 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
July/August 2006
The Blank Canvas Collaboration Project
Energies Colliding
by Nikolas Guermos and Steve Horvat
The Blank Canvas Collaboration Project (BCCP) is launching an ongoing series of exhibitions that will t6ake place in different cities around the globe. The idea is to bring together a diverse group of creative people for an intense period of creativity and productivity. The exchange of energies and ideas within a network of visual artists, musicialns, poets, writers, film makers, photographers, curators, producers, and business people present possibilities that are limited only by the imagination of the people involved.
The premiere exhibit is at the Seymour Art Gallery on July 10. Five established Canadian painters, James Picard, Tania Gleave, Natalia Vetrova, Jordan Roberts, and Steve Horvat will come together on that dateand at that place to collaborate and breathe life into fifteen blank canvases. Over the next two weeks (July 10 - July 24), the artists will paint a series of large canvases which will thenbe on display from July 25 to August 13.
The entire history of the project from conception to realization is being meticulously documented. Vancouver photographers, Jesse Dlin, Neil Ray, Tina Schliessler, Michele "Sprout" Neilson, and Jennifer Morgan are creating a body of photographs that document different aspects of the project and developments as thay happen. The photorapher's work will also be on display, showcasing their unique perspetives and styles.
The power in the projct lies in what can be achieved while working in a large group of highly creative people. The atmosphere is charged with electricity as energies are exchanged and new inspirations are set in motion; an exciting and natural fusion of media occurs.
Musicians will perform during the two week working period of the project, offering different energies to influence the painters and poets. The poets wll join in with spoken word over some of the music. These collaborations will be recorded for a CD. The film maker will unite with the musicians to create a score for the film. The artwork and photographs for a book of ekphrastic poetry created by the poets will naturally be provided by Blank Canvas participants. This book will be packaged with the CD and sold to create revenue stream for the people involved with the project and to further the development of the project. The possibilities are infinite.
There is an educational aspect to this project as well. The public will be able to view an organic evolution that James Picard describes as "...a remarkable opportunity for the public to witness the creative process from start to finish."
The artists in this collaboration have an innate understanding of the "observer effect" wherein the energies of observers and participantsare inevitably involved in the realization of the outcome. Contributing port/writer Nikolas Guemos describes the project as a "confluence of styles and energies purposely meandering toward an inexplicable something."
He states, "The artists' aim is to prodce fifteen canvases. What will transpire onto the canvas is yet unknown and will continue to be elusive until the final brush stroke. It is the unknown aspect of this collaboration that invigorates the artists. The very process of sharing, of challenging each other's boundaries, of challenging their own beliefs ans self limitations is what excites the artists and by osmosis, will excite the community as well."
Steve Horvat, innovator and producer of the project, states his vision this way: "Inevitably, the project is about energy and how the exchange of energies impact what we do; whether consciously or unconsciously."
The Blank Canvas Collaboration Project is thinking of the future. Exhibitions
are already scheduled for cities around the world. The second exhibit
will take place in San Francisco, July 2007, and another exhibition will
be in Prague in 2008. Artists from the local communities, as well as selected
artists from previous shows, will collaborate in the new location. Parameters
will change as dictated by the new group of artists and the cultural influences
they bring.