Selling In Kensington Market Tomorrow!

All Plante. All handmade. All day.

Come visit my mother, Lynda Plante, and myself, as we participate in our first Pedestrian Sunday in Kensington Market tomorrow, Sunday July 29th, from 12-6pm. We will be located on lower Augusta in the "Art Market", selling handmade tote bags and repurposed denim bags from With A Y Designs, as well as jewellery, prints, cards and zines.

The weather is going to be beautiful, so come on out and enjoy all the food, culture, and artisans that Kensington Market has to offer!

XPACE RESIDENCY

XPACE RESIDENCY

XPACE Cultural Centre - 58 Ossington Avenue, Toronto

July 27th - August 4th, 2012

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday   12 - 6pm

Opening Reception July 27th, 2012  7 - 11pm

Artists in Residence: Krystina Plante, Mason Mummery, Lee Aaron Wiesblatt

 

New Body of Work: Missing Links, Krystina Plante

Drawing from personal experience and emotional tension, I look to find narratives within mundane objects or the events of everyday life. My most recent work has centered on the surrounding notions of collecting, the mundane, and the book as an art form. This residency has created an opportunity to divert from these themes and instead explore a topic which has been in suspension for some time. As much of my family has been adopted or displaced, I am left with a very small family core, which then dissipates into a vast area of unknowns, like dead nerve endings. It is this tremendous sense of anonymity and these evidently lost connections which has me longing for answers, resolution, and acceptance. It is vital to my artistic practice to remain emotionally vulnerable, as I feel it is crucial to express humanity through art.

Feature: Upcoming at XPACE

Feature:

Upcoming at XPACE

XPACE is housing a Residency for three recent OCADU grads for the month of July, we are very excited to see what these talented artists will come up with! Krystina and Lee are both Printmaking grads, and Mason is a Sculpture/Installation grad. They are using both the Main Space, as well as XBASE as their studios, and have been given 24/7 access. On the 27th they will be showing some of the work they've come up with in their time here. Rumor has it that there will be an art catapult!

Krystina Plante is actively involved in craft and zine culture, and works as the event coordinator for OCAD University's Annual Book Arts Fair. Her most recent work centres on the surrounding notions of collecting, the mundane, and the book as an art form.

Mason Mummery's figurative caricature sculptures are inspired by cartoons, satire and farce. Through explorations and axaggerations of the human subject, the caricature figures become a malleable portrait of humanity.

Lee Aaron Wiesblatt's interdisciplinary work is informed by narrative, the multiple, process, and experimentation. Dual interests in fine and vernacular art inform his developing practice.

Get all the latest Residency and XPACE updates on their Blog

Camp Nano feat. Carl Wagan Bookmobile

OCADU Student Gallery – 285 Dundas Street West, Toronto

June 28th – July 20th, 2012

Opening Reception Thurs. June 28th, 2012

Summer Camp / Camp Nano Workshops 12 – 2pm

Gallery Opening 6 – 11pm

Carl Wagan Bookmobile & Campfire After Sunset 

(Located in the parking lot beside Butterfield Park / South side of OCAD University – 100 McCaul Street)

Featuring zines and artist multiples by Shannon Gerard’s diverse Nanopublishing students, this years theme revolves around the great outdoors, keener culture, and the prolific Carl Sagan. Helping to kick off the Student Gallery’s annual Summer Camp program, us Camp Nano scouts will be holding workshops at the gallery on June 28th, from 12-2pm, where you can earn all your scout badges!

Carl Wagan Bookmobile, a vintage Volkswagen Van which has been converted into a gloriously wood panelled gallery space, will be parked in the parking lot beside Butterfield Park the evening of June 28th. Bring your friends, your neighbors, your lovers, and your dogs after sunset for a faux campfire, ukelele session, s’mores, and some all-around good quality camp-time in the heart of the city. Something like this will only happen once!

This will also be the release of my long-awaited  

Wood Panel That Shit zine! Be there!

Beaute Brut

Beaute Brut

Showcasing work by Canadian Artist Jean Romano-Ferderber

Opening Reception Thursday June 28th, 2012    7-10pm

Exhibition June 28th - July 15th, 2012

The Art Bar 1st Floor - Gladstone Hotel - 1214 Queen Street West, Toronto

Poster design by Krystina Plante

Planet Palmerston - TMRW!

Planet Palmerston - Saturday June 9th (moves to the 10th if it rains) 10-3pm-ish

There's going to be a HUGE street-wide yard sale on Palmerston tomorrow.

(stretching north from College to Bloor)

There's probably going to be some wicked stuff! I'm hoping to make it down there in time. Check it out!

COPYRIGHT!!!

I have some pretty awesome ideas...once in a while!

Sound Wave Killing Machine...I'm sure they already have a machine that does this: detects sound waves in the air and zaps them, diminishing them instantly. They must! But if not...Copyright!

Chicken Bully...In chicken coops the "pecking order" is a really big problem. There are always chickens that pick on the weaker ones; attacking, trampling and eventually killing them. I suggest that a new occupation be introduced into the equation: Chicken Bully. Someone dressed as a huge chicken who picks on these chicken bullies and puts them in their place, thus saving the weaker ones from attack and solving the pecking order issue. It would create new jobs...? Copyright!

Lastly, Toothpaste Honey...You know how when you get down to the last bit of honey left in the container it takes forever for it reach the nozzle? You have to stand there for ten minutes smacking it on the counter upside down just to get a little bit of honey. It's horribly annoying! Well, what if honey came in a tube instead? Like toothpaste. Then you could just keep rolling the end as you use it up, and you would always be able to get the honey out. Every last bit of it! Pretty clever eh? Copyright!!!

Sneak Peek - Carl Wagan

Sneak Peek!

Yesterday we started getting "Carl Wagan", Shannon's VW bus, ready for Nanopublishing's Bookmobile Event/Gallery Opening coming up in 2 weeks, by woodpanelling the hell outta him! The entire interior. All cupboards. The kitchenette. Everything! I'm even reupholstering the interior with woodgrain fabrics! Wood Panel That Shit!!!

                                        BEFORE                                                      AFTER

More BEFORE photos.

You will have to attend the event to see the reveal!!



KEEP CHECKING IN THIS WEEK FOR SHOW UPDATES

Tomek Baginski - Fallen Art

Tomek Baginski - Fallen Art (2004)

I was introduced to this short film during my first year of University, but I couldn't remember the title so I had been unable to find it until now. It's a dark piece, and quite vulgar, but beautifully done.

Mural @ OCAD

This mural in the upper design level at OCAD was the only pop of colour or interest in that place a few months ago! Koodos to the artist(s) who painted this beaute!

Pure Photoshop Magic!

My bestie Melissa Cormier made this little

photoshop gem for me. Its pure genius!

  

I'm totally coming back in my next life as the

 rare white squirrel of Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Papermaking with Remnants




Kitchen set-up.

For the Remnants volume of thesis books, I collected all of my paper waste over a 6 month period, including TTC transfers, receipts, coupons, post-it notes, sketches, bank statements, etc. I then made sheets of paper out of these remnants and bound this volume of books with it; bringing the concept full circle!










Tore all remnants into 1" squares.

Blended until pulp was even.

Strained excess water.

Put all strained pulp to the side.

Added sizing to pulp before adding it to the vat of water.

Long format sheets on the pelan, ready to be pressed and dried.

Hot Lead

Our Intertype machine in the Printmaking department came in really handy for making the titles for the spines of my thesis books. It would have taken me countless hours to handset the type for all 28 books, not to mention all of the patience I had left at that point. It's such an intimidating machine at first, but once you start using it it's kind of addictive! Your jaw can't help but drop while you marvel at the complexity of it's construction and what an incredible machine it is!
Who designed this thing?! Hats off to ya!

Special thank you to George Walker for teaching me how to use the Intertype machine, and for defending its presence in the department all of these years. It's a real asset to the studio!

97th Annual OCAD University Graduate Show

97th Annual OCAD University Graduate Show

May 3rd - 6th, 2012

Opening Reception May 3rd, 2012   6:30 - 11pm

OCAD University

100 McCaul Street, Toronto

* Printmaking Graduates located in the Central Hall, on the 2nd floor of the main building.

8 Vignettes

8 Vignettes

A Collaboration of Art and Music between
OCAD University and the Royal Conservatory of Music

April 20th, 2012
Performances begin at 7:30pm

The Music Gallery

197 John Street, Toronto

On Friday, April 20, a once-in-a-lifetime collaborative performance between OCAD U’s fourth-year Printmaking students and musicians from the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music will take place at The Music Gallery in Toronto. The collaboration is the brainchild of renowned Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer and his good friend, OCAD U Printmaking Professor Rudolf Bikkers.

Invited guests will experience eight vignettes, each featuring a musical composition written by an RCM student paired with one or more printmaking students, who have created works that range from sculptural in nature to those that include projected elements, lighting, animation and installation. Guests will intermingle among the performances as a part of them.

The performance will feature works by OCAD U students Arend Currie, John Ekonomakos, Elizabeth Ortolan, Melissa Cormier, Annie Cormier, Megan Cunningham, Krystina Plante, Lee Aaron Wiesblatt, Ryan Reid Millard, Ashley Lil Eisen, Alexa Hatanaka, Jean Romano, and Annyen Lam.

The students from the Glenn Gould School are Taylor N McGee (violinist), Danielle Girard (violinist), Sophie Baird-Daniel (harpist), Ruth D’Souza (vocalist), Teddy Wiggins (violinist), Vladimir Tsyglian (vocalist), Carlos Hernondez (pianist), Sahara Sloan (vocalist), Dave Shewchuk (violinist/composer), Nicholas King (pianist), Autumn Chodorowski (vocalist), Minjoo Jo (pianist), Lucas Porter (composer) and Tao Chen (coordinator).

Due to space considerations the event is restricted to invited guests, but the performance will be documented by OCAD U Visual Resources, and made available via the university’s library later this summer.


Read the entire article

Rock N Roll 4

Rock N Roll 4

A Celebration of Stone Lithography

April 19th - 29th, 2012

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Sunday   12 - 7pm

Closing Reception April 28th, 2012   7pm - 1am

Oz Studios

134 Ossington Avenue

Rock N Roll shows are always a bangin' party with awesome people and artists from the community. Come out and celebrate with us on Saturday April 28th!!

Works for sale

We Killed It!

WE KILLED IT!!!!

Black Sheep was a HUGE success!!

Thank you to the hundreds of people who came out to celebrate with

us and make it such a special night!!

Also, special thanks to The Gladstone Hotel and their excellent staff

who have gone above and beyond for us.

Stay tuned for the next Black Sheep show!
Baaahhh!!!

Black Sheep Press - Toronto's Best Parties

Local magazine, The Grid, has featured the Black Sheep show in this weeks edition of The Night List, a prediction of the top 5 best parties to attend in Toronto, during April 5th-11th!

Go Black Sheep! We're everywhere!! We can't be stopped!!! BAAAHHH!!!!

Highlight:

Thursday: Black Sheep, an OCAD printmaking exhibition

Gladstone Gallery, 1214 Queen Street West, second floor. #WQW Free. Runs until April 24. Doors at 7 p.m.
Looking for a custom throw pillow? Maybe fund a rad t-shirt line upstart? If you’re looking to stumble upon the next big nu-art thing being birthed in this town, stumble no further than OCAD’s thesis exhibit. The exhibit’s namesake, the “Black Sheep,” is merely the beginning of realness, and what I’m taking as an allegory for the incoming generation’s craving/quest for the unique among the complacent and conservative. Look for lithography, etching, relief and screen printing transformed into sculptural, installation and bookmaking projects. Themes include: “the death drive to post-human transformations, folklore to popular culture, collecting to cultural persistence, and traditional ideologies from the Classical to the Romantic.” Ones to watch: nature-led Melissa Cormier, visionary-of-all-trades Jimmy Brannen, and rebel girl Kaelan Karjalainen. Find out more here, and watch a promo video from the class here.

Pick up your copy on news-stands across the GTA!
Visit the website for their full review

Black Sheep

Black Sheep

April 5th – 23rd, 2012

Gallery Hours 12 – 5pm daily

Opening Reception April 5th, 2012 7 – 10pm

The Gladstone Hotel – 2nd Floor Gallery

1214 Queen Street West, Toronto

Poster version designed by Krystina Plante

Showcasing the artwork of OCAD University’s 2012 Printmaking Thesis Graduates:

Jimmy Brannen

Megan Cunningham

Annie Cormier

Melissa Cormier

Arend Currie

John Ekonomakos

Nathan Enkel

Jean Ferderber

Alexa Hatanaka

Kaelan Karjalainen

Annyen Lam

Ashley Lil

Ryan Reid Millard

Allison Philp

Krystina Plante

Xenia Vakova

Lee Aaron Wiesblatt

The Gladstone Hotel - Upcoming Events Listing - Black Sheep

The Gladstone Hotel features Black Sheep:

Black Sheep

Thu, Apr 5, 2012 - Tue, Apr 24, 2012

12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Cover: FREE

Venue: Gladstone Gallery (2nd Floor)

Visual Arts

Poster design by Krystina Plante

In the Printmaking Department of OCADU, each student offers their unique vision to the timeless mediums of lithography, etching, relief and screen printing. In this exhibition, Printmaking’s graduates have both supported the mediums two dimensional tradition, and transformed it into sculptural, installation and bookmaking projects.

With urgency and enthusiasm, these artists find their own niches and approaches for their work, expanding their sights beyond the institutional space to a cultural landscape. Themes explore a variety of delights including: the death drive to post-human transformations, folk lore to popular culture, collecting to cultural persistence, and traditional ideologies from the Classical to the Romantic.

Come celebrate with the graduating printmakers, as they reveal their thesis works!

With works by: Jimmy Brannen, Annie Cormier, Melissa Cormier, Megan Cunningham, Arend Currie, Ashley Eisen, John Ekonomakos, Nathan Enkel, Jean Ferderber, Alexa Hatanaka, Kaelan Karjalainen, Annyen Lam, Ryan Reid Millard, Allison Philp, Krystina Plante, Xenia Vakova, and Lee Wiesblatt.

Please join us for the opening reception Thurs April 5th, 7-10pm

 The Gladstone Hotel Events Listing for Black Sheep

Check out The Gladstone Hotel Blog

Black Sheep Promo Video

Oh Yeah! We're ballin'!
Who else has a promo video?!!!

Special THANKS to Jimmy Brannen for all his hard work in the making of this amazing video!

Black Sheep Posters

Wicked poster designs for the upcoming Black Sheep show!!

Poster designed by Melissa Cormier

Poster designed by Ryan Reid Millard

Poster designed by Krystina Plante

Poster designed by Jimmy Brannen

Poster designed by Lee Aaron Wiesblatt

RIP Aaron Marx

 

Tragically, Aaron Marx, the owner and curator of Studio 561 has passed away this week. He was a kind and full of life man, and I am so grateful to have been able to meet him and share many laughs with him before he was taken away, much too soon. He will be deeply missed! 

My condolences go out to his loved ones.

The Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit!

This video is f-ing hilarious!!! And the honey badger IS pretty badass!!!

Local Musical Talent

Somebody That I Used To Know - Walk Off The Earth (Gotye Cover)

Five people singing and playing one guitar...needless to say this is pretty awesome!

Guy Laramee

Canadian multi-disciplinary artist Guy Laramee from Montreal, Quebec is making some absolutely breathtaking artist books. I would love to see him work!

Check out his work at www.guylaramee.com

Levi's - Representin' Printmaking!

Way to go Levi's! Representin' Printmaking! Badass!!!

Creating Printing Plates with Laser Toner

Bill Ritchie, from Halfwood Press demonstrates how to create an image transfer by using a laser print on silicone-backed label stock, which is a shipping label paper. The interesting thing about his technique is this specific paper that he is using for his transfer, since the backing of the label stock paper can then be re-used later for the back of his plate as an acid resist.
In part 2 of this video series he works back into the image with a scribe, burnisher and scraper to make it less photographic and more like an original drawing. The transfer is etched lightly so that it may just be used as a starting point. In my opinion this is the way that all photo etchings should be treated. Simply duplicating a photographic image within a print medium seems like a bit of a waste of time, and sort of stale.
I have posted both parts of this video just in case you are interested in seeing him continue working on this plate, but it is only part 1 that I am really interested in, because it is this paper he uses in creating the substrate that intrigues me. These and many other Halfwood Press videos can be found on YouTube.

Part 1 of 2

Part 2 of 2

Gocco Printing

The other day I was craft-gawking and saw that someone had made some "gocco print" journals, and I had no idea what they meant. So I Googled it and found that it is this neat little printmaking machine from Japan that was super popular in the 80's and is now making a come-back...like all things 80's and awesome! You can only create an image that's about 4x6", but it's a pretty cool thing to have at home for making invitations, cards or small-scale editions. I've seen some people use it for making zines on-the-go which is a really awesome idea! Although, seeing as it is a somewhat rare product, which is only found in Japan, I'm not sure how easy it would be to order the special inks, bulbs, or exposure sheets that this machine requires. Never-the-less it's a neat little toy and if I had one I'd probably use it quite a bit. 

Check it out! I've posted 2 different video tutorials

Watch the short nerdy Etsy demo video

OR

Watch the hilariously cheesy in-depth demo video from the 80's

Part 1 of 2

Part 2 of 2

Kirk Demarais - Film Family Portraits

I caught a glimpse of these portraits at the bottom of a page from Cineplex Magazine back in 2010, with a tiny article titled The Art Of Film. I tore it out and it's been stuck to my bulletin board ever since. I am having a love affair with Kirk Demarais' series Film Family Portraits. What an idea! So clever! And they're so simply and perfectly executed in just pencil crayon alone. Why didn't I think of this first?! Koodos Kirk! I really want one! Perhaps a family portrait from Snatch?! Badass!

The Torrances, inspired by The Shining
I want this one. *Hint Hint Mr. Demarais!*



The Johnsons, inspired by The Jerks



The Hoovers, inspired by Little Miss Sunshine



The Huxtables, inspired by The Cosby Show
Two originals commissioned. One by actress Kristen Wiig. This one by comedian/actor Nick Kroll



The McFlys, inspired by Back To The Future


Check him out at http://www.kirkdemarais.com/

Vicki Nerino

Toronto-based artist Nicki Verino "makes things from stuff". Very obscene things most of the time! The obscene-ery isn't really shown here but check out her website if you wanna see lots of flabby vaginas and abnormally long soft dicks in some awkward situations! Gotta love a free spirit! The girls got talent though! Super imaginative and humourous narratives. I love the heavy scribbled style and punches of red tones throughout.

Here's a few of my favourites from this awesome up and coming local artist.

Check her out at http://www.vickinerino.com/

Or visit her blog at http://www.vickinerino.blogspot.com/