Aesthetic Anarchy

When the Brentwood Bubble needs to pop, Art History and Studio Art students get the pleasure of dissipating to an art tour in downtown Victoria. Floating through the streets like ducklings on a rainy pond with Mr. Luna being the father duck, commissioned graffiti could be enjoyed anywhere that paint stuck to! With the assistance of Mr. MacLean, retired Brentwood teacher of 30+ years, the emerging art intellectuals got the opportunity to receive valuable insight from working, local artists. The first of three galleries was Open Space, which was housing the exhibition, Realities Follies. We tip-toed up creaking stairs as an artist’s panel spoke about their work and mused about their artistic situations; living in Victoria as an artist, one said, ”It’s so aesthetically inspiring,” he paused, with a brooding furrow on his brow, ”It seems almost marooned from the rest of the world at times”.  That may be a bit deeper than some people are willing to hit at two in the afternoon.  Another painter commented on some misconceptions: ”So, I’m sitting in this coffee shop with a friend and we’re ripping on how Victoria has such a scarce, non-vibrant art scene typically. That’s when I just stopped talking because, here I am, a supposed artist? If there isn’t an art scene, I’m part of the problem”. To sum it up in the cheesiest motivational way: if you want to complain, be ready to do something to change it; this goes for anything from the government to the cafeteria’s salad bar options—not that there’s anything to complain about in the salad bar. Take that, Steven Harper. I’m kidding. Mostly. As the discussion carried on, students strayed from the massive cornucopia of the elite, artsy folk to explore the work around them; mesmerizing paintings depicted works that all “re-presented and interrogated the meaning of representation, and in turn, (cause the viewer to) question our ways of perceiving reality” said W. Walsch, Exhibition Curator.  Student Evan S, Whittall ’15 commented on the experience, “It was tight”. After an exit as sleuth as the arrival, the squad moved out to the Legacy Gallery, affiliated with UVIC. An inviting and interactive environment, complete with an ambrosia-esque snack table—with 4 kinds of cheese--, a conglomeration of sculptors, painters, photographers, and film-oriented artists were showcased in the exhibit, In Session – One. Talking with talented artists, such as Tara Nicholson and d. bradley muir, start-ups and creative sources were discussed.  Tara, who discovered her photography interests in high school, recommended on behalf of her peers that the age at which you discover your passions should not limit them – “If you’re 5 or 82 / This is something you can do” (Cyrus, Miley).  For muir’s work, showcasing a photograph of a sculpture of a crumpled photograph, he disclosed, “I just got so frustrated with how preciously I treated my work, meticulously handling each photo with care, reprinting, reprinting, repositioning—I needed something different, and this flourished out of that”. Inspiration can come from unlikely reservoirs: Caleigh M, Hope ’15 gave advice to future artists,” Just keep doing you, keep on keeping on”; even short mantras like this can boost the moral to create.  Looking around the room, familiar faces of people I’d never met continuously appeared, displaying the comforting support of the arts in Victoria. In arguably one of the most beautiful cities in Canada, people don’t need to stray far to find an inclusive and rewarding community of artists. Once the students couldn’t possibly absorb any further creative passions, Mr. Luna signaled the group to gather their strength for the final gallery; this recon consisted of a 10-minute trip to get coffee. “Look up,” exclaimed Mr. MacLean, smiling widely at the architectural spectacles of the downtown area. All students, including Kabir B, Rogers ‘15, who utilized his time not for beverage consumption, but to grab some take-out rice, appreciated it. Getting an exclusive, behind–locked-doors viewing of the Slide Room Gallery, affiliated with the Vancouver Island School of Art, was the final treat -- a school and exhibit that was cofounded by a our resident Brentwood artist and beloved teacher, John Luna. A look at artist studios, painted photographs, surreal scenes, as well as Mr. Luna’s own astounding work; I’m not just saying that because of his staff status, there were honestly quite impressive and intriguing pieces. Entangled strings and miscellaneous mementos were bound to novels, as if taking a snapshot of a moment in somebody’s life—luckily it was around 5pm and students were able to digest the more intrinsic meanings of the works, compared to a few hours earlier. When asked how he felt about his students seeing his work, Mr. Luna said that he was really grateful, since usually there is a line between his teaching and working spaces; it made him anxious to gauge reactions. When thinking up ideas for an artistic series, he laughed,” For the amount of time I’m allotted to give students, it seems perversely unfair. When creating a series, it seems to be more thinking than doing some days; to answer the questions provoked by making one’s art, it takes time and effort, which can be stressful under an AP curriculum”. An accomplished artist and teacher, his art school is not conventional and allows a working job around the classes—which could eradicate the “starving artist” cliché—while still offering a fully comprehensive and rewarding experience.  Introducing students to working artists and delving into the realms of local creativity, the field trip proved a successful one as it came to a close. To check out the aforementioned galleries, see below: http://www.openspace.ca/Realities_Follies http://uvac.uvic.ca/#section0-0 https://slideroomgallery1.wordpress.com/ A huge thanks to Mr. Luna and Mr. MacLean for chaperoning and educating on this wonderful excursion, to the artists for their aesthetics, and to the good-time vibes from the art-inclined ‘ducklings’. Kimmi G, Hope ’15