North Carolina based artist Endia Deal explores the relationships of minority women within the corporate space. Her most recent project, “Can I touch it?”, is a photo series depicting white women in their 40s or older with traditionally black hairstyles. The final results show women with cornrows, flat twists, fingerwaves
Continue readingAuthor: Amanda McCuaig
Art Threat: Tanishq ad for second wedding strikes a chord
Across the pond and over the hills to India, a new ad by jeweller Tanishq is the talk of the town for pushing boundaries. Created by one of India’s largest communication groups, LOWE Lintas, Tanishq’s latest ad features a gorgeous dusky bride on her wedding day. After having her
Continue readingArt Threat: P.INK takes heathcare to an unexpected place: the tattoo parlour
As a man with no tattoos, Noel Franus is an unlikely candidate as the founder of P.INK: an organization that connects breast cancer survivors with tattoo ideas and artists. But as anyone with a family member who is also a breast cancer survivor can attest, the urge to do something
Continue readingArt Threat: You’re getting a clam!
Yesterday I hit up the Henry Ford, a museum in Detroit which is one of the coolest all-American museums in the US. I about burst into tears when I discovered that the bus that Rosa Parks made history in was there, so naturally my mom decided I needed to watch
Continue readingArt Threat: Little girls are better at designing superheroes than you are
“Little girls are better at designing superhoroes than you are” is a part-time project of California based artist Alexandria Law. Of the project she says: “Kids are more impressionable than you, but kids can also be less restricted by cultural gender norms than you. Kids are more creative than you,
Continue readingArt Threat: Tillett Wright’s million shades of gay
When Tillett Wright began her photographic project, Self Evident Truths, back in 2010 she didn’t expect the groundswell of requests for photographs that she ended up receiving. She originally wanted to shoot 4-5,000 people, but the response has led her to increase her goal to 10,000 people. “I basically decided
Continue readingArt Threat: Sonny’s happy future demands you perk up your ears
Sonny Assu meets you where you’re at. I first came across his artworks as the Idle No More movement began to swell, his dusty blue and red posters could be spotted in protests reading “rise” “lead” “confront” “learn”. Less than a month later, a set of posters on display at
Continue readingArt Threat: Ideal, Think, Reality
The above video was uploaded a few months ago but started making the rounds in a viral way this weekend. Sunday food for thought.
Continue readingArt Threat: Low-class Oscars leave the ladies booing
To this day the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in my career was stand in front of a group of 300 university students in my role as president of an student newspaper organization – my peers at the time – and explain to them that they needed
Continue readingArt Threat: Athena Film Festival passes the Bechdel test
Occasionally films come out in the mainstream that give a glimpse of hope that perhaps the world of film is changing and becoming more adept at telling stories that don’t rely on sexist stereotypes – last summer the Hunger Games gave a promise of a heroine who could fend for
Continue readingArt Threat: A visit to Josh Keyes’ dystopian zoo
If Josh Keyes’ paintings don’t take a bit of your breath away, I suggest you visit an optometrist. Each one sits as a stand-alone diorama, a moment caught in a fictional time, with beautiful realistic paintings of animals in a world so strange that it is most likely caused by
Continue readingArt Threat: When It Scares You – Where’s your idle art?
I’ve been on the hunt for Idle No More related art – illustrations, photography, songs, etc. If you have leads, please send them my way! In the meantime, the first thing to come across my desk was this drawing by illustrator Stephen Gladue – inspired initially by the news
Continue readingArt Threat: Oil makes for a slippery slope
Today marks the start of a five day hearing process about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline. About 330 speakers will have 10 minutes each to address the panel responsible for reviewing the $6-billion Enbridge project. A couple years ago Canadian musician City and Colour wrote the song “At The
Continue readingArt Threat: Shunpo into the new year
I’ve been looking for nice ways to start the new year. Typically, I am diligent about making reviews of past years, goals for upcoming years, a handful of resolutions – but this December the time to do this slipped from my fingers. Shunpo landed in my inbox last week and
Continue readingArt Threat: An Era of Discontent – Political art takes over Kamloops Art Gallery
A political art exhibition was not what I was expecting to find when I visited Kamloops, a small city located in the interior of BC, so I was not only suprised but pleased to discover I had free admission to see An Era of Discontent Art: As Occupation at the Kamloops Art Gallery during my […]
Continue readingArt Threat: How Many Gallons per Hour? – Water Portraits brings water usage closer to home
In the excitement at finally convincing his father to be the first subject of his water portraits, Peter Holmes poured cold water over his father’s head. A surprise to both of them. Since the initial portrait, 16 have been taken over a two year period in North America, Europe, Morocco,
Continue readingArt Threat: Una Noche a beautiful story of a challenging life
It’s rare to see depictions of Havana that don’t consist of the stereotypes: people playing music, someone sitting on the street smoking a cigar, old American cars, stunning old buildings. In fact, many films set in Havana (such as Our Man in Havana and even Die Another Day) are filmed
Continue readingArt Threat: Art in the age of political absurdity
“The strength of our American-ness lies in our ability to question, to look frankly at the nation’s past and present, and to ask if we are living up to our own best selves.” – Eleanor Heartney, Party Headquarters curator The US Presidential election season is upon us, and with it, the
Continue readingArt Threat: She Has a Name leaves you breathless – Play on human trafficking touches without playing the guilt card
Three white cloaked figures move in and out of the set, whispering layers of thought from behind the scared eyes of Number 18 – a 15 year old prostitute being forced to work in Bangkok. The rise of music and emotional of the small 5 member cast of the play
Continue readingArt Threat: Brandalism – Taking back public space for public debate
Twenty-four artists, 37 spots, 5 cities, 8 months. While millions of eyes look to London this week, these small numbers come together for a big purpose. Brandalism, a ‘crew’ and project that takes inspiration from Sean Tejaratchi and Bansky, has been re-appropriating ad space (billboards in particular) to creatively interpret big brands.
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