to the day!) since the Alopecia Gallery/Nutshell Manifestoes Interview was aired on the CBC. If you missed it and would like to check it out, just click here.
Word on the street is…the McCleave Gallery Lineage Tour 2006 will be expanding even more over the summer! Adair of the McCleave Gallery will be taking the suitcase with her to CASA (Cultural Analysis Summer Academy) and will be giving a talk on "the advantages and setbacks of portable exhibition spaces and how they constitute the viewing public". I believe this will be happening from June 23 - 26 in Amsterdam. The folks at the McCleave Gallery have also set up a very interesting blog documenting their adventures so far in Canada and Europe.
MAY 1, 2006
The Nutshell Manifestoes Exhibition is starting today at Alopecia Gallery! What is it about? In a "nutshell", I sent out an invitation for anyone to email me a Nutshell Manifesto: a message to the world on any topic in ten words or less. I selected 31 of the Manifestoes that were sent to me and created a 2" x 1½" sticker of each - providing Gordon of the Alopecia Gallery with one sticker for each day in May. Be sure to check in to the Alopecia Gallery website to find out how Gordon fares with all the Manifestoes!
You'll find the Manifestoes listed below and you're also able to download the Nutshell Manifestoes Stickers to use in your own life as you please!
STICKER INSTRUCTIONS: Just print them out on address labels, size Avery #05159 or 14 labels per sheet, sized 4" x 1½" (10.2 x 3.8 cm). You'll need one full sheet of labels and the top row of another. After they're printed, cut them in half to create 2" x 1½" stickers. Download the stickers in pdf format here and here.
NUTSHELL MANIFESTOES
be happy for this moment, this moment is your life
cutesy art will meet the same death as sentimental art
No car if you can walk it in forty minutes! - Gerry Collins
REPLACE ALL ART WITH PURE AND UNFETTERED JOY - Jacob Wren
Let it go or let it eat you up.
By making choices…you live your life. - Zo
I am suspicious of manifestos and writers of manifestos. - Kyle
RESTRICTED TO SMOKERS - Otto Toth
aspire to the extraordinary;
embrace the mundane
- Paul Harfleet
Test the system to see if it works.
Stop reading c magazine until it's no longer about itself
Witness and Remember - Annette Manning Trnka
MAKE ART
LOVE ART
LIVE ART
INSTILL ART
________ ART
- Ian Amell
I will apologize for my mistakes, but not for myself. - H. Greene
terrorism is an excuse the world has heard before.
NICE GIRLS AREN'T ALWAYS COOKIES - Honey Novick
brains brains everywhere but not a one does think - John Constantinides
Live for Love and Chocolate
S.V.P. Aidons la planète à vivre en paix - Marie-Hélène
we must cure ourselves of the myopia we suffer.
BURN ALL SWEAT PANTS AND THROW AWAY THE PATTERNS. - Breeyn McCarney
Don't waste time trying to find yourself, create it.
Go, go, go, go, go, but remember to stay calm. - Jenine Marsh
MODERNISM BELONGS ON A STICKER - Danny Woodrow
Boys will never close the door to potential pussy. - Marie Sano
vocalized meaning does not bring superiority
on the corner: take it or leave it - Lisa Lipton
LIVE IT, LOVE IT, FEEL IT, BELIEVE IT AND DANCE… - Arielle S. Elbaz
DESTROY !
STUPID, ANNOYING, VACANT,
BORING, VAIN, PATRONIZING,
BAD, SUPERCILIOUS
ART !
- Phyllis Stine
PREGNANCY IS NOT A VIRUS
Get away from the city; it's not good for you.
APRIL 20, 2006
Listen to Alopecia Gallery and Nutshell Manifestoes on CBC Radio One!
Yesterday, I was interviewed along with Gordon from the Alopecia Gallery about the Nutshell Manifestoes Project and the history of the Alopecia Gallery. I just got word that the the interview will be airing tomorrow, that's Friday April 21st, on CBC Radio One's Freestyle, right off the top of the show. Freestyle runs either from 2 - 4 pm or 1 - 3 pm (local time) in most areas across Canada.
APRIL 18, 2006
The deadline for Nutshell Manifestoes has come and gone and I've got 31 wise, humorous, provocative and passionate Manifestoes lined up to be exhibited (thanks to everyone who sent one in!) I'm currently working on creating the stickers and I'll be sure to keep everyone posted about all the details during the exhibit in May.
As well, Michael from the McCleave Gallery of Fine Art has sketched out a schedule for the European leg of the McCleave Gallery Lineage Tour 2006. Here it is:
The Netherlands:
Rotterdam (April 17 - 21)
Amsterdam (April 24 - 27)
Ireland:
Drogheda (May 1)
Dublin (May 2 - 10)
Cork (May 10 - 14)
Blarney Castle (May 11)
Killarney (May 15 - 16)
Limerick (May 17)
Galway (May 18)
Silgo (May 19)
Belfast (May 20 - 21)
The United Kingdom:
Edinburgh (May 22 - 26)
Newcastle (May 27)
Leeds/Halifax, UK! (May 28)
Nottingham (May 29 -30)
Brighton/London (May31 - June 3)
London (June 4)
If you're in one of these locales and would like to secure a viewing of the handmade books in the Lineage Tour, just drop Michael an email (available on the McCleave Gallery website) and he'll do his best to arrange something!
MARCH 20, 2006
Wanted: Nutshell Manifestoes
This is your chance to submit a Nutshell Manifesto: your personal message to the world on any topic in ten words or less!
Nutshell Manifestoes is an art project created by Kitchener-Waterloo artist Julia Baird. Currently, the plan for the project is a May exhibit at the Alopecia Gallery in Vancouver, with the distinct possibility of other manifestations if there is an enthusiastic response to the Call for Manifestoes.
Thirty-one of the submitted Manifestoes will be randomly selected to take part in the Alopecia Gallery show. The selected Nutshell Manifestoes will be turned into stickers that will be worn in the gallery space (Alopecia Gallery is a bald patch in Gordon B. Isnor's beard): one sticker, one manifesto per day during the month of May. The stickers will also be downloadable in pdf format for anyone to print out and use.
How to submit?
Just email your Nutshell Manifesto to: julia(at)juliabaird(dot)com
Last day for submissions: Friday, April 14, 2006
Sorry, but manifestoes longer than ten words can't be included in the project (edit away!)
Your manifesto should be your own thought in your own words, not a quotation
Manifesto authors can choose to remain anonymous or to have their name included with their Manifesto on the website.
By emailing in your Nutshell Manifesto, you give your consent for your writing to appear online, in sticker format, in photographs and in any other format/media (and you waive any right to compensation for your writing)
Please feel free to pass this on to other people. Thank you!
MARCH 11, 2006
Many thanks to everyone who came out to the not going anywhere any way book launch on March 4th. It was a fun night! A big thank you also goes out to the artists who participated in the Bob's Your Uncle one-night-only group exhibition and to everyone who took the time to write something for Heap of Intentions that night.
In other news, I have a drawing in this month's CTRPLLR (pick up a copy if you can find it!) and you can read the books in the McCleave Gallery Lineage Tour until April 22 at the eyelevelgallery in Halifax as a part of the Eyelevel Reshelving Initiatve 2
FEBRUARY 16, 2006
Since I was making one anyhow, I decided to make an edition of sixteen not going anywhere any way books. At long last, I am in the midst of printing and binding the last bunch! One of those books will be exhibited through the McCleave Gallery in the Spring and can be seen at the following places:
February 25: Khyber Centre for the Arts - Halifax, Nova Scotia
March 9: Lineage Tour Launch at eyelevelgallery and Anchor Archive Regional Zine Library - Halifax, Nova Scotia
March 15 - 26: The Invisible Inc. Reading Room at the Next Wave Festival - Melbourne, Australia
April 10 - 23:This Neck of the Woods Artist Residency Program - Rotterdam, Netherlands
May 3 - June 23: Illumination Escapade - Foreman Art Gallery of Bishop's University - Lennoxville, Quebec
By chance or by appointment showings in the United Kingdom
(TBA, depending on the research of the geneology of the McCleave suitcase and McCleave family)
The other fifteen books can be seen at the not going anywhere any way book launch on March 4 at The Shoehorn Art Space in Waterloo, Ontario. Hope to see you there!
DECEMBER 9, 2005
THE MCCLEAVE GALLERY OF FINE ART LINEAGE TOUR
I'm very excited to report that one of my books will be exhibited internationally in the new year!
The McCleave Gallery of Fine Art is...well, its a suitcase. It is also a portable gallery space and during the Lineage Tour, the fine folks at The McCleave Gallery will be travelling the globe, investigating the origins of the name McCleave (the suitcase was labeled with the last name McCleave when it was found). They will be carrying with them handmade books dealing with the topic of lineage created by 18 different Canadian artists.
My book is based upon the postering project I carried out last spring/summer called not going anywhere any way. This project was an amazing experience for me, because I got the chance to relive my childhood, pay tribute to the lives of my Grandparents and temporarily insert myself into the day-to-day lives of the people currently living in the community. Its probably one of the best things I've ever done, come to think of it...
The McCleave Gallery of Fine Art Lineage Tour will travel to these places in 2006:
Foreman Gallery
Bishop's University - Lennoxville, Quebec
This Neck of the Woods Artist Residency Program
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Next Wave Festival
2006 Commonwealth Games
Melbourne, Australia
By chance or by appointment
United Kingdom
Volume in drive C has no label
Directory of C:\
File not found
C:\