Pharos

Pharos consisted of six blocks of ice with fabric embedded in them created during the Winterlude Festival in Ottawa Canada in February 2012. The 5 foot high blocks of  ice were created outdoors in situ and the garments were meant to represent the early days of winter Carnivals. The piece was installed in Confederation Park, along with 10 other artists who were part of the BlizzArt exhibition. It took a week for the ice to freeze due to the unseasonal warm weather in Ottawa- they even had to close down the Rideau Canal to skaters for a few days. Big thanks goes …

Art Is Land Network

I am a founding member of The Art Is Land Network, a Vancouver based group of artists who work within the environmental art genre. The common thread for these 9 artists is their engagement with landscape. From September 8 to the 18th 2011, we will be hosting our first exhibition, art (IS)LAND on Granville Island with 11 outdoor installations. Under the theme: the island as microcosm of the world, the artists will employ natural and repurposed materials to engage the public in the various aspects of this popular urban site, such as history, industry, boating and local flora. The projects will be accessible …

The Mobile Garden Dress

The Mobile Garden Dress is a self-sustaining garden and shelter for the new urban nomad, complete with pots of edible plants and a hoop skirt which converts into a tent at night. This garment is 100% compostable and recyclable. It is contrusted from natural materials such as Willow, basketry reed, grasses and leaves. The hoop skirt is covered in pots containing live edible plants such as herbs and vegetables. The dress advocates for an autonomous and democratic urban lifestyle based on self-sufficiency. During the day, Madame Jardin interacts with people and engages them in conversations about plants, gardens and composting. At night she …

Stop and smell the flowers

The Lilac Swing Coat is a new addition to my Weedrobes Collection. It reminds us that the olfactory senses are a basic element in nature used by plants, animals and mammals alike. Here there is no need for manufactured artificial scent, the redolent flower itself entices our nostrils. On the day of the photo-shoot in front of the historic Marine Building, passersby stopped and took in the garment’s aroma. This manteau parfumé of fresh scented Lilac flowers epitomizes the perfume industry, in particular the seductive ads of Chanel No 5 featuring Catherine Deneuve who stood for luxury and sophistication. The coat …

Nato Thompson

I went to hear Nato Thompson speak last week and I really enjoyed his energy, style and what he had to say. He is the chief curator at Creative Time, New York’s premiere public art organization. His attitude towards public art was refreshing. He advocates for art that really reaches out to the public and is not afraid to tackle the hard questions. For example he spoke about supporting a project by artist, Paul Chan which re-staged Waiting for Godot in the deep South after Hurricane Katrina. To avoid the pitfalls of creating art in a situation where there is palpable racial …