Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Re: Readings

Just wanted to highlight a few items from other media:

Report from Vancouver (Akimblog) - Writer Aaron Peck provides a nice snapshot of recent events in Vancity, from the much-reviled funding cuts to the Owen Kydd show at the VAG, which I had been wondering about. A lament is also made for the Helen Pitt Gallery.

Shary Boyle wins $25,000 Iskowitz Prize (VoCA) - While I'm not in the "Shary wuz robbed!" camp on the Sobey Award front this year, it's good to see Boyle get some recognition from the AGO here, a much more appropriate venue. Boyle's practice is really strong all around: on craft, concept and a certain exploratory dreaminess. Well deserved.

Blogging the Best TO Shows (Sally & LM) - Sally and LM continue to post photos of top Toronto shows before anyone else, really. And the ephemera posts, like pics of Emmor Ray Sperry's boardgames, continue to blow the mind.

Farewell, Anonymous (Prairie Artsters) - Edmonton critic Amy Fung ixnays anonymous commenters, raising issues that many art outlets should now be thinking about.

Image from Hark! A Vagrant at Topatoco.com

5 comments:

L.M. said...

That's very kind of you to write. But all we do most of the time is email the artist and ask for big fat images. (I also have to promise not to write anything inane on the front page. ... but I'll say anything in the comment section)

Thing is, I'm less interested in plugging current shows as I am in showing a variety of artists work over the years. Sometimes we want to be less topical because we aren't arts journalists. Mostly a lot of brilliant artists that I know don't have a big web presence, and I want their past work seen in a web context.

Leah Sandals said...

Hey LM,

Thanks for the comment -- I guess I know you guys don't work that way, to get the "scoop" but the fact is you also go to galleries a fair bit (I think) and are pretty good about posting what you like -- at least that's what I think.

I myself don't feel like I get out to galleries enough and when I do I spend a lot of time second-guessing my reactions, or at least second-guessing where I should record those reactions.

All I'm saying is while I know you and Sally operate more as artists on the blog, I still think you bring up lots of things that are worth bringing up -- stuff I may have seen, and liked, or not.

L.M. said...

There are some days when I think we have to widen our range because it can start to look like the JohnDicksonEdPienJulieVoyceLisaNeighbourCarloCestaBGLSallyMcKayLornaMills blog, (which reminds me, have to get some of those BGL pics from Diaz)

L.M. said...

And I'll post anything that Fastwurms sends to me.

Leah Sandals said...

Good to know, LM! I think it would be great to have a blog title that is just all those names strung together...