It Ain't Always a Wallow

I should preface this post by saying that I think I'm not supposed to do this. Or more correctly, the shy part of me says "don't do it."

However, what I wanted to poke around is the confluence of War Art and Canada. Like nuts and gum perhaps. While this country has one of the longest and most distinguished histories of the genre, if you operate (or try to operate) in the realm of contemporary art, there is an unspoken... and sometimes spoken sentiment that the only good war art is no war art. Or war art that's overtly critical of war.

So while I'm committed to doing what I do, there is an understanding that while public and commercial galleries are more than happy to offer their viewing audience repeated interpretations of contemporary Cdn. landscape or the intersections of digital and traditional media, very little slack is offered to war art.

I'm well aware that making such statements will incur the wrath of some readers (this, of course, assumes there are readers), but the truth is that being a "war artist" in Canada means you are operating in the ghetto.

Odds are I've typed that before. But on this occasion I wanted to offer that, as per the title, It's not always anonymous wallowing. When I wrote that I'm not supposed to "do this" I don't mean slagging painterly landscape practices, I mean, acting proud of being recognized.

Proud, because yesterday I was awarded a medal for my contributions in documenting and contextualizing Cdn. history. "The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal" was awarded to me by the Governor General's office via nomination by The Historica-Dominion Institute. I'm certainly not the only person awarded this. Many Canadians across the country have also been awarded the medal and in some ways what makes it important is that a war art practice is sitting side by side with community activists and medical volunteers.

Odds are I wouldn't have received a medal if The Canadian Forces Artist Program hadn't seen fit to have me as a two-time participant, or if the battalions (3PPCLI, 2RCR) I was embedded with hadn't been so generous with me.

And as to galleries that do give war art a repeated chance, Wil Kucey at LE Gallery has certainly had faith in my practice over the last five years, and both Laura Brandon at The Canadian War Museum and Rory Cory at The Military Museums (in Calgary) continue to show support for my practice. Rail's End Gallery (Haliburton) and YYZ Artists Outlet (Toronto) are next on the exhibition schedule.

When I type it, it doesn't really seem like wallowing... and it ain't.

Nonetheless, it's really great to have my efforts rewarded in ways other than sales, shows and grants.

Thanks to The Queen also!

 

Zones of Exclusion

I just finished reading Ryan Flavelle's "The Patrol". Over the years I've read any number of military memoirs, as I'm sure Ryan has. Also over the years, they start to meld together (though that might be mostly due to my aging sieve of a  brain). As much as I enjoyed Siegfried Sassoon's "Memoir of an Infantry Officer", the only passage that still stands out is where Sassoon is given a concoction by the MD that solidifies his diarrhea, making his bowels stable enough for open warfare.

But what I wanted to say is this, "The Patrol' stands out for me due to its emphasis on the stratification within military culture. Specifically, how Flavelle fits into the world of the grunt even though he's a lowly signaler (at least he wasn't in the navy).

For a visual artist, author, journalist, poet or any other cultural producer, without some level of acceptance, any military project will have a barrier in its way. And while the same can be said for any socially centred project, the military, the army, the combat arms and the infantry (in that order) are some of the hardest sub-cultures to break into. Like not being born in Prince Edward County or Cape Cod, if you weren't born there, haven't shared suffering, you'll always be an outsider. But then, even if you're a grunt and from a different reg. (Chicken Fucker, Picklie etc.) or come from the reserves (as Flavelle did) there's another barrier that has to be worked away at.

Flavelle's openness with the reader about his desire to be accepted by the "Hard as fuck" guys from 2VP, and more importantly "meet himself" is what gives the book its agency. And for myself, that acceptance hangs around my neck when I'm back with the Battalion as well as in the studio. "Once a Patricia, Always a Patricia" may be true, but it don't mean you can just walk back in the door.

Meeting your true self, the one that only surfaces under the extremes of duress, is a need that asserts itself only in some people. And, amongst many qualities both good and bad, it's one you'll find in soldiers who have chosen combat.

"The War Profession"

Working on demos for my summer drawing course at York tonight. Teaching has taken over my life for a few weeks but I can at least spend time doing quick drawings for the class.

With that in mind, here's a collage featuring the late Tim Hetherington and the eulogy from Sebastian Junger.

If you live in Toronto there's currently an installation of Hetherington's Sleeping Soldiers series on billboards at College and Lansdowne. They are part of the Contact photo festival.

* * *

In a couple of weeks I'm cycling out to Nova Scotia, so all production will grind to a halt. Come July and August though, it's back to full speed.

The fall will be busy with many things including the launch of Heritage House's "Embedded on the Homefront" for which I have an essay as well as the cover. The cover image is below.

As it's May 24 and I'm stuck in the city I'm now gonna head over to Dufferin Grove Park with a beer and Ryan Flavelle's "The Patrol".

Thanks Guys

Just a quick and hearty shout out to The Canada Council who've seen fit to fund this project.

I'm really looking forward to getting some fancy-ass (AKA, not shoe-string) stuff done for RotoZero.

Thanks!

Public Lecture at OCAD

If you find yourself interested and local, I'll be giving a talk about my practice with an emphasis on this project. It's this Friday, April 20th. 2:00-3:00 pm -100 McCaul St., Room 284. C'mon down!

The Mongolians, The Canadians

Here they are. in non-oblique shots.

Diversionary Tactics

Two solid days in the studio, new headphones and a painting that requires plenty of concentration (as it turns out AWOLNation are a really good option for this task).

I'm working on a diptych called "Cautionary Tale" but tonight I'm drinking a cheap kingcan and working on some support stuff for a large group show called 60Painters.

This show will be my first chance to exhibit some of the RotoZero paintings so if you're in the GTA between mid-May and early June, consider heading out to Long Branch (Etobicoke).

Also though, here are a couple of quick comicesque drawings from Camps Phoenix and Blackhorse.