arts // no. 8 Collaboration and culture at Amelia Douglas Gallery » ‘Cross Currents’ exhibit participates in New Westminster Cultural Crawl Cheryl Minns Arts Editor Marts @theotherpress.ca Ces Currents: Investigations into abstraction and collaboration is the latest Amelia Douglas Gallery exhibit coming August 7. It explores the relationship between an artist and their abstract works as well as the comnection between collaborating artists. The exhibit will feature artists Kathryn Gibson and Sande Waters as well as solo abstract works by Dorothy Doherty. “I feel the concept of collaboration is really important now,” Waters said. “You need strong individuals who come together and do something together without conflict.” She and Gibson have a unique collaborative style in which they create their abstract art together at the same time while having conversations about personal choice of colour palette. Gibson and Waters treat their combined artistic efforts like a conversation, with their paint strokes interacting like words in a dialogue. you'd like to override what somebody’s saying or say it ina different way, but that’s what they said. We make different kinds of marks and just have to respect that,” Waters said. Since Gibson and Waters : paint a canvas at the same time, : they have to figure out a balance : that allows each of their styles to : merge into one work of art. “Sometimes we have to say, : ‘Okay, I've been over here too long. : : [can see I'm starting to dominate : this side. Let’s switch over so that : it’sa more balanced look,” Waters : : said. “Otherwise it would be her : side of painting and my side of : painting.’ Waters and Gibson’s paintings : are large works of art, so they an . : sometimes donate their works to abstract paintings by collaborating = },calthcare facilities where there : are walls big enough to display : them. “Tm just happy if I make : artwork and it goes out into the : world,” Waters said. Gibson and Waters : sometimes find viewers look : for shapes or designs in their : abstract art. This kind of personal : interpretation is one of the : reasons why Gibson would prefer : not to title her works, although : the works in Cross Currents have . . : . : titles, topics. Their chosen topic duringa : painting’s creation influences their ! ¢ 44 thin gs in it, like this looks : like a whatever, as if we were : intentionally trying to do that. But : that’s not at all what we're doing,” : Waters said. “People are always trying to Doherty has found that : sometimes unexpected shapes “« : . Inaconversation, sometimes : : CONVETSATION, SOMEMTMES appear in her abstract art and she : titles them accordingly. “One piece is called : ‘Dromedary’ because the shape of : it looks like a camel. But it wasn't : intended to be. It was only after looking at it after the fact that I : saw it,” she said. She prefers to give each of her : abstract pieces a title as a way to : aid viewers. “ : 1 like to name my work because it gives the viewer a : starting point and a direction,” she : said. Cross Currents will participate : in the New Westminster Cultural : Crawl from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on : August 8-9. The event will feature a live collaborative painting : performance by Gibson and : Waters, followed by the exhibit’s : Opening reception. Visitors are : encouraged to use the art supplies : provided by Opus Art Supplies : to make collaborative art pieces : together in the gallery. Doherty, Waters, and Gibson : will present an artists’ talk at : 10 a.m. on September u1 in the : gallery. The Cross Currents exhibit : will run from August 7 to : September 12 in the Amelia : Douglas Gallery on the fourth : floor of the Douglas College New : Westminster campus. If you would like to see : your artwork on display at : the Amelia Douglas Gallery, : consider submitting a piece to the : Avocations student and employee : exhibit scheduled from October : 29 to December 1. For more information : on Avocations, check out the : Amelia Douglas Gallery page on : the Douglas College website or : contact Krista Eide at eidek@ : douglascollege.ca. The deadline : for submissions has been : extended to August 1. theotherpress.ca > co a vo G ° a > G ~~ ° g ° a aw 4 Vv ~ a = Vv Zo Gq oc Yn a 9 wn Q be Oo Gq > q G ~— oT Mm an s Ss wd = a a v GS Oo Db Q 5 aa] ° G a Blue Rondo Artwork by Dorothy Doherty Comic Corner: Fan fiction gets emotional » ‘Green Leader’ review Brittney MacDonald A Life & Style Editor M lifeandstyle @theotherpress.ca 00000 reen Leader is one of the finest examples of a fan- created narrative I have ever read. The fact that it was inspired by a short scene from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is just the icing on the cake. Return of the Jedi is the last film in the original Star Wars trilogy. During the space fleet battle between the Empire and the Rebels, there is a particular scene that many fans have questioned: the Rebels’ : kamikaze X-Wing pilot who : crashes his ship into the bridge : of the Empire’s much larger : Star Destroyer. It’s basically : the equivalent of a motorcycle : driving into the windshield of a : semi-truck. The reason this scene : : has puzzled people is because : there’s no apparent cause for it : since the X-Wing wasn't shot : down. Apparently this sacrifice : without a cause wasn’t enough for : artist and writer Daniel Warren : Johnson, who took it upon : himself to create a tearjerker that : : he offers to the masses for free via : : his website Space-Mullet.com Green Leader is a short, 11- page comic detailing the events : for two Rebel pilots prior to and : during the battle. Despite the : fact that no dialogue appears : throughout the entire thing, : Johnson still manages to create an : emotional, linear narrative that : is enough to make readers cry. I : honestly felt for these characters. When I first encountered : Green Leader | found the art to : bea bit messy. Stylistically, it is : fairly classical for a comic, but : Johnson takes his detailing to the : next level with high contrast and : cross-hatching. As I read on, I : found myself truly enjoying the : aesthetic, especially when it got : to the battle scenes. Needless to say, I highly : recommend this. Even if you're : nota Star Wars fan, this is a : shining example of the perfect : way to doa short story. GREEN LEADER 6, DAMIEL WARREN JOHNSON Cover art of ‘Green Leader’