Rose Marie Scanlon

I can't even remember where I stumbled across the works of Yukon artist Rose Marie Scanlon but once I saw the first delicate watercolours about hunters I was hooked. When I think of watercolour I think of flowers and seascapes and delicate landscapes that play with light. Rose Marie's watercolours play more with darks both in tone and theme. I really really want to see these in person up close because there is no way these tiny digital images are doing these justice.

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time then you know I have a soft spot for dead things, hunting, taxidermy and fine Canadian craftsmanship. Rose Marie Scanlon has created a series of works that look as if they are the antithesis of typical watercolour. The paintings seem to depict scenes of night, the subjects appearing like transparent ghosts in the darkness. The landscape evokes a northern feel and reflects her home in Yukon Canada. The themes are definitely Canadian and specifically rural in content. These paintings evoke the age old struggle between man and wilderness and have layer upon layer of narrative familliar to almost any rural-living Canadian.

The masked figure appears in at least two paintings looking out directly at the viewer. I am intrigued by this figure. Who is this hunter? And what's with his sweater?! Presumably he is  the one who has shot and killed the deer in the back of the pickup. Why is his face covered when most photos of a hunter with his bounty are not generally taken in disguise.

Every time I look at these paintings I see something I didn't see before. Unfortunately the images just aren't large enough to really see the details and so I guess all I can do is go to Whitehorse and hope to see them up close.

What do you think of these? Is there anything that stands out for you or that leaves you with questions?

Await the Thunder

Axemas

Bang Bang

Big Hunt

Manhole

Shadows of the Alaska Highway

The Hunt

See a Banksy Exhibition for FREE

Work posted to @banksyny instagram account October 2, 2013

If you are a fan of Banksy, street art, graffiti or just clever digs at "the man" you are in luck this month because Banksy is hosting an entire exhibit in NYC: Better Out Than In. For his street residency, he will be creating a work a day for the month of October. The best part? He is using social media to document it and share it with those of us outside the art mecca.

Each piece is documented and posted on Instagram by user banksyny. Each artwork is also accompanied by a phone number which the "audience" can call to hear a description of the work. This exhibition is being presented in its entirety online at Banksy's official website where you can listen to the phone messages by clicking on the link under each piece. you can even follow him on Twitter @banksyny and if you happen to see an original work (before it gets painted over) you can tag post it and tag it #banksyny.

Although the first piece has already been painted over, it is unclear whether the clean up crew knew it was an original piece of work possibly worth millions of dollars. Original Banksy works chiseled from their original locations have sold for millions at auction despite the fact that taking a piece of public art and making it private (and bloody expensive) seems like a crime against the entire intent of the work.

In my opinion this is a brilliant idea for a "residency" and exhibition. Not only is the art "out" on the street but it is also out in the sense that it will not belong to any one person as it is shared and ahred across social media and the internet. Any person with access to a cell phone or a computer now has access to watch and participate in an exhibition by a contemporary artist.

I will be watching this exhibit unfold with excitement and anticipation and will be very interested to see how social media will contribute to the exhibition. The implications on the art world by making the art accessible and interactive may also be the beginnings of a shift away from the gallery world and essentially give art back to the people who need it most.

What do you think? Are you excited to watch this unfold? Does it give you any ideas for how you might next interact with your audience?