Alexandre Masino: Sep 8, 2009

September 8, 2009

Doug Scholes, residency project

(Photos courtesy of Aamfgpr)

Acts applied mostly for good practical reasons (Aamfgpr) is Doug Scholes residency project hosted by the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG), Lethbridge, Alberta as part of the gallery’s series Into the Streets: Avenues for Art. The event takes place fromAugust 27th to September 26th, 2009 with a closing reception on September 26th @ 8:00 p.m.

(Photos courtesy of Aamfgpr)

I had the chance to see other installations and wax casted sculptures from Doug in different venues in Montreal that were very engaging. Due to my interest in his practice, I included his work in the conference I gave last June on Encaustic Still Lifes (see previous post). While introducing his work, there was a great response from the audience that furthered accentuated his compelling use of the medium. Doug's work evolves around the notion of maintenance and deterioration; his use of beeswax is completely relevant to his discourse.

If ever you are in the Lethbridge area, I strongly suggest you visit this ongoing project. If you are too far away, as I am, you may follow the evolutions of the pieces by checking his website. Go in the menu on the right for more images and information.

Third Annual Encaustic Conference

In early June I presented a lecture on encaustic Still Life painting during the Third Annual Encaustic Conference at the Montserrat College of Art. My presentation consisted both of aesthetic and technical aspects. I introduced different artists working with wax either in painting or in sculpture and installation. The theme of my lecture focused on "Still-life" but I extended the definition by showing a variety of artists using the subject in a wide spectrum. The common thread between the artists was their use of wax either in the representation of an object or their use of the actual physical object. I also presented my own practice and different technical aspects of encaustic painting. I covered the nine years I've been working with the medium, showing the different studios I occupied, various ventilation systems and many different techniques from pure encaustic painting to mixed media.

My purpose is not to post my entire presentation as it was dense with information but rather to list the artists whom I presented with some links to their websites and their galleries. Within the coming weeks and months, I will be more active on my blog adding information, books and artists that inform my practice. The most important thing at the moment is to gratefully thank the artists who answered my different emails and gave me sufficient information on their production and provided me with images so I could present their work accurately.