UnFolding » Features

Rosteck and Levesque

MLevin — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 03:30:52 +0000

Weird Nights. Photo by Bernando Fernandez, courtesy of Apartment 613.

The passion of young artists rarely needs coaxing to get out in the open. In his interview on Apartment 613 with graphic painter Dietrich Rosteck, Francois Levesque gets right to the point. And Rosteck doesn’t disappoint.

Levesque also drills down on how the artist feels about reactions to his current show at Canteen Art Shop and Gallery, and Rosteck’s response, while not unique, is certainly refreshing: “I hope that at least one person walks away from the show thinking: “Hey, I can do this!”, or hell, even: “Hey, I can do this better!” (just don’t rub it in okay?). I mean that’s kind of how I got into it. I went to one show and figured I could do it to, which at first of course I couldn’t…”

Rosteck is still emerging, yet completely capable of producing passionate images on canvas. Read Levesque’s interview, and then check out the artist’s galleries on Deviant Art.

The Sophisticating of Andrew Snowdon

MLevin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:03:00 +0000

Rockalily Burlesque. Photo: Elyse J.R. Cottrell

Only Shakespeare seems to have outlasted burlesque on the theatre stage. It’s only been recently that writer Andrew Snowdon has delved into the scene, and his fascination grew greater after meeting the founder of local troupe Rockalily Burlesque. So much so that he agreed to perform on stage with her during a recent show using the name Silverstick.

Snowdon relates the experience succinctly in a piece he wrote on the experience for Ottawa Tonite. But it’s not just about stripping down to his underwear. He writes about the deep emotional connection troupe members have with each other and how it taught Snowdon himself a little bit more about the value of “rocking the boat.” His piece can be read at http://www.ottawatonite.com/2010/04/the-mostly-naked-truth-onstage-with-rockalily-burlesque.

Rockalily’s next performance will be at Mavericks on April 7.

Up Close and Intimate

MLevin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:43:33 +0000

Lindsay Ferguson. Photo by Ming Wu

You know Allan Isfan is taken with Lindsay Ferguson when he writes “They were all very good but when Lindsay Ferguson started singing I nearly fell off my chair.” Isfan writes at Ottawa Tonite about his reaction to her folk music and about the house concert he will host April 9 featuring Ferguson and Ken Voita.

Anna Williams at Guerilla Magazine

MLevin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:16:05 +0000

Anna Williams patrolled ski slopes, did field research in the Amazon Basin and flew tow planes, among other jobs, before giving into art to help her understand the fragility of the human condition that runs through her family. Williams’ life and her bronze art is the main Q&A feature in Guerilla Magazine’s newest issue (23) now available. It looks at how the recent university graduate grew up using her hands to shape the world, especially in her mother’s pottery studio, and how photos of her work “floored” Lisa Pai when Williams dropped in last summer to the Lafrenière & Pai Gallery between school semesters. She views her talent simply as a physical extension of the honesty she now feels about her thoughts, emotions and relationships:

Anna Williams. photo by Jonathan Lorange

“My work follows the meanderings of my life as I’m confronted by complexity or clarity. Some days I am exploring the outer landscape and at other times the inner, either can be confusing or simple. I try to respond as effectively and honestly as I can whether it is more conceptual or simply expressing a feeling of isolation within a community. I find it tremendously satisfying to break down a complex intellectual or social question into a visual vocabulary, but often it is equally as challenging to just express a feeling.”

Guerilla 23 also includes features on sculptor Adrian Gollner’s public installations, the winners of the Governor General’s Visual and Media Arts Awards, singer/songwriter Megan Jerome and a frantic piece about the 24-hour musical collaboration of six musical friends. It is available online here.