New Drawing!

All's been quiet on the blog front lately. I have been keeping busy restarting Papirmasse, painting with En Masse and doing a few Christmas card commissions, and just haven't been doing as much personal work lately.

All that changed this week when I finally had a bit of free time and sat down to a much needed day of one-on-one time with a Sharpie Paint marker and some nice paper. I'll post a final photo when this sucker is finished, hopefully by next week!

UPDATE: Here it is!




As you can see, En Masse has infiltrated my brain a bit. There's just something so nice about how easy it is to sit down with a pen and paper - 2 colours and you don't have to bother mixing paints. I am looking forward to the eventual return to my neglected studio, but in the meantime this really hits the spot.

Papirmasse is BACK! Affordable Art lives on

Papirmasse, the affordable art subscription, is BACK IN ACTION after a year-long hiatus! Are caps locks necessary? YES! This is exciting news, folks.

During our little nap, we restructured and found some partners in crime. Papirmasse is now produced by Maison Kasini in Montreal, a fantastic art house and small press located in the bustling Belgo building. This means that you can come and visit us, because we now have a permanent home where new releases and back issues will be displayed! I am pleased to be sharing the title of Head Honcho, and will retain the job of Art Director and Editor of the subscription.

Even more exciting, we're cheaper than ever. $5 a month - no catches. No added shipping, no hidden fees, no tricks. 5 bucks a month gets you 12 prints in the mail, with art on the front and writing on the back. Click here to subscribe.

If you're as excited as we are about these new developments, come and celebrate this Saturday at our new home in the Belgo: #408, 372 Ste. Catherine east, Montreal. 3-5 pm (that's 15h00 - 17h00). There will be prizes, free issues, and lots of great contemporary art to look at.


More details at:
www.papirmasse.com
www.maisonkasini.com
www.facebook.com/papirmasse
www.twitter.com/papirmasse

Countdown to Expozine 2010 (this weekend!)

It's almost here! Yes, the one-and-only event of the year that will thoroughly satisfy your inner art nerd/print dork/small press junkie, the amazing Expozine!

2 beautiful original paintings by graffiti artist extraordinaire Produkt.

For those who are selling, Expozine is like art camp for grown-ups, a chance to completely dork out with 300 like-minded vendors who are just as into talking the ins and outs of print as you. If you're a visitor, well, get ready. It's rare indeed to see this many unique handmade paper items under one roof. Posters, prints, books, original art, and zines can all be found in the same place for 2 scant days, and many vendors (myself included) offer up their goods at discounted prices for this weekend only.

Because I didn't blog about it last year, here are a few pictures of the (mostly traded) things I picked up last year. If any fellow vendors are reading this: let's trade again!

A ton of great stuff, mostly by JP King (who is super generous with trades).

Awesome poster.

Prints! Prints! Prints!

Zines! Zines! Zines!

Expozine, Montreal’s annual small press, comic and zine fair, will take place on Saturday, November 13 and Sunday, November 14, 2010, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 5035 St-Dominique (Église Saint-Enfant Jésus, Laurier Métro). Free admission.

Under Pressure Graffiti Festival 2010!!!!!!!

Under Pressure, aka the best damn thing that happens in Montreal in the summer, is gearing up for its 15th year this coming weekend. August 14th and 15th, come down and join the party at Peace Park and Foufounes Electrique (the former being just above Renée Levesque on St. Laurent, the latter...well, you know Foufes, don't you?). Why am I so excited? Because above and beyond being a long-term fan of the event, I was lucky enough to get to design their shirts this year! We went with a playing card theme and the phrase Down With the Kings as our mantra. Below are the results. For more info on the event, visit www.underpressure.ca Posters of these images will be available at the event and online at www.hellokirsten.etsy.com.

2 new shirts & Ampersands

I printed up an absolute ton of Ampersand posters this week, just for fun. About 40 big ones and 540 small ones! You can see them below.

But first! I threw one of the &s onto a shirt, and made another shirt based on the # sign. It's play-with-type time over here. The shirts are up at Threadless and if you voted for them I would very much appreciate it. Thanks :)

Link to vote: http://threadless.com/submission/290430/Ampersand

Link to vote: http://threadless.com/submission/290429/Random_Numbers

Aaaaaaaand, a whole bunch of ampersands below! &&&&&&. Right now they're on 12" x 18" posters, which are big and look amazing, and small 4" x 6" cards, which are fun.

Show in Toronto!

Packing up work for my show in Toronto! Details asap - stay tuned.

Papergirl Berlin

These lovely people give away free art!This summer Papirmasse participated in Papergirl Berlin, an idea that has girls (and guys) biking around Berlin, giving away tubes full of free art! We are always a fan of getting art out there and into the world, and are excited to think of our prints papering many a wall across the ocean. Thanks to Papergirl for being so freakin' rad: here's a link to their stuff so you can read more (it's a mixture of German and English)

Blog: http://papergirl-world.blogspot.com/

Website: http://papergirl-berlin.de/

They are still accepting entries, so don't delay - send your prints today!(a sampling of what we sent. See more at www.papirmasse.com, and www.hellokirsten.etsy.com)

Papirmasse 2009 Folios on sale now!

Papirmasse, the affordable art project, is now available in one sweet package! Full sets of our 2009 Papirmasse run of prints are up for sale on our Etsy shop: www.hellokirsten.etsy.com

12 prints for $80 - it really doesn't get any cheaper than that. Check out the Etsy listing for more information, and visit www.papirmasse.com to learn more about our affordable art project. Art is cheap! Art is for everyone! Long live Papirmasse!

$80 for 12 art prints! What are you waiting for?

Folios are also available at Maison Kasini in the Belgo building in Montreal, and will be added to select retailers across the country soon.

Follow me on Twitter

Papirmasse, and by extension ME, has a Twitter account now! http://twitter.com/Papirmasse
See you there :) p.s. image credit? not me. But pretty awesome, hey?

While we're here, please be our Facebook fan too! www.facebook.com/papirmasse

Making It Montreal

Just did an illustration for the second Making It Montreal show, opening tomorrow night (July 6, 2010) at Shaika Café in Montreal. Here's the FB event, don't miss it!

Vernissage:
Tuesday, July 6, Shaika Café
5526 Sherbrooke Street West (near corner Girouard; Vendome métro)
5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Round-table discussion, 8 p.m..

Making It Montreal

3 new paintings in a unique Montreal show! Opens at Shaika Café July 6, 2010. 5526 Sherbrooke Street West, 5 - 9 pm. Roundtable discussion at 8. Here's my contribution:



On Tuesday July 6, come celebrate the opening of the second ‘Making it Montreal’ art exhibit at Shaika Café, featuring work by some of Montreal's most exciting English artists: Graham Hall,
Naledi Jackson, Dan Buller, Nikol Mikus, and me - Kirsten McCrea

Tuesday July 6, 2010
‘Making It Montreal’ Group Exhibit Two vernissage
Shaika Gallery and Café, 5526 Sherbrooke Street West
(near corner Girouard; Vendome métro)
5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Round-table discussion at 8 PM

‘Making It Montreal’ is a unique research and promotion project highlighting English-speaking artists who chose to make Montreal home.

All of these artists moved to Montreal from elsewhere in Canada in adulthood to pursue their careers. The round-table discussion will focus on the support and resources available for English-speaking visual artists in Montreal.

The discussion will also continue online on the project’s interactive website, http://www.makingitmontreal.org, which features galleries of works, blog posts and links to resources for English-speaking artists in Montreal.

‘Making It Montreal’ is organized by ARCMTL (best known for its Expozine small press fair and Distroboto network of cultural vending machines) and is made possible through the assistance of Canadian Heritage’s Cultural Development Fund.


www.makingitmontreal.org
www.expozine.ca
www.distroboto.com

Hot Topic video

Higher quality Youtube version HERE.

I just made a video that finally puts my Hot Topic painting series to the beat of the song that inspired it. In 2006 I was back in art school after a year-long hiatus and wanted to learn how to oil paint. My profs weren't super helpful - all they said was "Just paint, and paint, and PAINT!". So, I did. I had always had this idea in the back of my mind, to visually record this song, and it seemed like a good excuse to finally do it. Two years and 60 paintings later, the Hot Topic series was done.

Here's the properly-written version of the above:

‘Hot Topic’ is a series of 60 paintings portraying each person mentioned in the Le Tigre song of the same name. This song is a tribute to feminist heroes of all stripes: artists, activists, writers, musicians, and others. Many of the people in the song have strongly influenced my own development as an artist and activist, but are relatively unknown outside of certain subcultures. In a world that celebrates manufactured pop stars but forgets the names of suffragists, I wanted to find a way to solidify the memory of the underground superstars whose creativity and ideas have made such a difference to feminists of my generation.

Portraiture has traditionally been used as a means of depicting the wealth and high social standing of its (often male) subjects. I wanted to use the portrait for its ability to announce importance and greatness, without upholding the tired ideals of the brave and solitary hero or genius. Presented on the wall in a grid, the works no longer stand as individual portraits and instead form a pastiche that is indicative of the interconnectivity and community so integral to feminist culture.

Each piece measures 8 x 12 inches and is a variety of mixed media on board.

About the Song

Hot Topic was released in 1999 by Mr. Lady Records on Le Tigre’s self-titled debut album. Le Tigre at the time consisted of Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman, and Sadie Benning. Benning was later replaced by JD Samson. The lyrics included below are intended to provide readers unfamiliar with the band or song with a better concept of the series.

Lyrics to Hot Topic © Le Tigre 1999 (lyrics from LeTigreWorld.com)

Hot topic is the way that we rhyme

Hot topic is the way that we rhyme

One step behind the drum style

One step behind the drum style
Carol Rama and Eleanor Antin

Yoko Ono and Carolee Schneemann

You're getting old, that's what they'll say, but

Don't give a damn I'm listening anyway

Stop, don't you stop

I can't live if you stop

Don't you stop
Gretchen Phillips and Cibo Matto

Leslie Feinberg and Faith Ringgold

Mr. Lady, Laura Cottingham

Mab Segrest and The Butchies, man

Don't stop
Don't you stop

We won't stop

Don't you stop

So many roads and so much opinion

So much bullshit to give in to

So many rules and so much opinion

So much bullshit but we won't give in
Stop, we won't stop

Don't you stop

I can't live if you stop

Tammy Rae Carland and Sleater-Kinney

Vivienne Dick and Lorraine O'Grady

Gayatri Spivak and Angela Davis

Laurie Weeks and Dorothy Allison

Stop, don't you stop

Please don't stop

We won't stop

Gertrude Stein, Marlon Riggs, Billie Jean King, Ut, DJ Cuttin Candy, David Wojnarowicz, Melissa York, Nina Simone, Ann Peebles, Tami Hart, The Slits, Hanin Elias, Hazel Dickens, Cathy Sissler, Shirley Muldowney, Urvashi Vaid, Valie Export, Cathy Opie, James Baldwin, Diane Dimassa, Aretha Franklin, Joan Jett, Mia X, Krystal Wakem, Kara Walker, Justin Bond, Bridget Irish, Juliana Luecking, Cecilia Dougherty, Ariel Skrag, The Need, Vaginal Creme Davis, Alice Gerard, Billy Tipton, Julie Doucet, Yayoi Kusama, Eileen Myles
Oh no no no don't stop stop............


You can find a short bio on every person by going to www.hottopicproject.blogspot.com, or by clicking the 'Hot Topic' label in the sidebar to the right. I will also eventually have a nice, full exhibition of the series on my main website, www.hellokirsten.com

New Illo! Maternal Health Initiative

A new illustration for Vue Weekly in Edmonton, on Canada's failure to fund abortions in developing nations through our Maternal Health Initiative.

Abortion in these countries actually SAVES children's lives, because the children of women who die are 10 TIMES more likely to die themselves within the next two years. A study by the Lancet shows that legalizing abortion does not increase the demand for it. Legalization moves the practice from back alleys to safe hospitals, greatly reducing the # of women who die, which in turn saves the lives of their remaining children. South Africa is a great study in how legalizing abortion greatly reduces childhood mortality. I know the logic is not straightforward, but the facts are well documented.

Furthermore, shouldn't women in countries we are aiding get the same medical services Canadian women do (respecting, of course, the laws and rules of said country)? We should be fighting to reduce childhood mortality abroad, not tacitly supporting repressive governments that won't even let women who have been raped or are going to die make a choice.

Stephen Harper has failed many women the world over by not funding a full range of maternal health options.

Here is a link to the Vue article:http://vueweekly.com/front/story/words_are_not_enough/

Bunny Butt

New painting! Mixed media on board, 12" x 16", 2010.

Lost Soul!

I somehow totally missed this little guy here when I was redoing my website a month or so ago and putting up images of new work! Poor little jughead. Anyways, better late than never. I'll try to get him up on www.hellokirsten.com in the next week, but for now he lives here.

Jughead, oil on board 2010, 12" x 12". From the same series as Kim Jong Bomb and Kim il-Sung, which I was going to link to, but it looks like I've never posted them, so here they are too:

Finished painting gets even more finished

Sometimes you work on something until you think it's done, but a small part of your mind isn't fully happy with it. I'm really glad that I went back and tackled this Seated Man painting (originally done for the Pied Carrée - Square Foot - show at Galérie Zone Orange in Montreal). It looks wayyyyy better now, and there's no more little voice saying 'Hey, really, is this the best you can do?' Many thanks to my pal Jazelin for the great idea to put him on a skateboard. I don't know where exactly this bad-ass naked skateboarding is taking place, but in the words of you know who, "I want to go to there".

More crap writing on art from Edmonton. Sigh.

I don't write much here, but I had to respond to this: "Art Gallery of Alberta VS. Independent Galleries." It's an awful article. I go into why below.

***

Dear Jessica Brisson,

I was distressed to read your "Art Gallery of Alberta VS. Independant Galleries" article (See Magazine, 13 May 2010). In conflating two very different kinds of art exhibition spaces, you failed to enrich the discussion of Edmonton's art scene and have instead confused the issue of how institutions of all kinds contribute to creating a culturally vibrant city.

To structure an argument around the comparison of Latitude 53 - an artist run centre - and the AGA - a museum - totally ignores the fact that these institutions have different mandates and have evolved to serve very different needs within the community. Is Latitude going to bring in a Rodin show? No. Is the AGA going to sponsor a performance and video art festival? No. Do both bring in interesting work that enriches the Edmonton arts scene? Yes!

There are generally 4 different kinds of galleries:

1. Commercial galleries sell work that is marketable. Some are more adventurous than others, but don't expect to see installations or video art here.

2. Vanity Galleries. Edmonton does not, to my knowledge, have any vanity galleries, but they are common in larger urban centres. In a vanity gallery the artist pays the rent for the month of their show, often in exchange for a lower commission taken by the gallery on works sold. It may sound a bit strange, but these can actually be a great way for emerging and mid-career artists to attract commercial representation, or for artists working in non-traditional media (like installation and video) to exhibit their work in a professional context.

3. Artist Run Centres. These galleries do not exist to sell work, but to show work that is interesting, cutting-edge, and adventurous. Every ARC has a different mandate and focus, but it is here that you can expect to see work that pushes past the limits of commercialism and tradition. ARCs show work by emerging, mid-career, and established artists.

4. Museums. This is the category that large institutions like the AGA occupy. They show work by established (and occasionally mid-career) artists. Like ARCs, they are not concerned with saleable work, but because of their desire to appeal to a larger audience the work they show is sometimes more conservative than what you might see in a smaller venue. But it is here that you can see works by well-known contemporary artists and old masters alike. It is not, however, a place where local emerging artists get a foot in the door.

Let's stop talking about apples and oranges and talk about other more pressing issues. Why does Edmonton not have more exhibition opportunities for emerging artists? How can we encourage the proliferation of more indie (more on that in a minute) and vanity spaces so that art is more readily available to the general population? How do we, in effect, help to create art galleries that are not "destinations", but places that someone strolling along can spontaneously pop in to? Latitude 53 and Harcourt House are great, but neither gallery is street-level. I would love to see commercial store fronts in the downtown core and in other parts of the city (118th ave comes to mind) turned into low-rent exhibition spaces. Kind of like The Works, but year-round.

I felt that your entire article downplayed the important role of artist-run-centres. To say that Latitude books 7 shows a year totally ignores the art being show in the Projex Room and Community Gallery, and the myriad of events they put on all year. It makes their contribution to the Edmonton art scene sound measly, when in fact it is significant.

As one last point, I would like to stress that Latitude 53 is not, as your article suggests, an indie gallery. It is a 37-year-old well-respected cultural institution that attracts exhibitions by both local and international artists. The Artery is an indie gallery, okay? It's a DIY space that exhibits emerging work, and Edmonton is fortunate to have it. Latitude 53 is in another league, and, as I have stated multiples times, serves an entirely different purpose.

There is no winner when we compare different kinds of art galleries. But Edmontonians win a little every time a new exhibition space (like the Artery) opens. Let's focus on that.

Sincerely,
Kirsten McCrea

Everybody I Know Loves Degrassi, take 2

I got new pictures taken of the Degrassi series, and they look so good! Just wanted to do a quick re-post of this oldie-but-goodie because I think they look WAY nicer now. Many thanks to Laura Findlay and her camera-wielding skills.

Everybody I Know Loves Degrassi (series of 6 paintings until I can find great pictures of Wheels and the twins). Mixed media on board. 13" x 15". 2006.

Everybody I Know Loves Degrassi - Arthur

Everybody I Know Loves Degrassi - Caitlin

Everybody I Know Loves Degrassi - Joey Jeremiah

Everybody I Know Loves Degrassi - Snake

Everybody I Know Loves Degrassi - Lucy

Everybody I Know Loves Degrassi - Spike

Thanks for looking! Visit www.hellokirsten.com for more examples of my work

Better Website, New Paintings

'Television', oil on canvas, 2010

'Titanic', oil on board, 2010

www.hellokirsten.com has been redone and looks better than ever. Head on over to check it out to see these and many other new paintings. Whew - it was an exhausting week getting everything done before the photographer came to shoot, but there is nothing sweeter than seeing your work properly documented and looking good!

Hello, Georgie

I'm featured in the inaugural issue of Georgie magazine, a free arts and culture mag published out of Edmonton, Alberta. If you're in Edmonton you can pick it up in newsstands all over town, but if you're not you can do what I did and . I really like their cover shot of Cadence Weapon/Rollie Pemberton.

Visit www.heygeorgie.com.