The Arting Starvist

Sparkbox Studio Residency

2012-01-15T16:21:00.001-05:00

I am spending the month of January out at the incredibly lovely Sparkbox Studio, a residency in a country farmhouse near Picton, Ontario. Kyle Topping and Chrissy Poitras are the resident hosts, and I'm lucky enough to be sharing the house with JP King and Sarah Burwash (whose art I've been a fan of for a long time!). It's really fun. I think it's even better than I was anticipating.

My crummy little snapshots here really don't do this beautiful house justice, so head over to Design*Sponge to see the recent article posted on them (it came out the day we arrived! Exciting).

It was a bit jarring to suddenly be alone in a studio - with nothing but my own thoughts, gasp - after a year spent painting alongside En Masse, gluing along with Cease, and organizing Papirmasse. I didn't realize how collaborative art makes the ideas flow until I had to sift through and sort my own thoughts. But after a week I am comfortably embarked on several projects and sorry that my time here is passing so quickly! I am making pattern drawings, some animal silhouettes, and werewolf ladies. I'll post some more photos as my time here progresses, but here are a few shots of the first few days.

The sketch for a painting I'm starting today. I'm going to make her all pretty and then cover her with hair.

Rico, looking fierce (he is really very friendly, he's just yawning)

The beautiful living room, complete with New Years decorations (we got here just after the big day)

Swirl pattern drawing in lots of colours, drawn on the sunny kitchen table.

Come check out the Cease Holiday Flea Market this weekend

2011-12-15T20:43:00.000-05:00

Come say hi at the Cease Holiday Flea Market this weekend!
180 St. Catherine Est, December 17 & 18, 10 am - 6pm.

The CEASE Holiday Flea Market is back, bringing you so much amazing local art and handmade goods that you’ll forget all about Santa! Everything from photos and illustrations to knits, tshirts, jewelry and beyond, there are all sorts of awesome things up for grabs this year!

Our philosophy is simple: Gift-giving is nice, rampant consumerism is less so. Why waste money in big box stores when you could instead get really unique and awesome gifts for friends at the flea market, all the while supporting the local arts community?

And this ain’t yo grandma’s flea market – we’re hosting some of our
favorite local artists in one of the best local spaces: Under
Pressure’s Fresh Paint Gallery!

Plus, there will be ridiculously tasty cupcakes being sold to raise
funds for Eleven Eleven Animal Rescue! They’ll also be gift wrapping,
which means you get to give great gifts in beautiful boxes, AND be
lazy at the same time! Plus get a sugar high while you’re at it. Yep,
CEASE has got you covered.

Seriously though, this event not only allows you to pick up cool new
stuff, it also helps support our city’s arts community, the CEASE Art
Collective anddd gives you some bonus karma points via Eleven Eleven Animal Rescue.

So, even if you’re not shopping, just drop in to say hello and check
out the work. We’re offering a serious dose of authentic holiday
spirit! We may even play some Christmas songs.

Oh, and, remember, cash only!

Some new drawings

2011-12-15T20:38:00.001-05:00

Here are a few new drawings I did in my recent exploration into repeating patterns.

Puces Pop and Casa del Popolo 'Super Presse Club'

2011-12-09T21:21:00.001-05:00

2 fun things happening this weekend (third week of my marathon craft fair spree).

1. Puces Pop. The best little craft fair that could. Don't miss it or you'll miss out on some great gifts! Seriously, I traded the fabulous Sophie of Unik Printshop for one of her sweaters last week and absolutely fell in love (I basically live in it now). It is made of the softest, most wonderful fabric ever to grace a hoodie, and is screenprinted with one of her lovely drawings. The next day I was browsing in mall land. I'm not much of a shopper, and it didn't take long to discover that everything in the mall that costs the same as the apparel sold at places like Smart Design Mart and Puces Pop is about half the quality. I was really stunned at the nasty scratchy fabric that cost the same as Unik's incredible apparel, and vowed to save my clothing money for future events where I can buy directly from local designers.

Saturday and Sunday
December 10th - 11th: 11am-6pm
5035 St-Dominique, church basement between Laurier & St-Joseph
Free!

2. Super Presse Club! Casa del Popolo is being transformed into a pop-up print shop this month. Come score some sweet printed matter by 14 Montreal artists for a limited time.

All December long, from Thursday to Sunday, 12 - 5 pm. Open from Tuesday onwards the last week of December for you last-minute shoppers out there.

Featuring Julie Doucet, Seripop, Popolo Press, Simon Bossé, Jesse Purcell, Tyler Rauman, Jacinthe Loranger, Dominique Pétrin, Breeree, Daygristle Kirsten McCrea and JP King and Nomryn.

Casa del Popolo: 4873 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal

It's crazy-ass holiday fair time!

2011-11-21T18:56:00.001-05:00

Life is INSANE for crafty artists at this time of year. It's when we pull all-nighters, giving ourselves blisters folding paper, sewing things, and generally feeling overwhelmed yet nonetheless SUPER COMPELLED TO MAKE STUFF. And you, the public, get to find neat gifts for people that are unavailable at any other time, in any other place. So here, in order of appearance, are the many craft fairs and small press fairs and pop-up shops that I will be at in the next month, all with my trusty sidekick JP King close at hand.

1. EXPOZINE. Aka the happiest place on earth. I love Expozine. I love it so much. Last year I got locked out of my house at 3 am the night before Expozine because I decided in the middle of the night that my Expozine table would be perfect if only I went to my studio to get an awesome shelf. I left my house and lost my keys on the way and spent like an hour walking around looking for them before hopping the fence into my backyard and miraculously getting in to my house. And you know what? THAT SUCKED, but Expozine was STILL AWESOME. Such is the power of 300 small press vendors in one room.

Next week: Smart Design Mart...

Exposure Festival

2011-10-13T23:32:00.000-04:00

On Monday I am taking off for some fun and sun in Edmonton, Alberta (okay, the Canadian Prairies don't exactly conjure up images of beach weather, but believe it or not Edmonton is one of the sunniest cities in North America, especially in the winter). I'll be making art at the 5th annual Exposure: Queer Arts & Culture Festival. This is my second time exhibiting at Exposure - back in 2008 I showed Hot Topic in a show with Wednesday Lupypciw and Corissa O'Donnell. Wednesday did a performance involving the wearing of high-waisted beige pantyhose - on the outside - earning my eternal respect.

If you're in Edmonton, come out to the Papirmasse-a-thon on October 20, and the panel discussion I am chairing on making big bucks in the arts (well, enough bucks to pay your rent - see event details below).

Here are the posters I made for the festival. You can come see lots of Papirmasse at the closing party, along with drag shows and DJs and dancing!

S A L E !

2011-10-09T15:20:00.004-04:00

In honour of my Etsy shop being back from the dead, I've put on this sale. Head on over to www.hellokirsten.etsy.com to score some almost 50% off prints!

My Etsy Shop is back from the dead

2011-10-02T22:25:00.001-04:00

My online store took a little siesta this year. Just got too caught up with real life, I guess.

But now it is back in action! Head on over to www.hellokirsten.etsy.com to score some sweet prints. Other items will be added in the coming weeks. The newest addition is this little cutie here, my very first risograph print (I almost sold out at his world-debut at Puces Pop this past weekend - but about half of the edition of 50 are still left).

Live Painting during Pop Montreal

2011-09-13T20:45:00.002-04:00

I'm in an Art Pop event that features live painting happening during Pop Montrea! Come see us get our art on.

With Kirsten McCrea, Dewey Guyen, Andy da Silva, Sarah Guindon, Lisa Czech, Tyler Rauman, and guests.

En Masse at the San Diego Art Fair 2011

2011-09-13T17:06:00.008-04:00

Did some live painting with En Masse at the San Diego Art Fair a few weeks ago! With the help of fellow Montrealers Kevin Ledo, Fred Caron, Jason Botkin, and San Diego-uhh-ians(?) Mike Maxwell and Kevin Peterson, as well as Argentinian Maria Bedoian, we made 5 giant paintings over the course of the fair. Here are a few random photos of the event. You can see more on my Facebook album of the event, or by checking out the brand new www.enmasse.info!

New York Infographics

2011-07-18T23:10:00.005-04:00

I don't have much to post about as I'm spending a month wandering the streets of New York. My partner and I realized that we could sublet our Montreal apartments and rent a place in the Big Apple for the same price as our combined rent - mind you, we collectively occupy 11 rooms in Montreal (what with two apartments and a studio), which we traded for one room in Brooklyn. Yessiree, 11 rooms for the price of 1! While I am of course enchanted with this city (and our one room here is very nice) I think the 11 to 1 ratio will keep me staying put in la belle province for the time being (we also figured out that we together have 11 years of post-secondary education, which cost us about what 1 year would at the big art schools here, so the 11 to 1 ratio holds true for more than rent).

We are spending the month here wandering around, meeting fellow art dorks, and of course just kind of being in awe of how big everything is. Biking around Manhattan is putting me in touch with my own mortality, and the incredible food and art everywhere are perking up my tired mind.

I've taken my little spare time and used it to redesign the Papirmasse website (just a minor facelift), making it more user-friendly and navigatable. I added these cute little infographics, which were really fun to make. So that's basically this post: I'm in New York, making infographics.

Cirque de Solyay!

2011-06-16T16:39:00.006-04:00

The fine folks at Safewalls (an art project curated by Cirque du Soleil that brings the time-honoured circus poster into the 21st century, featuring the work of lowbrow artists like Tara MacPherson, Ron English, and Travis Louis) have invited En Masse to paint in the Tapis Rouge (red carpet) tent at 45 + performances of Totem this summer.

That means that we get to go 7 times a week and paint our brains out for a few hours (in teams of 2). Here's what transpired after the first session (p.s. all photos courtesy SafeWalls):

I've wanted to see a Cirque show since I was a kid. It was pretty rad getting to stroll through the gates and finally see what goes on inside these crazy tents in the Old Port. Yep, this is basically the world's best summer gig.

Check out www.safewalls.org/tapisrouge to see daily updates on what En Masse creates for Cirque du Soleil!

New Screenprinted Shirts and Posters

2011-05-25T12:47:00.007-04:00

I love screenprinting but don't get to do it anymore myself because I learned how to print at a fancypants art school with their fancypants equipment and don't have a 5-million dollar drying machine at home (oh UV inks, so pretty, so not DIY in any way!). Someday I will learn how to screenprint the real way - in a dingy basement with a can of latex paint and some noise rock blaring - but until then I will count myself lucky when someone else steps up the plate and prints for me.

That's happened a few times this year, thanks to Threadless and Moniker. Check out the respected designs below.

Deer shirt, available through Threadless! $20. Click here to order.

For this girl-tee (and the one featured above), click here. Also $20.

The print is available through Society6, at varying sizes and prices. Check that out here. Note that this is the only thing in this post not screenprinted. They use a super pro laser printer.

And now for Moniker! The atom bomb print. Girl tank top is taupe on white, $30. Buy it here.

And the guy's version. Black on red! Also $30, check it out here. Moniker is an amazing screenprinting company here in Montreal that prints on garments made in North America and does a lot to support artists, such as the annual Machine Wash Cold/Tumble Dry Low.

And last but not least, a screenprint of my little self-conscious lucha man is available! See more here.

Lykke Li & Grimes Poster

2011-05-20T12:41:00.003-04:00

Made a gig poster for the Lykke Li show tomorrow night in Montreal! 3 colour screenprint, 15" x 20", available soon through the Moniker website, or get in touch with me for details (kirstenmccrea -at- gmail.com).

Lykke Li with Grimes, May 21 at Metropolis.

Where Are We Going? Exquisite Corpse

2011-04-23T16:52:00.005-04:00

I'm in the upcoming Poplar and Pine show at Latitude 53 in good ol' Dirt City (Edmonton Alberta). Last year's show asked artists to visually answer the question: Where are we from? This year P&P asks: Where are we going?

To help illustrate (err...literally) this idea, P&P is putting together a map in the style of the exquisite corpse. Each artist was invited to make a tile for the map. The only protocol was that we stuck to the four indicated exit points, so that all the maps join up nicely when tiled together.

Can't wait to see the whole thing! Here is my contribution. Where are we going? Clearly down a path of excessive gluttonous consumption...or, in a less metaphorical light: yum! Cake!

This map image is just a taste (boy, I'm on a roll here) of what's to come for the show. Every artist is also making a poster that answers the question. I'll post mine in the coming weeks, and of course if you're in Edmonton, you will for sure want to head down to the show to check out all the entries in real life.

DIY Pipe Desk with Salvaged Door

2011-04-23T15:39:00.005-04:00

(Click on the photos for a much better view)

I've always wanted a really long, thin desk. Somewhere to pile my mountains of pens and paper. A few months ago a door on the street caught my eye. I dragged it home and, with a little inspiration and help from Apartment Therapy and Mary Bicycles I built this beauty using pipes from the hardware store as the base. It's really sturdy and more than big enough to hold my mountains of paper scraps. All told it cost less than $100. If I ever find a great piece of wood I might swap out the top, but I'm really happy with it now.

You can see in one of the photos that one of the legs is a little crooked. Well, one swift kick and it straightened out. I'm sure that's not the proper way to do it, but it worked...

If you want to do this yourself it's really easy. The instructions on Mary Bicycles are great. I bought the pipe at Home Depot but got it cut down and threaded at a smaller plumbing store (I would have bought the pipe there too but they only sell it in 21-foot lengths, and most of the standard sizes from HD worked - it was just the four long pieces that had to be cut from 24" to 18").

Expo Baronesque

2011-04-13T11:09:00.005-04:00

My art on nice granite walls!

The beautiful room.

I was at the vernissage for Baronesque, the exhibition to celebrate the first-year anniversary of Baron magazine, last night. It was great! I think it was hands-down the most beautiful space I have shown work in, and definitely one of the best group shows I've been included in as well. All the work was top-notch and very inspiring. A really nice mix of mediums too.

Julien Vallée, Alice Jarry, Marc Dulude, Karine Fournier, Mike Patten, Guillaume Simoneau, Guillaume BD and Josée Lecompte shared the walls with me.

The show is up until May 21st, from 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday and noon - 5pm Saturdays. It happens in the Maison du Conseil des Arts de Montreal at 1210, rue Sherbrooke Est (the beautiful building with huge columns on the corner of Beaudry across from Parc Lafontaine).

Upcoming Shows in April

2011-04-07T18:06:00.008-04:00

There's a lot going on this month! Here's a quick rundown of where I'll be showing my work in the coming weeks. In all cases it's in the presence of several other talented artists who I feel honoured to share a wall with.

April 12: Baronesque

I am really excited to see who else is in this show. Local art magazine Baron celebrates one year of operation by putting on an exhibition of local contemporary art. It opens Tuesday, April 12, 5 pm - 7 pm at the Maison des Conseil des Arts de Montréal, 1210 rue Sherbroooke.

April 14 - 17: Papier 11

Papier is an art fair featuring works on paper. It is a rare opportunity to catch most of the city's major contemporary art galleries under one roof, and is, in my opinion, a not-to-be-missed event. I will have never-before-seen original drawings on display at the Maison Kasini booth, where I will also be displaying Papirmasse. If I get a chance I'm going to run off to the Galerie Pangée booth to paint with En Masse.

The Contemporary Art Galleries Association (AGAC) will open the 4th edition of PAPIER at the Place des Festivals, right in the middle of the Quartier des spectacles (coin Bleury & Maissonneuve), from April 14th to 17th 2011.

April 16: Machine Wash Cold/Tumble Dry Low

I can't wait for this one! MWC/TDL is the annual event where the super awesome screenprinting company Moniker puts artist designs on shirts, tote bags, and posters. This year the launch is bigger and better than ever, going down in a fantastic warehouse space in Griffintown. I am putting a free Papirmasse print in 50 tote bags, so make sure to arrive early if you want one! The day kicks off with a free family-friendly portion from 2pm-7pm, and then swings into full party mode from 9pm-3am. April 16th, 2011 at L’Espace Griffintown - 1314 rue Olier in Montreal. $10 after 9 pm, 18+

April 22: No Sleep Till Brooklyn

With less than a month away from their show in Brooklyn, New York at Rouge 58, Montreal based artists Alan Ganev, JP King, Tim Barnard and Regimental Oneton are putting an art show together at Underworld skate shop to raise funds for their upcoming trip and promote their latest artworks in Montreal. I'm putting a few pieces in the show too - probably some never-before-seen large format prints. No sleep 'Till Brooklyn happens at Underworld, 251 Ste-Catherine Street est from 8:00pm - 3:00am on April 22.

And last but not least...

Papirmasse is having an exhibition all month long at the S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Vermont. The show is up right now, and we will be hustling on down to Burlington for First Friday on May 6, 5pm - 9pm. If you're in Vermont please come say hi! It'll be a fun chance to check out Papirmasse and get a taste of the affordable art project. I am looking forward to eating ice cream, which as far as I know is a mandatory Vermont tourist activity. Check out an article on the show here: http://www.7dvt.com, and let me know if there are other fun things I should check out while I'm down there.

As always, if you come to one of my shows and we haven't met - please come say hi! I love meeting new people and haven't bitten anyone in a long time.

Another Threadless entry :)

2011-02-28T20:25:00.003-05:00

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I've turned my latest drawing into an entry for Threadless. It's a giant patterned deer head. The more votes the better, so please stop on by and cast yours if you happen upon this while the contest is still open.

The two detail shots above show the original drawing (at the bottom, with plenty of ink variation), and a 'flat' version of one solid blue. Basically it's a two or one colour print. I'm partial to the greater variation myself - I think it adds depth. I would be curious to hear other's thoughts on this.

Click on the images to see them larger.

Finished Work

2011-02-24T11:20:00.004-05:00

I finished this drawing ages ago, but due to a broken CD drive the scan was stuck in la-la land for several weeks. So happy to see the finished product and get a chance to put it up here!

It's just Sharpie on paper, pretty large (about 22" x 30" if memory serves...). Click on the image for a better view.

I've been drawing a lot lately, so there will be more to come in the next few weeks.

Helicopter Painting! Distroboto!

2011-01-31T14:42:00.003-05:00

This Helicopter painting of mine from 2009 will be exhibited at the Distroboto 10th Anniversary Art Show at Monastiraki on Friday, February 4 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm. Be there or be square! Monastiraki is located at 5478 Saint-Laurent in Montreal, QC (right next to Cagibi, where you will not pass up a chance to order the chili or nachos if you know what's good for ya).

Distroboto are art vending machines, made from converted old cigarette vending machines. They sell all sorts of stuff by artists, writers and musicians, all for the bargain price of $2. Most of the $$ goes back to the artists, so it's a great way to support the local scene as well as grab some cool stuff (also a great way to win over a first date, just sayin').

Here's an image of the New York Times article on Distroboto from back in the day. Congrats to the project for going strong for 10 long years. Here's to another 10!

Things I Love

2011-01-31T14:28:00.005-05:00

1) This amazing book by famed book-designer Chip Kidd that my A+ boyfriend sneakily bought for me even though we agreed on no Christmas presents.

2) Four-eyed dog print by Chrix Morix (seen alongside my helicopter painting and Jacques Brel Papirmasse print).

3) My bad-ass new 'Projects' whiteboard, with what's going on listed in the order of Frontlines / Simmer / Backburner. I drew the categories and title in Sharpie so that they won't erase when I wipe down the board.

4) My bad-ass new desk, made from pipe and a salvaged door. Full post on this sucker to come soon!

Lucha Libre

2011-01-18T19:21:00.004-05:00

New drawing for the pin-ups issue of Decover Magazine, a free Montreal arts mag that showcases the work of local artists. I made this one specially for them.

I wanted to turn the notion of a "pin-up" on its head a little. That's why I chose to use a man instead of a woman, and also used someone without an ideal body. I gave the guy a Lucha Libre mask because those dudes are all about performance and presenting an idealized masculine image (much like female pin-ups, who represent an idealized version of femininity). I liked the idea of a pin-up who is the centre of attention but betrays some self-consciousness; it's like he's wondering if he's really sexy enough to be up there. I think that's a feeling we all know too well. Don't worry, Lucha guy: you're super cute in your socks and underpants. Work it!

New Drawing!

2010-12-12T20:09:00.005-05:00

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

2010-11-25T01:53:00.004-05:00

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!)

2010-11-10T02:32:00.003-05:00

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!!!!!!!

2010-08-11T21:16:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-09T12:58:00.005-04:00

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!

2010-08-07T01:09:00.001-04:00

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

Papergirl Berlin

2010-07-22T14:37:00.005-04:00

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!

2010-07-15T00:47:00.005-04:00

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

2010-07-13T14:09:00.003-04:00

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

2010-07-05T10:29:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-28T01:55:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-28T00:55:00.004-04:00

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

2010-06-28T00:11:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-01T02:20:00.002-04:00

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

Lost Soul!

2010-05-24T23:29:00.005-04:00

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

2010-05-22T12:03:00.004-04:00

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.

2010-05-14T14:09:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-24T12:31:00.003-04:00

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

2010-04-23T11:40:00.003-04:00

'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

2010-03-11T19:15:00.004-05:00

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.

Papirmasse buttons hit Distroboto!

2010-01-24T00:37:00.003-05:00

Soon, my pretties, soooon.

Soon you will be able to pick up Pap buttons in Distroboto machines in Montreal. Distroboto, for those unfamiliar, are retrofitted cigarette machines that sell art and music and other fun stuff for a mere $2.00! I am very much in love with them.

I finally won an effing t-shirt contest!

2009-12-19T20:09:00.003-05:00

It's with great joy that I am announcing the arrival of 'Take Me With You' as a shirt, printed by the great people at Infectious. I not only have the honour of being a part of the launch of their new t-shirt line, but 'Take Me With You' was also the grand-prize winner of the contest that kicked off this new line. Victory dance!

They did an amazing job of the printing and placement. The initial run of shirts is pretty small, so if you would like to order one, head on over asap.

http://www.infectious.com/t-shirts/kirstenmccrea/take-me-with-you/6517

A B C D Eeeeee

2009-11-30T23:18:00.002-05:00

Another week, another shirt design. Hopefully one day one of these will get printed! I'm a pretty big fan of this one myself, so fingers crossed. If you could take a minute to vote for it, I would really appreciate it.

Score this design: "Alphabet," to help it get printed on Threadless!

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Big show of Montreal artists opens this Thursday!

2009-11-30T11:42:00.003-05:00

130 Montreal artists, 300 works. All on 12" x 12" supports. Should be pretty interesting. I am kicking myself for not getting photos of my 2 pieces, because I am pretty proud of them. Hopefully I will get down to the gallery this week and can snap a photo or 2.

It opens this Thursday from 5 pm onwards. Should be a good party!

The show is at 410 St. Pierre, in the Old Port (next to Olive and Gourmando).

www.galeriezoneorange.com for more info.

Recent Studio Shots

2009-11-21T18:24:00.006-05:00

I looked around my studio last week and -eep!- there were 15 unfinished paintings being worked on. Okay: time to buckle down and finish some! Here are a few shots of what's going on. And since then, for the record, I have indeed managed to finish 2, with a good, clear direction on 2 more. Another 2 are so close to being done I really have no excuse - it's just final details at this point. So hopefully in the next couple weeks I will have some nice new works hanging in my home, instead of cluttering up my already crowded workspace.

Putin is hiding behind Jacques Brel.

This baby is being turned into the new issue of Papirmasse:

Part of a new painting:

This sucker is DONE!

Old drawing, new shot of it. For sale, $40 (email kirstenmccrea -at- gmail.com). See the full shot here.

Leftover colours on the palette become angry bear.

Thanks for looking!

Signature

2009-11-21T13:22:00.002-05:00

Just messin' around with my name, for various reasons. I think I like the green one best, with the yellow in close second.

New Sketch

2009-11-21T12:55:00.004-05:00

My favourite artist told me that if I want to be better, I should sketch one person from the newspaper every day. Good advice! So here is the first - Rootin' Tootin' Putin.

I haven't managed to do one sketch a day (I HATE sketching. HATE IT!!!), but I really am trying to get better at drawing and am trying my damndest to follow through on his advice. I really do think that sketching is the way to go, and that my paintings would get finished faster if I had a plan before diving into them, but aargh, it feels like it takes so much time. Anyone else out there feel as I do towards sketching, or are you all madly in love with it?

Expozine - Don't Miss It!

2009-11-10T18:35:00.003-05:00

Papirmasse September Issue. Mmmmm fold outs...

Papirmasse and myself, Kirsten McCrea, have a table at this years Expozine! Can't wait to roll on in and check out all the amazing books and paper goods. This is definitely one of Montreal's do not miss events.

Expozine, Montreal’s annual small press, comic and zine fair, will take place on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2009, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 5035 St-Dominique (Église Saint-Enfant Jésus, between St-Joseph and Laurier, near Laurier Métro). Free admission.

The opening party, featuring readings and live music, will take place Friday, November 13, at Sky Blue Door, 5403B St. Laurent (side door), 7 – 11 p.m., free admission.

This incredible event brings together nearly 300 creators of all kinds of printed matter – from books to zines to posters and graphic novels – in both English and French. In the past eight years, Expozine has become one of North America’s largest small press fairs, attracting thousands of visitors as well as exhibitors from as far as France, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver and Quebec City!

Come discover a universe of publications and printed works that is hard to find anywhere, much less all in the same room! It’s also a rare opportunity to meet hundreds of young and emerging authors, publishers and artists, and see what the winners of last year’s Expozine Alternative Press Awards are up to.

This year for the first time there will also be a program of discussions and readings running throughout the event, as well as an opening party on Friday, November 13 (details to be announced). Not to be missed!

Expozine is made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des Arts de Montréal.

Halloween Studio Sale

2009-10-27T02:17:00.003-04:00

Date:	Saturday, October 31, 2009
Time:	1:00pm - 6:00pm
Location:	100th Slice of Pie, 5334 Gaspé, #1202 12th floor

Another month, another one-day sale at the studio! Come and check out the work of all the amazing artists and amigos of those who call 100-sided-die home.

::::::::::Massive Art Sale::::::::::
\\\\\@ the 100 Sided Die///
<<>>

<<>>

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
we are open 1 day a month,
--> the last Saturday of the month
(+ by appointment)
///////////////////////

>_> <_<

Facebook event is HERE.

Pssst

2009-10-08T16:45:00.003-04:00

Doing a photoshoot for a new online magazine. So excited! Will post links when the article goes up.

I also have a new online portfolio. Figured I would give it a try. www.behance.net/kirsten

Do It.

2009-10-01T18:49:00.002-04:00

It's my birthday, buy something from my Etsy store! www.hellokirsten.etsy.com

(had to try)

Puces Pop 2009

2009-10-01T02:00:00.003-04:00

I am selling art and prints all weekend at Puces Pop, Montreal's largest (and dare I say best) craft fair, hosted by Pop Montreal! Though the fair is undeniably great, I am a little sad, as this will call for a huge amount of restraint: no drinking and partying on my birthday weekend, no drinking and partying on Pop Montreal weekend, no and drinking and partying on a weekend full of great parties, no drinking and partying while my best friend is visiting me from Halifax. Okay, maybe just a little drinking and partying. Just a smidge. But really, no more than that, because if there is one thing I have learned, it is that craft fairs are best worked by the well-rested and very sober.

Puces Pop

3 & 4 oct, 11h00 - 19h00 (11:00 - 7:00)

l'Église St-Michel (105 St-Viateur O.)

Take the metro to Laurier and walk, or take the Parc bus, or ride a Bixi, or google maps it and get better directions.

Facebook event here.

Image courtesy of Pin Pals.

Love! Hate!

2009-09-22T19:39:00.001-04:00

Spot my work in the new Love/Hate catalogue!

Hint: it's the Kim Jong painting here.

Get Your Own Stupid Hamster Face!

2009-09-15T19:04:00.002-04:00

It's finally here! A full-colour replication of my painting, "Stephen Harper, Stupid Hamster Face". Yes, those beady little eyes can now adorn your home/office/shrine. Digitally printed on a nice, glossy cardstock, this 4" x 6" art print is sure to bring a smile to the face of the Canadian in your life. Keep it for yourself/send it to your MP/give it as a gift to the politico in your life. I'm mailing one to the man himself! These prints are limited to an edition of 300. A special discounted price is available for orders of 10 or more. Confused Americans: Stephen Harper is the Prime Minister of Canada. Whether you love him or loathe him, you cannot deny that he resembles a hamster.

Buy it here.

Fun on the internets

2009-09-15T14:53:00.001-04:00

Submitted some banners to Lost at E Minor, just for fun.

Don't Diss Yoko

2009-09-02T02:02:00.004-04:00

What are you waiting for? The Papirmasse August issue is out - the 8th in our series of $5 prints (available for that ridiculously low price to subscribers - sign up here!!!). I am continuing on my Yoko-Ono-Is-Secretly-Awesome rampage. 2-colour print on the frontside, text explaining the allure of Yoko on the back. $5! Seriously! www.papirmasse.com

Polaris Music Prize Poster!

2009-09-02T01:51:00.004-04:00

Yippee! Here's my Polaris Music Prize poster for Patrick Watson's album 'Wooden Arms'. It's a great album and he is totally a contender for the win. The poster was a blast to do, and I am looking forward to seeing the silkscreened print this week (18 x 24 inches, 3 colours). There will be 15 up for sale on my etsy site within the coming weeks - yep, it's a small run, so get'em while they're hot! Detail shots below.

New Painting

2009-09-02T01:47:00.001-04:00

A new painting for the September show at Usine 106U. Kind of a departure for me in terms of colour, but it still has lots of those repetitive lines I get obsessed with.

BOOM-CHIX-A-BOOM #8

2009-08-27T21:33:00.002-04:00

BOOM-CHIX-A-BOOM #8 happens this weekend in Montreal at the only-55 times annually underwear and knock-off sunglasses festival...err, the St. Laurent street sale. Watch out for the little island of art in the sea of stuff you don't really need but might buy anyway because it's so cheap. Speaking of crap you don't need, I'll be selling buttons and art prints and subscriptions to Papirmasse!

Full details at the link above. Facebook link here.

LA CENTRALE GALLERY POWERHOUSE is at 4296 St. Laurent.

Best Day Ever

2009-08-25T01:35:00.002-04:00

What a great day it was last Friday - found out I'll be designing the Patrick Watson poster for the Polaris Music Prize, found out I'll be vending at Puces Pop in Montreal in the fall (greatest craft fair ever!), and sent in the digital file of Don't Diss Yoko to the kind folks who'll be putting it up next week for the Poplar & Pine Poster Show. More details on that soon.

I forgot to mention:

2009-08-07T02:14:00.000-04:00

www.papirmasse.com

Submissions for the SNAP! shirt contest

2009-07-23T12:40:00.003-04:00

SNAP! magazine is having an ongoing t-shirt contest. I threw together a few 'Don't Diss Yoko' shirts in the hopes that one would win. Vote here:

http://snapme.ca/content/t-shirt-design-competition/2009/07/23/kirsten-mccrea

Everyone is always hating on Yoko Ono. She's almost universally despised in North America, which I think is pretty culturally revealing. People claim to hate her because she is "weird" and "broke up the Beatles", but beyond that they know almost nothing about her! Yoko Ono was a well-known and respected performance artist before she hooked up with the man whose fame completely overshadowed hers, and she was hugely important in the popularization of performance art and the legitimization of non-traditional art forms. She ran her own avant-garde gallery out of her apartment in New York, and was an early member of the legendary group Fluxus.

I think that the hatred for her stems from some sort of gross cultural inability to shake off the idea of a the siren who drains a mans virility (hence her reputation as the Beatles breaker-upper), and discomfort with the image of a powerful and sexy Asian woman at the height of the Vietnam war.

So I say DON'T DISS YOKO. She's awesome. It's totally fair to hate her if you know her work and have an informed opinion, but no naive hating!

Vote here:

http://snapme.ca/content/t-shirt-design-competition/2009/07/23/kirsten-mccrea

PAPIRMASSE art subscription MONTREAL LAUNCH!!!!

2009-07-17T11:20:00.004-04:00

It's the official Montreal launch of Papirmasse next week! Come to the SNAP! salon for cheap art, cheap drinks, and good music. July 23, 8-11. More information on the art-subscription Papirmasse at www.papirmasse.com

And if you aren't in Montreal, remember that Papirmasse is

it is only

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO MUCH TO ANNOUNCE!!!

2009-07-07T21:44:00.005-04:00

Holy moly, we've been BUSY.

We're going to take the numerical approach here, to make sure we don't miss anything!

1) Papirmasse, the mail-art subscription we publish, is

it is only

YES! That's only $60 for ***12*** signed and editioned art prints! And they come in the mail every month!!! What are you waiting for? These are limited edition. There are only 1,000 subscriptions available. If you miss out, how else are you going to fill your house with art and have tons of amazingly unique presents at the ready for birthdays that sneak up on you?

You can go straight to our Etsy store to sign up, or, if you're new to the whole concept of Papirmasse, you might want to visit the website. Which brings us to:

YES! We redesigned the website. It is now WAY nicer. The main page looks the same, but we highly recommend you scroll through the issues published so far, and also: click on the 'papirmasse in the news' button at the bottom, where you will see stuff such as:

3) The beautiful magazines that have been hyping us up.

Parlour Magazine out of Edmonton listed Papirmasse as one of their favourite things in their breakthrough Lady Gaga issue:

and SNAP! magazine, out of Montreal (and one of the best things about Montreal too! Make sure to pick up a FREE copy if you are ever in this beautiful city) wrote a short piece about us in their latest issue, below.

It is extremely well written and articulates many things about the mail-art project better than we ever have, so props to them. An excerpt from the article appears on our 'in the news' section, and the entire issue can be browsed on their website.

4) The June issue of Papirmasse is out! Look what you get for $5! Articles about corporate graffiti and the art market on the back. 17" x 20".

Here's the May issue. 12" x 18".

And April - a reversible book!!! Each page measures 5.75" x 8.75"

See all this and more at www.papirmasse.com

Okay, 5) is a digression, but our studio mate Evil Alice put up a great tour of our shared studio space, 100-Sided Die, on her blog. Thanks Alice! Now you can see where I work! Remember how badly I wanted a real studio?

Also, 6) I might have some buttons for sale at the Warped Tour, courtesy of Thoughtcrime Ink. I submitted 20 designs to them, so we'll see which ones they choose to print (if any, no pressure Jeff!)

And 7) No more t-shirts for a while. I am sick of the tormented waiting and weird highschool popularity contest feeling.

That's it for the next few days at least! I do have some art shows coming up though, so I'll be back with more news before too long.