PHASE SIX
Nate McLeod, Matthew Mark, Cassandra Paul, Tyler Los-Jones, and Larissa Tiggelers
+15 Window Exhibition
April 1 to May 29, 2011
Making use of the opposing Untitled Arts Society and TNG +15 Window Spaces, the artists will create an exact mirrored image of the collaborative development across the two – however, one Window Space will be in full color, while the other will be in black & white.
PHASE is a ten-part multidisciplinary series begun in 2009 by Alberta College of Art + Design graduates Nate McLeod and Matthew Mark. Now in its sixth installment, the series is characterized by a lack of continuity between each event, and at times within the same event. Similar to “happenings”, occurring most significantly in New York City in the late 50s and early 60s, these events have been curated specifically with the intention of drawing an audience concerned with seeing the unexpected, rather than coming with a preconceived notion of what will be exhibited. Over twenty-five local artists have shown in the past installments, lasting from one-night only up to two weeks, and have represented a broad spectrum of disciplines including drawing, sculpture, painting, printmaking, jewellery, audio, installation, new media, photography and performance.
Essay
PHASE SIX is the sixth installment in a ten-part series of multidisciplinary events curated by Nate McLeod and Matthew Mark. This installment, concerned with collaborative practices and the notion of a “progressive collaboration”, has been programmed for TNG +15 Window Space in conjunction with the Untitled Art Society +15 Window, from April 8 – May 31, 2011. Both Window Spaces will be developed throughout this seven-week period as a collaboration between five artists: Nate McLeod, Matthew Mark, Cassandra Paul, Tyler Los-Jones, and Larissa Tiggelers.
The artists will be placed in order on a schedule, and two full rotations of this schedule will commence throughout the seven weeks – giving each artist one full day per rotation to work in the window space. During the first rotation, each artist will be given absolute freedom to add whatever they wish to the window space during their scheduled day – painting directly on the wall or floor, bringing in objects, canvases, etc. – with only stipulation being that the artists working in the days to follow may alter what already exists in the space in any way they wish. During the second rotation, following the same order, each artist may work for an entire day – however, they may only use white paint. By the end of the last artist’s scheduled day of work, all of the contents of the window will have been painted entirely white, slightly resembling the empty, untouched window space. The installation will be altered approximately every five days, providing regular passersby with an opportunity to view new work regularly, as well as to see the way each artist approaches the work of the others. The artists will create an exact mirrored image of the collaborative development across the two display vitrines – however, one Window Space will be in full color, while the other will be in black & white. At the beginning and at the end of each day of work, the artists will also photograph each Window Space from within the other – tracing the development of the collaboration in both black & white and full color, as well as the disappearance of each into whiteness.
