Do you know what the personality of our region looks like on canvas?
Local artists contribute greatly to the identity of our community. They have their own unique style or process, but their work, regardless of how different they appear from each other, makes up the personality of the community at large.
In a new exhibition, Sensing and Belonging, Barrie’s MacLaren Art Centre continues to engage the community and offer opportunities to the many regional artists
in Simcoe and Grey counties.
MacLaren Art Centre executive director and curator Lisa Daniels explained the purpose of Sensing and Belonging and the centre’s mission to support the artistic community.
“Sensing and Belonging started this past spring with the intention of engaging artists, at any level in their career, working in Simcoe and Grey. The purpose of the new exhibition, which at that point had no name, was twofold," Daniels says. "First, it was a way for our new curatorial team to get out into the community and get a first-hand sense of the artistic activity in the region. It's important that we keep our fingers on the pulse of artistic activity in our community, and we are always building an inventory of artists and their work for a range of future opportunities. Every submission is kept in our 'ideas' file for reference; no submission gets tossed out.
"Secondly, the purpose was to develop an exhibition for our Carnegie Space with work created by artists in our community.”
With that, an open call was made to artists in our community and more than 60 submissions were sent. From those submissions, three artists were offered the opportunity to create what would later be titled Sensing and Belonging.
I had the opportunity to connect with two of the artists whose work is now on display — Elmvale's Carson Bowering and Alliston's Kim Brett.
RV: How would you describe your style or philosophy behind your work?
CB: I will admit my style is inconsistent. I try a lot of different things out, researching art styles and then emulating them. I use these different aesthetics as aids to further enhance the feeling people get from my art.
My philosophy usually remains the same throughout each piece. There is usually a depiction of the choices we have, good or bad, and what effect those choices have on us. It's a look at causality, really, and perhaps even morality. But there's also a search for meaning and belonging. An exploration of ourselves, and the outside world, making it a bit existentialist.
KB: I would consider myself an interdisciplinary artist working in painting, printmaking, digital processes, and art installations. My working style can vary from precise to somewhat abstract, depending on the materials and subject matter I am working with. I explore the shapes, forms and colours of plastic objects that are used and thrown away.
These are found or purchased items, such as disposable razors, toothbrushes, mascara applicators, disposable lighters, bread tags and even dish detergent bottles.
Through these works, I invite the viewer to think about the relationships our culture has constructed between each other and our factory-made environment. I am conscious about my impact as an artist on the environment and purposefully conserve and re-use materials. For example, I recently exhibited an installation that featured hundreds of the test prints used to match colours and the alignment of different image layers.
RV: Carson, your work offers a wide variety of subjects including landscapes, people, animals, mythical creatures. And Kim, your work offers a wide variety of colours and structures of everyday items. How do you decide what to commit to canvas?
CB: Whatever I believe fits my vision the best I will commit to canvas. All of these subjects I use I see as symbols, each representing something different and usually connecting to one another in some way. If I have an idea and can rationalize to make it a symbol that will fit in with the others, I will use it. What I commit is just another addition to this array of symbols I use.
KB: I spend time thinking about my subject when it comes to deciding on an image. It might be an object or even a feeling that I want to consider. My goal isn’t to simply depict what I see, it is to communicate an experience. I have always been fascinated by the ingenuity of manufacturing small plastic things and imagine the vast number of decisions that happened long before they are placed on a store shelf. What excites me about a particular image is when a human connection becomes visible, perhaps it translates to anticipation, desire and connection, but could also be a feeling such as regret, loss or frustration.
RV: What drew you to answer the open call from the MacLaren Art Centre and be part of the Sensing and Belonging exhibition?
CB: Over the coronavirus, I was making a lot of paintings that didn't really have anywhere to go. I knew I wanted people to experience them, so when I heard about the open exhibition call I was very excited. My mom actually sent it to me. Thanks, mom.
KB: It isn’t every day that the curatorial team at the MacLaren places an open call for studio visits. I’d been working hard on a number of projects including the installation of test prints. This was a wonderful opportunity to share some of the new visuals I had created in my submission. As an artist you never know if you’ll be selected, and I can’t express how happy, and humbled, I was to be acknowledged in this way.
RV: What was the process like for you working on the exhibition?
CB: It was great, I really enjoyed it. Meeting with Lisa Daniels and Rachel Deiterding was very engaging and I got to see how this kind of thing works. We were able to have discussions about my work and how they interpreted it during their studio visit, which was really helpful not only to see others' opinions but to calm my nerves.
The opening was exciting and the MacLaren team did a really good job. Being in dialogue with others and being asked questions was surprising, but inspiring.
KB: Often when I show my art there is a significant amount of planning and work that goes into co-ordinating all the details. The gallery staff came over to my studio twice to review and select works in preparation for Sensing and Belonging and I felt supported and encouraged to focus on making art. I had a truly positive experience working with the talented team at the MacLaren who took the time to thoughtfully curate, install and write texts to provide insight on the works they had chosen.
RV: Is there any particular message or feeling you want people to leave with after experiencing Sensing and Belonging?
CB: With three different artists as part of this exhibition, I’d say there's the opportunity for multiple experiences to arise. I do have a particular message that I’m presenting, but it doesn't matter to me if the viewer takes that home with them or interprets it in their own way. As long as someone is able to feel something then what I've done is successful.
KB: Don’t rush the experience of looking at art, allow yourself time to experience the colours, shapes, and feelings in a piece – each person will find something different. Know that the show doesn’t include all the pieces that were reviewed and this is a selection of works from each of the artists. Most importantly, don’t just come to see this show, stay engaged with the arts and come back to see other exhibits.
RV: What does Sensing and Belonging mean to you?
CB: Sensing and Belonging means a lot to me not only because it was a significant milestone, but because of the ideas behind it. It’s something that I feel a lot of younger people struggle with today. In our times there is no certain, identifiable path that we must follow. The orders of the old world have been broken, and common, unifying religion no longer holds us all together.
The affinity to be a part of something, to belong is now sought after. When we feel we don't belong anywhere we usually find that belonging in ourselves, which can lead to a focus on individualization, causing isolation and loneliness.
This can all be seen in modern meme culture where many people are identifying with lonely characters who don’t fit into society like Batman, Patrick Bateman, and Tyler Durden just to name a few. This focus on the self is something very significant now. It’s the focus of most social media platforms. Everyone wants to fit in, but still be different.
What this exhibition is presenting is something very relevant and important to our time: Can we belong? How do we belong? And most importantly, should we belong?
KB: Belonging isn’t a solo act and you belong by being involved. It isn’t always comfortable or easy to get out and do things but in doing so you belong by being involved, by participating and giving support. It is multifaceted and leads to questions; do I belong at a job, in a community, at the grocery store? Each person brings a different sense of understanding to the world, of what feels right, or not. I understand that my sense of belonging will differ from what another person may experience.
RV: Do you have any piece of advice for individuals who struggle to create?
CB: Find a purpose in it. When you imagine what you're creation can do for others, that usually justifies its existence. Think about how you can make people feel, how you can inspire them, and tell them something that they were unaware of or knew all too well. Let their imagination take them places yet unreached. You have the opportunity to give someone an experience, to make them feel and give them a sense of belonging.
KB: The cultural significance of this thing called art doesn’t happen in a vacuum and I believe it is so important to be engaged with a community. Be around creative people, see some art, see a musical or local theatre, open yourself to experiencing and appreciating the creative energy of others. Try new things and don’t be too critical of the process or yourself. Creating is an act and just creating in itself exercises your creative lifestyle. Be bold. Take risks. Keep working at it.
Sensing and Belonging is on display until Feb. 19, 2023 at the MacLaren Art Centre located in downtown Barrie at 37 Mulcaster Street. Admission to the MacLaren Art Centre is pay-what-can and is open to the public seven days a week.
For more information and Sensing and Belonging, click here.
