>>PREVIEW
TAG
Opens September 8
TRUCK Gallery
The artist-run centre network is a sometimes intimidating whirlwind of who's in, who's who and who knows who, but local artists Shelley Ouellet and Erin MacMillan want to keep it that way. And you’re invited. It's part of the charm, actually.
"Tag starts when you receive a phone call from either Shelley or Erin. You may or may not know them, but you’re part of the same network, a small army of TRUCK Gallery supporters...." writes Diana Sherlock, and the network swells the moment you pick up your phone. When you get the call, it won't be an offer for a free carpet cleaning trial. They are calling to say "thanks!" and to give you a gift.
This ever-expanding project reflects on the way that visual art is often understood only when it takes the form of a recognizable "art object" like a painting, sculpture or photograph. These things we stand around and gawk at during openings are only the beginning, however. Ouellet notes that there is so much more to contemporary art than the object, and much of her work, including Tag, is preoccupied with "celebrating the arts community by making connections instead of objects." You don't need to wait by the phone for your Tag, though it is the initial transmission device for the mysterious details of the exhibition. The next step in this carefully planned networking project is to keep getting in touch with new people through the month. Tag relies on people who hear about the project and then take initiative "to come to the gallery and introduce themselves," and see row upon row of presents arranged and patiently waiting to get picked up.
It's hard to imagine what our Canadian art milieus would look like without the persistent DIY ethic of artists like Ouellet and MacMillan, who demand space for experimental artworks. The national artist-run network has been fuelled by the collective efforts of gallery members, artists, writers, staff, volunteers, boards and visitors for more than 30 years, and artist-run spaces have been described as both "community centres" and "breeding grounds" for the development of new works. The TRUCK archive and accumulated history of operating an indie artist-run gallery was one starting point for Tag, which focuses on finding all the people who have been involved over the years. "Shelley wanted to address the archive through the people, where I was really interested in acknowledging each person individually in a personal way," MacMillian says.
Ouellet's practice has been strongly rooted in the Calgary arts community for several years, where she has worked as an artist, director and board member of Stride Gallery, and host of the "artist's econo-lodge," Carpet 'n Toast Gallery. Her collaborator for the grand scheme of Tag is emerging artist Erin MacMillan. She's entering into her 3rd year of ACAD's sculpture program, but initially got involved with artist-run centres in Halifax when she realized that there was an entire culture connected by ARCs. She has been trying to absorb a lot about the artist-run history while digging through TRUCK's archives for the past few months, combing the gallery ephemera for information to get in touch with all the people who have been involved with the gallery. Hundreds of phone calls and 1,700 individually wrapped presents later, they're poised to open the show with one of Ouellet's signature opening parties. It's one of a handful of "be there or be square" events in the artist-run network, just in time to coincide with ArtCity's new art season launch. |
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